1fastWS6

iTrader: (3)

Heads have ~1k miles on them. I wasn't planning to take them to a machine shop for cleanup, just going to do it myself. Can I just use a scotchbrite disc on my die grinder to clean up the head gasket face? Don't see any reason why this wouldn't work and I wouldn't think they'd need to be surfaced at all.

Comments?

Thanks.

Steve Bryant

iTrader: (1)

I would not use a scotchbrite on a die grinder as they can be more abrasive than you might imagine. Just take a scraper like a putty knife (as an example) and grind off the corners a little (maybe 1/8" radius) and carefully scrape off any remnants of the gasket until it is smooth to the touch and looks visually clean. Keep the angle of the scraper low (no more than about 30 degrees) and take your time. Some people have even used a plastic ice scraper that has been sharpened on one side so as to not gouge the aluminum. Once you get everything cleaned up really well, you might lightly[B] go over the head surface as a final step. Use the same procedure to clean up the ends of the bores (the cylinder deck) on the block side of the mating surface. Resist any temptation to really polish things up on the mating surfaces. That can lead to a leaking head gasket problem due to low spots on the mating surfaces.

All my best,

Steve