Suggestions on crud removal
 

Hi folks,

Starting an engine overhaul - new head, valve adjustments, other stuff – and I'm wondering about the best ways to remove crud. Specifically three kinds of crud:

Crud #1: Gasket remnants on both painted and unpainted surfaces. I can scrape it off, but there's always residue.

Crud #2: Brown crud on the surfaces of the water jacket. The coolant looked great when I drained it, but now that I'm taking stuff apart there's a lot of crud around the water pump. Anything I ought to do to flush that stuff out? Is it rust?

Crud #3: Residue in the holes in the block where the head studs went.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

I should add, just as a data point, it's always nice when things come off easily. I was able to get the head off simply by turning the motor over with the starter. The studs came out with a little PB Blaster and a stud remover. I was really nervous about it but it went fine.

Bonus: Whoever overhauled this engine last installed double-lock tappets. Must be my lucky day.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

Once you scrape it well what about scotchbrite 2-3” discs

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

A good quality putty knife with a stiff blade that is razor sharp will get the bulk of the crud on the flat surfaces on the head, block and manifold cleaned off. I sharpen my putty knifes on a fine grade wheel on my bench grinder.

Follow that up with a 4" fine grade wire wheel that chucks up in an electric drill. Use a drill that runs on 120 a.c. because most of the battery powered drills don't spin fast enough to make a wire wheel work efficiently. I'm a fan of the Forney brand wire wheels as they seem to last longer and have more bristles.

Most hardware stores have a bulk packages of around 10 small brushes similar in size to toothbrushes. Usually they have a mix of steel, brass and nylon in them. Very handy for getting into nooks and crannies.

For cleaning out bolt holes etc... get a couple sizes of the tube style wire brushes that chuck up in a drill. Once again Forney makes good ones.

I chase all of the threads in the blocks that I work on with taps then blow them out with compressed air.

As far as cleaning grease and grime aerosol brake cleaner is one heck of a solvent that doesn't leave much if any residue. Engine degreaser in an aerosol can leaves a residue that I don't like.
Simple green undiluted is another go to of mine along with acetone for a final cleaning of gasket surfaces and before painting.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

I would not use Scotchbrite discs on any flat machined surfaces. Scotchbrite has an abrasive component and you will no longer have flat surfaces. This is especially important on the head gasket surfaces which must be flat to seal properly.

Also Scotchbrite is introducing an abrasive in the engine components and you have to be sure everything is absolutely clean and every bit of the abrasive is removed or you can wind up with abrasive inside the engine.

My opinion,

Chris W.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

A squirt of brake cleaner and a wipe will clean up the surfaces quite well enough after you scrape of the "lumpy bits".

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

Rather than taps to chase the threads, these should remove less metal and preserve to factory fit.

http://www.langtools.com/sku-2581-26...p-and-die-set/

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

I like a razor scraper handle like you get at paint store for single edge razor blades for removing gaskets on machined surfaces. If you have the babbit out, have it hot tanked. Most shops also have a milder wash they can do that won't harm the babbit. Mine is at machine shop now waiting on the next load to go in the tank. It will be bored .080 over and valve seats refaced, then go to another shop to pour mains and line bore.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

Ha, I just ordered that exact set last night. All the comments on Amazon were like "I used this set to chase the threads in my engine block."

So I did some shopping and picked up a chisel putty knife and a clean-and-strip disc. I have the brake cleaner. I figure I'll go from least abrasive to most in sequence and see what's needed to get the gunk off.

No comments yet about the crud in the water jacket, any thoughts on that?

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

That would be nice, this overhaul is strictly inside-the-car. That's why I was so excited to discover that someone had put in double lock tappets before I got here.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

The '"farmers' fix" thread chasers are nothing more than an original Model A head stud that has a long lateral grooved slot milled into the threads with a Dremel cut off wheel. Virtually making an original Model A bolt look like a tap. Some cheap HF taps have been known to remove too much material or at the wrong places / angles causing a loose bolt fit.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

For that gooey gunk, I run the engine for a while with either a handful of laundry powder in the water but be careful not to go too far. Theat powder contains a foaming agent so the water will become a creamy froth which will not cool properly. Better, I use a couple of dishwasher tablets (no foaming) for a few hundred miles (that might only be a couple of days for me). You'll be amazed at what comes out when you detach a bottom hose (the drain cock is too slow). If things were really bad, I might follow that up with vinegar, which I leave in for about a month of normal use. Be careful when you drain the vinegar - it will stain anything. Flush and away you go.
For built up rust, when the engine is out for rebuild, I have had decent results with a high pressure washer. Once I have all I can get out of the water jacket, I use a short piece of speedo cable in a drill to get in around the hard to reach places and repeat with the HP washer.

Re: Suggestions on crud removal
 

Liberally spray on oven cleaner, let sit and rinse off with water