Cleaning gasket surfaces
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 135
Likes: 11
Cleaning gasket surfaces
Going to be replacing the head gaskets on my 1992 5.0 and I've seen a lot of mixed opinions on what to clean the surfaces of the engine block and intake manifolds with. Curious to hear what others have used and how their work has held up. I'm obviously worried about ruining the surfaces and having leaks in the future. Thanks.
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 30,912
Likes: 4,123
From: Angier, NC
On the steel parts you can get aggressive and not worry about gouging the metal like on ALUM.
We also dont know what tools you have to use is it just manual scrapping or do you have access to power / air tools?
I have a few different scrappers and a flat file on the front edge ground to a sharp edge I use for really tuff parts.
I use the dull scrappers on the ALUM. so I dont dig into it.
The use brake or carb clean for a final cleaner.
If you have air tools, angle grinder, get Rol-Loc head and discs. They come is different grits use fine grits on ALUM. so not to gouge warp it.
I dont do enough work to need all the Rol-Loc disc and they are not cheap to have many in "stock" for me so I used scrappers mostly.
Dave ----
We also dont know what tools you have to use is it just manual scrapping or do you have access to power / air tools?
I have a few different scrappers and a flat file on the front edge ground to a sharp edge I use for really tuff parts.
I use the dull scrappers on the ALUM. so I dont dig into it.
The use brake or carb clean for a final cleaner.
If you have air tools, angle grinder, get Rol-Loc head and discs. They come is different grits use fine grits on ALUM. so not to gouge warp it.
I dont do enough work to need all the Rol-Loc disc and they are not cheap to have many in "stock" for me so I used scrappers mostly.
Dave ----
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 5,075
Likes: 864
From: N.W. Alabama
Brass scrapers, dull on aluminum, file sharp on steel, look for pitting around water outlet/inlet, for bad corrosion on these 20+ year old trucks, sometimes smear on RTV, if bad pitted, then apply gasket.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10,456
Likes: 2,630
From: Near Salt Lake City
Depending on what I'm working on, and most professional technicians will use, is a Scotch Brite pad on an "air bizzer"
The pads come in brown and maroon, the brown ones are for steel and the reddish ones are for aluminum
*You want to go slow using one of these as a beginner, and maybe use a worn out pad to start with
You can use one of the pads for about a month even doing it everyday
The pad on mine is years old but I only do head gaskets once in a while
The pads come in brown and maroon, the brown ones are for steel and the reddish ones are for aluminum
*You want to go slow using one of these as a beginner, and maybe use a worn out pad to start with
You can use one of the pads for about a month even doing it everyday
The pad on mine is years old but I only do head gaskets once in a while
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 946
Likes: 186
From: Carnation, Wah
Me too. an undamaged razor blade.
Between the ability to do lots of damage
and the contamination of lots of abrasive,
I find that the 'whizz wheel' in untrained hands
does far more damage than it saves time...
t
Between the ability to do lots of damage
and the contamination of lots of abrasive,
I find that the 'whizz wheel' in untrained hands
does far more damage than it saves time...
t
Trending Topics
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 31,948
Likes: 2,404
From: Upstate NY
I like hand scrape with razor as well because you can direct where the old stuff is going to which can be important if you are not doing a complete tear down.
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Thread Starter
|
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 135
Likes: 11
On the steel parts you can get aggressive and not worry about gouging the metal like on ALUM.
We also dont know what tools you have to use is it just manual scrapping or do you have access to power / air tools?
I have a few different scrappers and a flat file on the front edge ground to a sharp edge I use for really tuff parts.
I use the dull scrappers on the ALUM. so I dont dig into it.
The use brake or carb clean for a final cleaner.
If you have air tools, angle grinder, get Rol-Loc head and discs. They come is different grits use fine grits on ALUM. so not to gouge warp it.
I dont do enough work to need all the Rol-Loc disc and they are not cheap to have many in "stock" for me so I used scrappers mostly.
Dave ----
We also dont know what tools you have to use is it just manual scrapping or do you have access to power / air tools?
I have a few different scrappers and a flat file on the front edge ground to a sharp edge I use for really tuff parts.
I use the dull scrappers on the ALUM. so I dont dig into it.
The use brake or carb clean for a final cleaner.
If you have air tools, angle grinder, get Rol-Loc head and discs. They come is different grits use fine grits on ALUM. so not to gouge warp it.
I dont do enough work to need all the Rol-Loc disc and they are not cheap to have many in "stock" for me so I used scrappers mostly.
Dave ----
Thread Starter
|
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 135
Likes: 11
Depending on what I'm working on, and most professional technicians will use, is a Scotch Brite pad on an "air bizzer"
The pads come in brown and maroon, the brown ones are for steel and the reddish ones are for aluminum
*You want to go slow using one of these as a beginner, and maybe use a worn out pad to start with
You can use one of the pads for about a month even doing it everyday
The pad on mine is years old but I only do head gaskets once in a while
The pads come in brown and maroon, the brown ones are for steel and the reddish ones are for aluminum
*You want to go slow using one of these as a beginner, and maybe use a worn out pad to start with
You can use one of the pads for about a month even doing it everyday
The pad on mine is years old but I only do head gaskets once in a while
Thread Starter
|
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 135
Likes: 11
just doing the heads and intake surfaces. I hear using a razor on the intake surface is a good way to warp the surface?
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,822
Likes: 1,029
Air tools and brillo pads are a terrible way for a rookie to clean a gasket surface. Sure, steel can take more of a beating, but rookies like to see surfaces polished smooth. The longer they use those pads and smoother it looks. Till the point that it's not flat.
If you have no experience with that technique, use old school scrapers/files/flat sanding stones on cylinder heads and blocks. Gain your experience on smaller parts that are easier to swap out when you screw it up. Typically, professionals have made all the mistakes so they know what it takes to screw something up. A large job like that deserves to be done once.
If you have no experience with that technique, use old school scrapers/files/flat sanding stones on cylinder heads and blocks. Gain your experience on smaller parts that are easier to swap out when you screw it up. Typically, professionals have made all the mistakes so they know what it takes to screw something up. A large job like that deserves to be done once.
