How to clean block
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
How to clean block
Tell me if is in the right order and and if i forgot anything please.
Michael
- take out oil gallery plugs
- Take out freeze plugs
- take out brass
- hone cylinder bores
- take air compressor and blow off everthing
- I dont know if these step is right but should i use a degresser? And how just the outside of the block? Or everwhere?
- Use hot soapy water and wash everthing.
- Then let it dry
- take air compressor and blow off everthing
- then spray wd-40 everwhere
Michael
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,351
Likes: 1
From: Escondido, CA
You have it pretty much in order. However I would suggest using mineral spirits or 100% alcohol to aid in the drying process. It will keep the block from flash rusting while drying. Letting the engine air dry will rust so fast you'll kick yourself. Mind you it is not perfect but it will help a lot. A degreaser is always a good idea. I would suggest "oil eater" from home depot or where ever you can get it. It is a non-toxic bio degradeable chemical that you can use straight or cut with water. Only down side is letting it dry on aluminum parts, it will stain it. The stuff worked great while I was cleaning out all the metal slivers from my cam failure. All the metal was being very stuborn holding on for dear life even with a lot of soap and super hot water. I sprayed it a few times and watched the metal slide down the castings. Also it does a really good job disolving carbon deposits on pistons, head chambers, and valves.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 18,423
Likes: 9
From: iowa
I go to my local auto parts store and buy clevitte cam break in lube (same stuff as teh comp cam stuf) you can buy it in 4oz, 32oz, or 1 gallon bottles (although the 1 gallon stuff is green instead of red for some reason and unless your doing a lot of engines it's not recommended as thats a whole lot of assembly lube). I wouldn't really recommend that stuff in teh cylinder bores unless the engine is going to sit a long time after asembly though. I use regular motor oil in the cylinder walls as I have heard that break in lube can (not can but not always) cause the cylinder walls to get a burnished finish and not seal the rings.
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 98
Likes: 2
Sorry for the hijack, but I have a couple of questions along this line. Is this an alternative to hot tanking? What does hot tanking give you that you wouldn't get from this? Does this process not destroy your cam bearings like hot tanking? If I did some grinding on the block, is one process better then the other to make sure the block is properly prepared for reassambly?
Thanks,
MoMo
Thanks,
MoMo
Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Fort St. James
Well if your a bachelor or you dont mind being killed by your significant other , and have a jetted tub or hot tub......lol dont laugh a buddy of mine did it. It was an older porcelain jetted tub. He threw a hole pile of varsol in and turned on the pump and let it go......cleaned the block and killed the tub completley. His wife got home about half way through.......HEHEHHEHEHEHEHE. that was hilarious.
Ryan
Ryan
Trending Topics
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 3
From: So Cal
From old reading and some personal experience, Washing the block at home is an OK alternative if the engine is relatively clean to start with. I. E. no heavy crusted on mineral or rust deposits etc. You can use gun cleaning brushes, rods, etc to get into the oil galleries etc.
Do dry things out as best you can and I would probably put on something like WD40 to prevent rust.
The cam bearings dissolve in a hot tank but not water so assuming they are in good shape you could probably reuse them. Putting in a new bearing is easy, you just need the tool. I assume(could be wrong) that you can borrow or rent one at a shop.
Years back there was a process that cleaned the block down to shiney silvery cast iron. It was beautiful. I do not know who if anyone does this now, but they were called Redi Strip in Rosemead Ca. back in the 70s. I have never seen a block so clean except fresh from the factory. It used a cyanide solution which was extremely poisonous so I bet the tree huggers and EPA have killed that process.
One trick mentioned in the old do it yourself books was to ask the hot tank shop if they could leave your engine in the tank over the weekend. That really cleaned the tough stuff off. Of course if your engine is clean enough to consider washing at home, then it doesn't need the weekend treatment.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
Do dry things out as best you can and I would probably put on something like WD40 to prevent rust.
The cam bearings dissolve in a hot tank but not water so assuming they are in good shape you could probably reuse them. Putting in a new bearing is easy, you just need the tool. I assume(could be wrong) that you can borrow or rent one at a shop.
Years back there was a process that cleaned the block down to shiney silvery cast iron. It was beautiful. I do not know who if anyone does this now, but they were called Redi Strip in Rosemead Ca. back in the 70s. I have never seen a block so clean except fresh from the factory. It used a cyanide solution which was extremely poisonous so I bet the tree huggers and EPA have killed that process.
One trick mentioned in the old do it yourself books was to ask the hot tank shop if they could leave your engine in the tank over the weekend. That really cleaned the tough stuff off. Of course if your engine is clean enough to consider washing at home, then it doesn't need the weekend treatment.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,238
Likes: 0
From: Kiefer, Northeastern Okla
The machine shop I use bakes all my cast iron parts at VERY high temperatures in a big oven. It reduces any oil/grease/sludge to ash, then they scrub with dish soap, and rinse with a pressure washer. That's before machining. After machining and chasing all bolt holes, washed with hot soapy water, rinsed with a pressure washer, then all lifter bores and oil galleries are rifle-brushed with acetone, blow-dryed, and oiled down to prevent rust. Before assembly, I'll run gun cleaning patches soaked in solvent through everything until they come out clean, and blow everything out real good one more time. Don't forget the oil passages to the cam, and I always double clean the crankshaft. My shop will do a final "race prep" cleaning for $50 if I don't feel like doing it, but remember YOU are responsible for everything being clean before assembly. JMO, but if you've never installed cam bearings, it's best left to someone who does it for a living. I know it varies in different locations, but I paid $30 for cam bearing and freeze plug install.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
One transmission shop near me has a giant dish washer they put tranny cases in. Stuff comes out real clean. I may just try to get them to wash my block and a few other things. I don't know what they use for a detergent tho.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,351
Likes: 1
From: Escondido, CA
Easy off oven cleaner will remove everything. Even the paint if you leave it on too long. Just be sure to not let it sit on aluminum too long or it will start to stain/etch it. And always wear rubber gloves and goggles when scrubbing. It's a carbon cleaner that will disolve your skin. You get a nice slippery/burning feeling if exposed to direct skin too long. I used that prior to shipping the engine off to rebuild the first time. The machine shop was amazed how clean it was coming in. They thought it was coming in for a cam swap in fact.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 35
From: Kansas
Originally Posted by chrono4
wd40 isnt really good to keep rust from developing over long periods of time. If the block is going to sit for a while, use a light weight engine oil on it.
If you wish to use light engine oil afterwards, fine.