When I see pictures of people swapping in a new head, block, etc… they always have these flawless looking surfaces, as if they are new. I’m sure they clean them up. I’ve done searches on cleaning engines, but I get all the crap about while the engine is still chillin in the car.
I’m going to be putting in a b20z longblock, but swapping my crower valvetrain from my existing b18a into the new head… but before I put it together I want a fresh start. How do I clean the parts safely? Is it a good idea to do so? I heard like high heat / steam cleaning may stress the engines badly? should I / could I just leave the engine as is? It will be a very low milage engine, so it shouldn’t be bad.
ALSO a dremel type tool with various tips (wire wheels and polishing pads) will help alot too. [/B]
that would be VERY helpful. my block was caked with dirt (when i say caked i mean it was up to 3/8" thick in some places!!!). The toothbrush i was using couldn’t get into all the little nooks and crannies in the block. Luckily it was getting hot tanked anyway. I just wanted to clean it up enough so i wouldn’t make a mess of myself trying to transport the damn thing.
i used a product called “oil eater” my dad bought a huge jug of it at costco awhile back. Not sure if its any better than simple green though, cause simple green can be amazing.
parts washer and a tumbler system:up:. if you dont want to spend the money on those you could try simple green and paint thinner. use a tooth brush or any other stiff plastic brush.
Originally posted by Integ5150 Art,
Simple green is yer friend. and engine paint does wonders.( high temp silver)
high temp silver eh? Is that just for looks, or does that actually do something for the engine? hehe. but yeah, it would be awsome to have a nice and clean block/head sitting in the engine bay.
you’ll see that for $800 for a b20z longblock, i’ll be running a good 158whp and 134tq with my crower valvetrain I already have in my dying b18a head… instead of like $4000+ for the b18c5 running with something like 115tq and 164whp
Spray down the aluminum with some Simple Green and use one of those green Scotch Brites to clean it off. Get some Mag Wheel cleaner and follow the directions on the bottle and use thick rubber gloves as this stuff contains acid. Rinse with hot water and let it dry.
This next step will bring it back to factory new or better:
Get a can of aluminum engine paint and give the part a very light coat. Using a clean towel, rub off all the paint. The trick is to rub the paint OFF while it’s still wet. After rubbing, it will have a nice dull sheen. The paint will remain in the part since aluminum is rough and porous. You should now have a part that looked like it just came out of the mould.
Originally posted by Basta_Driber
[B]Ok, try this:
Spray down the aluminum with some Simple Green and use one of those green Scotch Brites to clean it off. Get some Mag Wheel cleaner and follow the directions on the bottle and use thick rubber gloves as this stuff contains acid. Rinse with hot water and let it dry.
This next step will bring it back to factory new or better:
Get a can of aluminum engine paint and give the part a very light coat. Using a clean towel, rub off all the paint. The trick is to rub the paint OFF while it’s still wet. After rubbing, it will have a nice dull sheen. The paint will remain in the part since aluminum is rough and porous. You should now have a part that looked like it just came out of the mould. [/B]
nah man its jus gonna be a strong flow of chemical, no high pressure car wash looking stuff goin on here LOL… and yeah it will have a heater on it. the water based stuff works better when its a lil on the warm side =). dont worry youll see it posted up on the boards when its done.
I just bought some PR3 pistons and they are kind of dirty. What would be the safest way to clean the pistons in terms of products and brushes? A friend of mine said that I sould just dump them in degreaser for some time and then just brush them off with a tooth brush. Is this safe?
I know this was a thread a while ago but I have a question. Should I pressure wash a full swap? I will take off the IM and plug all the holes with rags. Would it hurt anything? Am I a retard for even asking?
For more techniques: Carb cleaner does pretty good on the block + its pressureized so you dont have to do as much scrubbing.
i dunno about you guys but im really paranoid about spraying down my engine bay. i would make 100% sure all electrical connectors and wires are sealed tight. and i dont even like the fact any chemicals are touching the rubber hoses. maybe with a newer car everything is in good condition but with a 10 year old car, the hoses and wires are in very fragile condition. just removing/reinstalling old hoses causes them to lose integrity and bust in a few days as opposed to never touching them and having them last a few more years.
ive never had any luck with carb cleaner. it seems its more of a wd40 substitute in loosening and displacing water. degreaser and simple green work best for me at removing grime. a lot of the time polishing isnt even necessary
i have somethings that im looking to clean to. i have a head that i want to clean and be all silvery and shiny lik e new. i have some simple green so should i just give it a bathin that (the head is off the car)and then scrub it clean,do i have to worry about it geting in to all the little coolent and oil passages? i also have sum silve dupli 1,200degri header paint should i use that stuff on the out side and wipe it off like suggested some where above. i also have a pr3 pistons that are pretty clean but have some caked on carbon that i want to get off. how should i get that caked on carbon off?
thanks
later
mike