decarbonizing and degreasing engines

[cell]

Hey guys,

I am in the middle of rebuilding an inline 6, and I wonder what y'all use to remove the carbon buildup in the exhaust ports / cylinder head, etc.

As far as degreasing goes (this engine is caked in about a 1/4" of mud and oil), I have been using simple green and some brushes. It's slow, but it seems to be working. Any recommendations there would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[jay_shy]

Go to the dollar store and get some oven cleaner. Let soak and spray off with hose.

Jason

[Nelson]

As far as for removing Carbon...Transmision fuild and some sort of small brush works very well. It doesn't need to be a wire brush either. Good luck.

[70GMCer]

Gastrol Super Clean & Easy Off Oven Cleaner............and a little "elbow grease"

[shelby987]

you could always get a big tub, a gallon or two of diesel, and just let it soak over night....should help loosen everything up a bit and not be too expensive.

[matthufham]

i have a 20 gallon parts washer, like a tub. you set parts in it with some cleaner of your choice and it gets it off with help from a brush. i was doing that an hour ago with some pulleys and engine brackets caked in grease and dirt, well it was too thickly covered to work fast enough for me, so i took the pressure washer and got all the parts degreased and down to the metal in about 3 minutes per part.

[cell]

thanks guys - I never would have thought to try oven cleaner - I'll give that a shot and report back.

[franko72]

might sound like too much work , but I have used different types of drill wire wheel brushes and try to brush out hard deposits first , then apply degreaser.
An air compressor with the right tools .finish off with blowing everything down with air nozzle.

[junkyardjohn]

EVERY MOTOR THAT I REBUILD.. THE FIRST THING I DO AFTER DISASEMBLY, IS HAVE IT HOT TANKED & MAGNIFLUXED. IF THERE IS ANY HAIRLINE CRACKS IN THE HEAD OR THE BLOCK.. NOW IS THE TIME TO FIND OUT. JOHN

[cell]

hey john, what is magnafluxing? sounds high tech.

[Steelawork'n]

You can try the hot water supply from your washing machine connection. Just hit the engine with hot water. Spray Simple Green all over it. Let it sit...long enough for your hot water tank to get hot again and then spray it off. Might need a stiff brush for the tuff stuff.

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by cell

hey john, what is magnafluxing? sounds high tech.

HOT TANKING IS WHEN THEY WASH YOUR BLOCK & HEADS (OR WHATEVER ELSE) IN A HEATED CAUSTIC SOLUTION IN A BIG DISHWASHER TYPE THING. IT REMOVES ALL THE GREASE , GRIME, CARBON & PAINT, FROM ALL THE SURFACES.
MAGNIFLUXING IS THE METHOD OF CHECKING FOR CRACKS USING A MAGNET, METAL DUST, & A BLACK LIGHT. ANY SMALL CRACKS THAT ARE NOT VISABLE TO THE NAKED EYE, SHOW UP THIS WAY. IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE OR HI-TECH. IT'S USUALLY $35 OR $40 IN MOST MACHINE SHOPS AROUND HERE TO HAVE IT HOT TANKED & MAGNIFLUXED . I WOULDN'T CONSIDER PUTTING ANY MONEY IN A BLOCK OR A SET OF HEADS UNTIL I HAD THEM TESTED. JOHN

[SCOTI]

I used aircraft stripper for the carbon deposits on the piston tops. I turned the motor over by hand to get the pistons @ TDC & used a small paint brush to apply it.

Let it sit about 10~15 mins & scrape the 'sludge' away. Repeat as necessary & for the final application I used a green scotchbrite pad to get them pretty clean.

[farside847]

Be careful not to let stuff "soak" on your wireing. I lost a few wires that way. My wireing was old to begin with and the engine cleaner ate right through it!

[Sweet72]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I used a green scotchbrite pad to get them pretty clean.

Scotchbrite and 3M cleaning disc's are a real no-no in engine building. You don't want this stuff around engine bearings and other internal parts.

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by Sweet72

Scotchbrite and 3M cleaning disc's are a real no-no in engine building. You don't want this stuff around engine bearings and other internal parts.

YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUTA MY MOUTH. 3-M MAKES A ROLL-LOCK GASKET REMOVER. IT ALL PLASTIC WITH ALL THESE LITTLE FINGERS, THAT WON'T COME APART & RUIN ALL OF YOUR BEARINGS. JOHN

[tkeduk8r]

there was an article posetd on the board about a year ago, about a homemade hot tank set up with a 55 gal barrel, filling it 1/2 full of water and heating it with a small charcoal fire beneath it... then add a quantity of lime ??? and let the engine block/heads sit over nite in the hot solution... does someone have that post handy????
--Mike

[cell]

Hey Scoti,

Where do you get aircraft stripper? The paint store, or a model airplane store?

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by cell

Hey Scoti,

Where do you get aircraft stripper? The paint store, or a model airplane store?

I use NAPA gasket remover in an aerosol can. It stings like aircraft paint stripper (I've used both) and is much more handier to use and store.

Like Scoti I rotate each piston to the top, spray it down, wait a few minutes, then carefully scrape the junk off.

I also have the 3M roll-lock system. (I'm not sure if it is spelled that way but at the better auto parts store in town - not napa - I ask for more "roll lock" pads.

The roll-lock pads make clean up of machined surfaces a dream. If the roll-lock system is bad for bearings, it takes more than 55,000 miles to hurt anything. I used the roll-lock system on my Escort block at 187,000 miles. I went by 242,000 last week.

[CoolRide]

I used ez off oven cleaner one time and soon as I rinsed it off everything turned to rust, right before my eyes! It was awfull, has anybody else had that happen to them?

CoolRide

[Sweet72]

Check out the link below...I saw this a year or so ago, and was shocked since I had used these too in the past.



http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/resource...Procedures.pdf

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Sweet72

Scotchbrite and 3M cleaning disc's are a real no-no in engine building. You don't want this stuff around engine bearings and other internal parts.

Like anything, you must use judgement & common sense when doing this kind of stuff.

When I scrubbed the tops of the pistons, I didn't get too aggressive & made sure to stay within the center of the piston & avoided the edges. I then wiped them down w/a shop rag soaked w/cleaner (all this while the engine was upside down to keep stuff from dropping down internally).

I guess I should have explained myself more thoroughly.

[_Dick_]

TANKING also cleans water jackets ,i like tanking the crank also to clean inner oil lines .ps a life time ago that was my job when not delivering parts at a large parts shop that rebuilt motors

btw i took the motors apart nuts /bolts everything small went in baskets larger basket was for the heads and crank shaft the block went on a chain after the freeze plugs with pulled .

after boiling 5/6 hours pulled and washed off out back this was the way in late 1950 but EPA stopped all that by now it was just washed in the ground , starters and generators went the same way then rewaped the firlds and sold as rebuilts laffin i am so old i can rebuild a flat head ford with a quarter inch stroke LOL

[Sweet72]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Like anything, you must use judgement & common sense when doing this kind of stuff.

When I scrubbed the tops of the pistons, I didn't get too aggressive & made sure to stay within the center of the piston & avoided the edges. I then wiped them down w/a shop rag soaked w/cleaner (all this while the engine was upside down to keep stuff from dropping down internally).

I guess I should have explained myself more thoroughly.

I certainly wasn't knocking your work, just wanted to caution the novice. Your engine looks awesome SCOTI, sorry if I came off the wrong way.

[cell]

CoolRide: My head is already getting tiny spots of surface rust after I scrubbed it down with simple green a few days ago. I need to hurry up and either get it to the machine shop or sop some clean motor oil on it.