Cleaning up a cylinder head

Anyone have any experience of cleaning up a aluminium cylinder head - particularily removing the old engine oil and other crap from the inside, and cleaning out the hydraulic lifters? What would you use to ensure that any steel parts don't rust?

Also, what is used to decarb the combusion chambers, valves and piston tops?

And finally, what is the preferred way of cleaning the faces that join via gaskets? I'm planning on using one of those green pan scourers, so long as it doesn't start removing any metal from the faces.

Cheers, Andy.

Reply to
Andy
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Quick soak in the acid bath. Local engine shop should be able to help you out..

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

Tesco Value vinegar works a treat, apparently.

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Reply to
SteveH

i take it this is the rover head your doing ? & from what your asking im assuming your not going to get the head skimmed ? if you were doing it the correct way by getting it skimmed, the enginnering company if asked would do this for you as they have a bath for soaking such items.

i have used a light spraying of carb cleaner on the piston crowns, but to be honest i would'nt recommend it, id leave them as to much cleaning the bores will wash them & you *might* have smoking problems.

but to get the pistons up to the top to clean them you have to rotate the engine, since these engines have liners and rotating the crank with no head isnt a good idea as you might pop the liners up !

Reply to
reg

Does the head have to be skimmed every time it comes off?

I've raced cars where some of the (much) better off competitors would have the engine rebuilt in between every race - if they were skimmed every time there would be nothing left in a few months!

Anyhow, I don't have any liner retainers, so I guess the pistons will have to stay as they are...

Anyhow, thanks for the advice! Andy.

Reply to
Andy

No. Seems a popular idea, but it's not always necessary. If the head is not damaged. The mating surfaces are not burnt or pitted, and it is flat within 0.006". IOW 6 thou from end to end, IME it is safe to replace it without skimming. IMO if skimming can be avoided, it is best to do so. A slight bend will be taken out when the head bolts are tightened, which is better for the camshaft on an OHC engine. Which most engines are these days. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

It's proably a good idea if the reason it comes off it a head gasket failure, and anyway, we are talking K-Series here, aren't we? If it were me having to take the damn thing apart again if it packs in again, I'd take every precaution, at least with an engine that's noted for blowing the HG if anything isn't 100%.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

Just be grateful it isn't one of these.

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Now pass that head gasket *carefully* please.

Steve

Reply to
shazzbat

"shazzbat" wrote in news:f27rkg$sgo$ snipped-for-privacy@news.datemas.de:

I never realized quite how small the japs were.

Reply to
Tunku

lol, excellent picture. I might print that off & give it to our apprentice next time we give him a simple headjob to do & he moans !

Reply to
reg

Woulsn't be appropriate. It's a photo of a cylinder block, rather than a cylinder head. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

yes i know that, hence i shall show the apprentice, some days he dosnt know his arse from his balljoints.

Reply to
reg

OK... USE A SAND STONE. ONLY FOR THE MATEING SURFACES OF HEAD AND BLOCK. IF YOUR CLEANING THE HEAD OF AND REMOVING CAM AND LIFTERS JUST THROW IT IN A PALE OF GAS OR A CAN OF BRAKE CLEAN WORKS. YOU KNOW IF YOUR WOMEN, LOL OR YOUR MOM DON'T MIND JUST THROW IT IN THE TUB. HOT WATER AND SOAP. (BUT TAE THE CAMS AND LIFTERS OUT). DON'T FORGET TO BLEED THE LIFTERS BEFOR YOU RE-INSTALL.

Reply to
DUBINOUT

If this is a K series, I would *always* have the head skimmed whilst bolted down to a torque plate.

You don't want to be doing the job again...

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember DUBINOUT saying something like:

No need to shout.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

the head does not need to be plained but should be checed for warped surface

Reply to
DUBINOUT

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