I have a Rover V8 engine that i'm rebuilding but I want to clean the block up before doing so. My brother suggested pressure washing it then lots of use of a cleaning tank and finally bead blasting it. I'm not happy with this as water could cause some rust to internal parts and we all know what happens when grit or beads gets into an engine.
What are my other options? I've been told of old style 'hot tanks' but they appear to no longer around due to health and safety legislation. I;ve seen restorations where engines go into a car looking like new so it much be possible, but what or where?
Oh and please don't suggest, as someone did, that I stick an aluminium engine block in a bath of Caustic soda!
Thnaks
CLeaning a block?
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3xpendable
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Hi
Well. . . for the engine block the way I do mine is to strip them of all core plugs and oil gallery plugs and the cam bearings then go over them with a paint scraper removing all old bits of gasket and solid crud and remove any paint. Next I get a set of bottle brushes and a pint of parrifin and bottle brush the oil galleries, all of them! I then go round and radius the ends of all oil galleries and ways and chase all the threads of all the holesin the block with a thread chasing die.
Next job is to get out the fairy power spray and give the whole block a good going over with power spray and a stiff scrubbing brush do the oil ways with power spreay aswell. Give it a quick rince, blow it off with an airline and give it another dose of power spray and leave it for alleast an hour. Jet wash off better still hire a steam cleaner and hit it with that
.
blow it dry with an airline.
Take it to who ever is going to machine it and get the work done get them to clean it after they have done the machining in their parts/block washer. If they have a hot tank get it put in there for a day or so before the machining is done, but if not live with the trip through the parts washer. Get the cam bearings put in, take it home.
Now go over all the bores and champhur the tops, re radius any oil ways that might have been machined and take off any burs. get the pressure washer out again and give it a good thorough jet wash, blow it dry with an air line especially all the block tappings. Now get some paper towel and some ATF and rub ATF into the bores deck surface, do this until the paper towel comes out clean and free of any crud if you are doing it right it will make you sweat when the paper towel comes cleam wipe over the surface with clean ATF. Personally I dont like to sprey WD40 over a block, it degrades oil if it gets into it and that is not good, I much prefer to use ATF, 20/50, 2T and parafin or even 3 in 1 to prevent surface rust. If you get a bloom of surface rust rub it off with ATF. It is better to get the surface clean of all grindings/metal swarf and crud and then wipe off surface rust bloom than have grindings/metal swarf or crud left there.
You can use the same routine for crank shafts and heads and infact pretty much anything, though with heads and anything that will take a trip through a dish washer then this can save alot of effort, especially on ally components.
Best regards
Mike
PS do not use a grit, bead of sand blaster near anything that is going to have engine oil comming into contact with it (or any part of a transmission) you can use soda blasting or vapour blasting but be very sparing and clean very thoroughly after.
Well. . . for the engine block the way I do mine is to strip them of all core plugs and oil gallery plugs and the cam bearings then go over them with a paint scraper removing all old bits of gasket and solid crud and remove any paint. Next I get a set of bottle brushes and a pint of parrifin and bottle brush the oil galleries, all of them! I then go round and radius the ends of all oil galleries and ways and chase all the threads of all the holesin the block with a thread chasing die.
Next job is to get out the fairy power spray and give the whole block a good going over with power spray and a stiff scrubbing brush do the oil ways with power spreay aswell. Give it a quick rince, blow it off with an airline and give it another dose of power spray and leave it for alleast an hour. Jet wash off better still hire a steam cleaner and hit it with that
.blow it dry with an airline.
Take it to who ever is going to machine it and get the work done get them to clean it after they have done the machining in their parts/block washer. If they have a hot tank get it put in there for a day or so before the machining is done, but if not live with the trip through the parts washer. Get the cam bearings put in, take it home.
Now go over all the bores and champhur the tops, re radius any oil ways that might have been machined and take off any burs. get the pressure washer out again and give it a good thorough jet wash, blow it dry with an air line especially all the block tappings. Now get some paper towel and some ATF and rub ATF into the bores deck surface, do this until the paper towel comes out clean and free of any crud if you are doing it right it will make you sweat when the paper towel comes cleam wipe over the surface with clean ATF. Personally I dont like to sprey WD40 over a block, it degrades oil if it gets into it and that is not good, I much prefer to use ATF, 20/50, 2T and parafin or even 3 in 1 to prevent surface rust. If you get a bloom of surface rust rub it off with ATF. It is better to get the surface clean of all grindings/metal swarf and crud and then wipe off surface rust bloom than have grindings/metal swarf or crud left there.
You can use the same routine for crank shafts and heads and infact pretty much anything, though with heads and anything that will take a trip through a dish washer then this can save alot of effort, especially on ally components.
Best regards
Mike
PS do not use a grit, bead of sand blaster near anything that is going to have engine oil comming into contact with it (or any part of a transmission) you can use soda blasting or vapour blasting but be very sparing and clean very thoroughly after.
poppet valves rule!
Most professional engine builders have a proper cleaning machine. It may cost up to £50 but the results are good.
The last block I got for my Son was in a real state. A mate lent me a gallon of road film remover and a stiff brush. And then he let me use his diesel powered steam cleaner behind his barn. It took nearly two hours but it looked like it had just come from the factory. As soon as it was done I sprayed it al with 3 in 1 oil and greased the bores. Then I went home and threw all the clothes I was wearing in the bin
I've also had good results for quick cleans by brushing with cleaning fluid and then going to the local jet wash and blasting it clean. You do get some odd looks from folk in the queue as you pull the block out of the boot and wash it on the floor. Just remember to be polite and NOT use the brush on the jet wash
The last block I got for my Son was in a real state. A mate lent me a gallon of road film remover and a stiff brush. And then he let me use his diesel powered steam cleaner behind his barn. It took nearly two hours but it looked like it had just come from the factory. As soon as it was done I sprayed it al with 3 in 1 oil and greased the bores. Then I went home and threw all the clothes I was wearing in the bin
I've also had good results for quick cleans by brushing with cleaning fluid and then going to the local jet wash and blasting it clean. You do get some odd looks from folk in the queue as you pull the block out of the boot and wash it on the floor. Just remember to be polite and NOT use the brush on the jet wash
Perry Stephenson
MGB GT + Rover V8
9.62 @ 137.37mph
Now looking for 8 seconds with a SBC engine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVscbPHgue0&list=UUqIlXfSAoiZ--GyG4tfRrjw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg3avnsNKrc&index=2&list=FLqIlXfSAoiZ--GyG4tfRrjw
MGB GT + Rover V8
9.62 @ 137.37mph
Now looking for 8 seconds with a SBC engine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVscbPHgue0&list=UUqIlXfSAoiZ--GyG4tfRrjw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg3avnsNKrc&index=2&list=FLqIlXfSAoiZ--GyG4tfRrjw
+1 for Fairy power spray.
-Scrape off muck with scraper
-Pressure wash
-Douse in power spray and work in with a brush
-Have a cup of tea
-Hose off (normal hose, you dont want power spray going everywhere)
-Pressure wash off
-Compressed air off
-Dry with cloth and oil bores etc.
-Done.
-Have another cup of tea.
-Scrape off muck with scraper
-Pressure wash
-Douse in power spray and work in with a brush
-Have a cup of tea
-Hose off (normal hose, you dont want power spray going everywhere)
-Pressure wash off
-Compressed air off
-Dry with cloth and oil bores etc.
-Done.
-Have another cup of tea.
1974 Rover 3500s
1984 3.5 90
1959 2.25 series 2
1984 3.5 90
1959 2.25 series 2
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3xpendable
- Getting There
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- Location: South Wales
Thanks guys, I forgot I posted here but agree that Soda Blasting is one good method.
My brother recently cleaned his Imp block at work as they have a cleaning tank and a steam cleaner. It took a while but he got it pretty damn good, and seeing as mine is mainly muddy/dusty hopefully it shouldnt be too bad.
Will keep you posted in my restoration thread
My brother recently cleaned his Imp block at work as they have a cleaning tank and a steam cleaner. It took a while but he got it pretty damn good, and seeing as mine is mainly muddy/dusty hopefully it shouldnt be too bad.
Will keep you posted in my restoration thread
1971 MGB GT (V8 project)
