cleaning up the slant six head

slantsixdan said
This what you're describing doesn't add up. Vinegar is a very (drinkably) weak solution of acetic acid. It isn't a good choice for cleaning engine parts, but only because it's not strong enough to do much of anything for you but waste your time, not because it "softens cast iron", which…um…it pretty much doesn't. Especially not selectively on only the machined surface; vinegar's just not quite smart enough to tell which are the machined surfaces. I won't quite say "I haven't seen it happen, therefore it didn't happen", because that's rude and unhelpful, but I will say I think you aren't seeing what you think you're seeing. I've seen an awful lot of hard-cooked gasket material that looks for all the world like it's part of the metal until it's softened enough to scrape off, whereupon it looks like you're scraping metal off. I could be wrong, of course, but use a proper transverse scraper (not a screwdriver) and a spray can of gasket remover, and I suspect with half an hour's work you'll be looking at a completely un-"softened", flat machined 100% metal surface right where it's supposed to be. I'm also curious what the other machined surfaces (valve cover gasket rail, for example) look like.

Its raining out there pretty hard right now and I am pretty sure anyway no matter what pictures I take there is still going to be doubt in someones mind. Anyone that lives locally is more than welcome to come out and see the head first hand, I know of 3 FABO/slant.org members that live very near me.

Ive really enjoyed reading your posts and thank-you for all your time over the years. In this case though you have no first hand experience with vinegar/soaking parts, that is evident in your post. Try it sometime you might be pleasantly surprised or almost shamefully downtrodden as I was in this instance.

I wish that I had read your post before checking on my manifold which is in the vinegar as I type.

I raised the lid only to find an IDENTICAL imprint of the manifold down at the bottom of the bucket just floating on top of the sauce. It was all brown ( rust ) but had you seen it maybe it would have maybe helped you to become a believer in the power of Vinegar.

Anyway I looked the part over carefully and other than all the scaly rust and **** coming loose inside of the runners the part appeared to be in the same condition as when I had dropped it in last night.

Ill let it sit another day.

Again thank-you for your dedication to the slant vehicles over the years, guys like you have helped alot of guys like me and you prob. do not get to hear the appreciation often enough.