Small block cleaning??..

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j par

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I have a greasy nasty been leaking forever 318 on the engine stand. I'be taken the exhaust manifolds off and the carburetor. I'd like to think of a way to plug up the holes in the exhaust and intake in a way that I can power wash the block without getting water inside? I think about something like massive ear plugs or something LOL if I put tape over them it's so greasy and grimy around it would never stick.. I was just wondering what everybody else was doing in this situation or what anybody else did to successfully not flood the cylinders with water..??
I don't want to take the heads off because they are sealed and I have good compression..
Thank you in advance for any ideas...
 
My thought would be take the exhaust manifolds off get some thick plastic sheeting and put it where the exhaust gasket would be and put manifolds back on. same with carb but you could use a carb spacer to hold the plastic in place. breather cap plastic over opening and heavy rubber bands. PCV leave in place baggie and rubber bands. leave spark plugs in. dip stick same as breather.
be careful in those locations.

good luck
 
Hey j par I bought a sheet of 1/8th" plastic and cut to fit exhaust ports and carb intake and bolted it down works great.
 
On the giant earplug thing, I have taken styrofoam and broken it into "close enough, a little on the large side" pieces and wrapped it in a couple of layers of electrical tape and muscled them into place. A reverse wrap "sticky side out" three wraps wide where it seats up at makes it seal pretty well.
 
Many moons ago, I made some block off plates from some old wood underlayment left over from flooring. I just traced around an extra exhaust gasket, drilled holes to bolt it up, and put a little silicon on it before bolting them down. I cut them into 3 pieces per side so I could get the heads clean by the plugs. I added an oily rag into each exhaust port before bolting them on for extra insurance. The carb hole could be blocked the same way.
 
As an added thought, if you want, use oven cleaner to cut the grease and grime. Spray it on and let it sit, rinse it off.
It's an idea
 
I start with an air nozzle to knok off all the dry stuff and use a scraper to pry off the chunks of crud. Its easier to clean up, when it get wet it gets all gooey. Then i've used Simple Green, the Purple stuff (forgot what its called) or mineral spirits in a siphon sprayer that has a fine cone shaped pattern and let the pressure and cleaner go to work.
 
I clean the areas i want to seal, then foil tape. That stuff sticks.
X2 on the oven cleaner.
 
While you're makin wood plugs or plastic sheeting, or whatthehelleverelse you're makin, I'd be poppin the valve covers off and removing the rocker shafts. BAM, done. Valves closed. Put the covers back on and wash away.
 
Its water. Back the rockers off so the valves close and wash it. Blow out the exhaust ports before you tighten the rockers back.
 
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