Best way to clean block

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BWDart

BWDart

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Got the la 360 apart and dropped off crank n rods at mach shop what's the best way to clean the block there was a lot of metal in the pan
Thanks
 
Pull all the cup plugs out and take it to a do-it-yourself car wash and pressure wash the block and water jackets...

If the water jackets are mucky, I use a long screwdriver to help scrape some of the gunk off - be careful not to put too much pressure on the bores to break them... but scrape the gunk out and flush with garden hose...

Oh yeah, wear a raincoat, swim suit, old shorts and t-shirt, etc and be ready to get some spray-back on you... Post pics of you covered in muck for our viewing pleasure....
 
BWDart said:
Got the la 360 apart and dropped off crank n rods at mach shop what's the best way to clean the block there was a lot of metal in the pan
Thanks
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Run a hose from your hot water heater drain with a good spray nozzle. Be prepared to protect yourself from back splash. Use that purple power cleaner stuff and don't let it dry on the parts. Also use a bunch of various sized brushes from Harbor Freight, remove all the plugs and physically scrub every surface of the engine inside and out including all the oil galleys. Oil the bores and crank saddles with a rag right away unless you are going to hone etc,
 
There is a hundred ways to clean a block but the most effective methods are : caustic solution bath with pressure and by baking in a special oven and rinse . The baking method is popular right now because it is safer for the environment . Be advised , both methods destroy the cam bearings and the distributor bushing . I also suggest removing all the casting flash BEFORE cleaning or it will have to be cleaned twice . A garden hose and/or compressed air just can't get it clean enough .
 
I do a preliminary clean, remove extra flashing, and then have it run through a shake n bake if one is available. I only have used this for an intake... came out brand new.
 
I just pulled the rusting steel core plugs out of a 64 273 block and I got enough powdered rust and filth to fill up a yogurt cup. I had to look twice at the insides as what looked to be metal was actually compacted deposits. Screwdriver, then a good jet of water into all 10 plugs yielded alot more onto my driveway...and shirt. Whats best way to seat a freeze plug without a driver?

Here is an 'in the car' flush thats cheap and effective from a boat site (radiator removed) :

1/3 gallon of 30% pool acid into 5 gallons of water and use that as a flush. let sit for 15 minutes and then backflush. Dont have radiator or thermostat in loop. Same procedure as the 'flush and fill' but much cheaper.
 
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Thanks for the reply think I will take it to the mach shop and let them do it it is worth the 50 they charge
 
BWDart said:
Thanks for the reply think I will take it to the mach shop and let them do it it is worth the 50 they charge
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Smart move, I always have my blocks hot tanked for my builds! 65'
 
Before & After of my block after it was baked.

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IMG_03671.jpg
 
I figured most people would be smart enough to figure that out. But now that you have set the picture orientation correctly all people will now. Thanks! :poke:
 
Is that like when people say they have been running back & forth all day? Don't you have to go forth before you can go back?
You do get some looks if you say Ive been running forth & back all day. I do it at work for fun.
 
50 bucks is worth that! Oven cleaner wont get the insides, but does work great on the outside. But if you dont have a hoist, good luck lugging to the machine shop.
 
BWDart said:
Tried to get it in the dishwasher but won't fit
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LOL. I just hauled mine outside on the stand, used brushes, screwdriver/small pry bar with the bent end, and scrubbed and power washed repeatedly. It actually came out pretty darn good.
 
The last block I had cleaned was done at the machine shop. They put it in a fixture then it went a machine that worked like a rotisserie. As the block spins it had a big flame that burned off grease and paint. Then it had steel shot that shot peens the block. This method yields excellent results, the block was spotless.
 
Jet wash, cooker.

Once it's home it should be clean already from the shop...yeah right.

I like to brush out all the galleys with dish soap, dawn, use a sponge in the bores...then i dry it with compressed air, blow out the holes n passages....then I prime and paint it, wipe all the cylinders with wd40 and a white towel. Hard to paint a block that's got wd and or assembly lube dripping off of it.
HOWEVER...lol sometimes people aren't sure of the color....so it goes together and gets brake clean and air shot on it so that it will hold paint.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Once it's home it should be clean already from the shop...yeah right.
Click to expand...

I always run a tap through all of the threads to clean out the gunk that settles in there over the years and during hot tank... You would be surprised how much crud can get in there...

Then you have good clean threads for assembling with less problems...
 
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krazykuda said:
I always run a tap through all of the threads to clean out the gunk that settles in there over the years and during hot tank... You would be surprised how much crud can get in there...
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That's what cooking helps with, crust just falls out everywhere. But yeah decades of that stuff sometimes needs help, pick between cylinders through freeze plug holes etc...When i machined i always ran taps through and i could usually find a bad thread and upsell an insert or helicoil.
 
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