I have a set of SBC 327ci .040 over TRW forged pistons I want to clean up and sell but cant figure out the best way to clean the old carbon off the top of the piston without messing up the machine marks from where they were made. I soaked them in mineral spirits for a week and all the bad stuff came off but it still has a thin coat of carbon over the top. I dont want to risk a wire brush giving them that screwy half polished look! Chemicals? Acid? Thanks!!
If you have access to a carb dunk tank, that will clean them up real nice. Let them soak for a couple hours then rinse real good with lots of hot water. The spray stuff doesn't work as good as the dunk stuff.
use oven cleaner,but rinse it off good start with a few minets, but always rinse,be careful not to leaveit on yer hands long!!
I use gasket remover spray. Let it sit for awhile, it will start to dry out and get an orange peel look to it. Then get some good rubber gloves on and scrub em off under hot water in the sink with a green scotch brite pad.
Me and a buddy just did the same thing to a 350, we pulled the heads, and used brake cleaner and a wire wheel on each piston. I rotated the assembly and he hit it with the cleaner and wheel. cleaned up nice.
Permatex spray on gasket or paint remover works well. Hit it, let it sit, scrub it with a scotchbright, hit it again.....repeat as necessary. Clean the ring grooves out as well. Using very fine glass shot (feels like baby powder) afterwards will make them look great for the photo-op. ....also, considering what they are worth (or not) as used pistons its probably time/money better spent on just selling them as is and let the next guy clean them up. The difference in price between clean and dirty used pistons isn't that much. Most engine builders shy away from used pistons unless they know the history of the part. Since these are relatively cheap pistons to begin with they'll be hard pressed to justify the expense of taking a chance on used slugs vs just buying a new set and knowing what they've got. -Bigchief.
Thanks for the idea's, I have a can of carb cleaner in the garage and didn't even think of it till now. It worked wonders on the Edelbrock I did a few weeks ago. If that doesn't work I'll try somthing else from this post!!!
If you dip them in carb cleaner and rinse with water, make sure you oil the pins when you're done. The pins can get tight with water and no oil. And don't bead blast them if you still have the rods on.
I use my Jet-Washer with lo-foam aluma-scrub in it. Go to a machine shop that has one with this chemical in it. They come out clean and shiny as hell>>>>.
Yeah, most of my guys are in a hurry....were fighting a war out there! It works the fastest with the cylinders in place.
If they are out of the motor that was in that Henry J, they should be considered family jewels. Or is that not the same motor thats been in there for the last 40 years?
Not the same man, that one is in storage. These are from a 327 dad stuck in it a few years back to keep from having to fund a full rebuild . That is why I am trying to sell these to fund the machine shop bill, and parts bill, and the carb rebuild bill, and the torque converter bill and so on---------------- The carb cleaner(dip) worked fine but took a long time(over night). I believe I will hunt the Loc-Tite stuff mentioned above.
If they're still in the motor, just pour a little black powder in the plug holes, ign. on and voila_no carbon!
No money here, all on the barter plan, I will be painting every house for every family member related to the man who owns the machine shop.. Besides since when was minimum wage "LOTS OF MONEY"
Do you have an exact name and any idea if it's available over-the-counter at Napa and such? I made a few calls and searched Loctite's web site and didn't find it. Thanks, Kurt
Loctite item number 34663. It's called "Loctite chisel gasket remover". Not too sure if Napa has it buts everywhere on-line.
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