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Yet another engine cleaning query - but it's assembled

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by don-vee, Sep 11, 2013.

  1. Yep, I did the searches and checked out the other threads, not getting exactly the info I need. Believe me, if I had my way and more time, I'd have this engine down to a bare block and it would be sitting in a machine shop right now getting all sparkly clean. However, this one (smallblock Mopar) is sitting on my stand as an assembled longblock, just an inch away from paint. It would seem a waste to go tearing it apart now since it's a semi-fresh rebuild.
    My wife and I have been grinding away at this thing with scrapers, wire brushes, degreaser, carb cleaner, and 100 rolls of paper towels and we got it PRETTY good, probably better than most backyard engine builders would deem necessary, but not 100% in my eyes. There's still some nooks and crannies we can't adequately get to (like the pockets around the head bolts, for instance) and there's still a tiny bit of the original paint left that seems to be nearly unremovable, as well as an extremely light coating of flash rust on the heads. Not even surface rust, just more of a rusty discoloration, but enough where it makes me concerned that more could eventually form under the new paint.
    So, any other ideas? My only idea left is to wheel it out to the driveway and soda blast it. What about those rust converters? I've used them before on bodywork with good results, would it work on an engine, or would it burn off and cause more under-paint mayhem?
    My goal is to do an epoxy primer before paint as well. I'm not doing a show car, but I figured I'd like to do as nice of a job as I can that will hold up for many years in a daily driver.
     
  2. Just paint it. The paint that didn't come off, won't. Sounds like you have it ready to squirt for a driver.
     
  3. oldsjoe
    Joined: May 2, 2011
    Posts: 2,604

    oldsjoe
    Member

    Blast what's left with brake parts cleaner wipe it down with reducer let it dry and go to town. I have had very good results with this system.
     
  4. Mike51Merc
    Joined: Dec 5, 2008
    Posts: 3,856

    Mike51Merc
    Member

    I got a small steam cleaner called a Scunci (Google it) at a yard sale. The thing works wonders on nooks and crannies.
     

  5. redd
    Joined: Aug 23, 2010
    Posts: 11

    redd
    Member
    from akron

    I worked at a auto salvage yard and when we would clean engines while they were on a stand we would scrub the block down with the 3x Dawn soap and hot water..then we would fill a garden pump up 2 gal sprayer with gas...or kerosene and spray the engine...no more dirt or greese in the nooks....hose it off with water ..blow dry ...red oxide primer and high temp engine paint.....looks like new

    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     

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