Best way to clean piston tops?

My heads are off getting gone through and I'm doing a rear main with the pan off during the down time.

I want to clean the piston tops and I've been using just brake cleaner, a flat edge razor, and a wire brush. I've been bringing each piston to TDC, cleaning, and moving on to the next after rotating the engine by hand and cleaning/oiling the cylinder wall. I've only done 2 piston tops so far.

Is there a better way to clean these suckers? The engine is of course in the car and it's tough on my back after all the stupid shit I did when I was younger lol.

There is of course junk from the old head gaskets and the crap from the piston tops getting into the passages too. Since I have the pan off, I was just going to spray some brake cleaner through the straw into the oil passages to flush it out the bottom and I planned on pulling the block drain plugs and flushing the cooling system too. Is this cool or am I setting myself up?

Thanks!

 

I don't know, but I'd probably try to do it dry to get the bigger stuff off. Razor scraper with a shop vac running as it's scraped. Doing it in the engine makes it tougher. You're likely to have debris between the piston and cylinder wall on the rings.
I'd be inclined to remove the pistons 1 at a time and soak them in a coffee can full of laquer thinner or something. That way you can put new rod bearings in just to be safe.

 

I did the same thing with my 61 Starliner. It was really nasty. I pulled th oil pan and flushed everything out of the bottom of the engine. I removed the freeze plugs since the were all almost rotten and flushed the coolant passages. Put it all back together and she ran like a raped ape. It was a nasty job but someone had to do it.

 

To remove the deposits from the piston tops, use Loctite gasket remover (spray can). It does cost a few dollars but save a ton of time.

 

Sweet, can I get the stuff at any chain car parts place?

Like this?
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...cals/Gasket-Remover/Permatex/_/N-262bZ1z141rv

 

I never used that stuff but I would bet it's about the same.

Here is the exact stuff I have used. I didn't get it from here...just a description...

 

http://www.allsafetysupplies.com/Lo...oride41--18-Oz-Net-Wt-Aerosol-Can_p_4610.html

Here is the link...

 

Gasket remover is bad ass.

FWIW I was just watching an engine rebuilding video and they said it's a huge pita to scrape pistons, just sandblast the tops. Not that it's practical in your case.

Good luck!