Cleaning up a short block...

[Adam95GT]

Just picked up pokageeks short block. grat guy i might add... I just wanted to know what i can spray with engine degreaser and what i cant... what can get wet and what i should wrap up... my friend told me to take a nylon wire wheel on a dremmel to clean off carbon build up on the pistons has anyone done this??? also what else should i do before i start to put this together??? anyone have any recomendations on paint??? i was thinking of going black so it would hide the dirt... but not sure what brand of paint to use...
-adam

 

[Guero]

Simple grease does wonders.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Is it still assembled? I pressure cleaned mine, finished with degreaser and then on came the primer and paint.

 

[cbarr300]

I had my block tanked...but I've heard good things about simple green.

also, I used pepboys high temp stuff....I think duplicolor makes it

been holding up great.

Just make sure you don't get paint on mating surfaces and what not......also, acetone is your friend..you prolly know all that though

 

[reddy351]

Show us pics, so we know what we're dealing with. I would use some rags and laquer thinner to clean the pistons. 5k miles shouldn't have the soot too burned on. Brake cleaner would be good, too. Inside and out.

If you are going to store it for a longish time, use grease/petroleum jelly on the cylinders and aerosol litheum grease or something on all of the exposed mating surfaces. Leave a nice thick layer of it all over the exposed metal.

Duplicolor engine enamel is what I use for engine blocks/cyl heads.

 

[Pokageek]

Thanks man. I still cant find that fuel pump, lol. I would also get some duplicolor and paint the block the same color as your car!

On the carbon stuff...it came off with my fingernail. I am wondering if you can use degreaser on pistons? I dont know for sure though..

 

[94-302-vert]

Clean it up with whatever cleaner... Just try not to get too much in the engine itself...

on any surface you are going to paint I would wipe it down with brake cleaner a few times....

Make sure you change the oil for initial start-up then shortly after running it for a few and you should be fine...

 

[Adam95GT]

yea acetone is my friend as a chem major i know that lol... ill post pics today... im gonna go buy some break cleaner because im out and i have some foaming cleaner and greased lightning that should take care of it... what color should i go with on the block i might be painting my car soon though so i dont wanna go red... but i think a black grey or silver would be nice...

 

[94-302-vert]

light grey or silver would be my vote...

 

[Adam95GT]

pics are up!
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=703532

i hope the degreaser doesent mess up the piston or rings i didnt use much...

 

[reddy351]

pics are up!
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=703532

i hope the degreaser doesent mess up the piston or rings i didnt use much...

It won't hurt anything. Use lots of oil on the cylinders/pistons, before putting the heads on.