Scotch Brite Ruining My Engine?

GalacticPonage · Aug 22, 2017

So I just got my new to me gt40p heads torqued down and just my luck I come across an article about how god awful scotch brite is for an engine, after I just cleaned the block deck with the stuff. I want to know if what I'm reading is true or if this is one of those things master techs freak out about for no reason. It seems to me like most of the scotch brite particles would settle down into the pan and after draining the old oil any residual particles would get caught in the oil filter?

Mstng93SSP · Aug 23, 2017

Change the oil and filter before you start the engine. Then after running the engine for a few minutes change the oil and filter again. Then I would change it after a couple hundred more miles and wouldn't worry about it after that.

Deleted member 215073 · Aug 23, 2017

Scotch brite has aluminum oxide in it. It can embed in bearing and trash an engine. If the parts were washed after being cleaned, you should be OK. GM has a bulletin about roloc© discs (essentially the same as scotch brite) being used during intake manifold replacements, and the potential damage that can result from their use. I have seen an engine that was destroyed by their use, so it isn't a mechanic myth. I now avoid their use unless the parts can be washed in a parts washer. Scrapers, brushes, and razor blades only on engine blocks or parts that stay on the vehicle. There are the bristle discs, but they have a ceramic abrasive in them and aren't approved by some manufacturers on engines either. Very small surface imperfections are OK, that's what a gasket is for. If a razor blade gasket scraper won't catch on it, I call it good and clean with brake clean.

mikestang63 · Aug 24, 2017

never, ever use scotch bright on aluminum engine parts.

jrichker · Aug 24, 2017

fo

GalacticPonage said:
So I just got my new to me gt40p heads torqued down and just my luck I come across an article about how god awful scotch brite is for an engine, after I just cleaned the block deck with the stuff. I want to know if what I'm reading is true or if this is one of those things master techs freak out about for no reason. It seems to me like most of the scotch brite particles would settle down into the pan and after draining the old oil any residual particles would get caught in the oil filter?

Follow up in about 6 months and tell us about your experiences....

GalacticPonage · Aug 25, 2017

jrichker said:
fo
Follow up in about 6 months and tell us about your experiences....

While I had the lifter valley still open I poured a couple of gallons of kerosene anywhere the scotch brite dust could've gotten and I got 5 qts of the cheapest oil I could find and flushed it through. Since the engine wasn't turned over yet it could not have gotten embedded in the bearings and 99% of it should have gotten out at that point. I got everything back together and filled it with fresh oil and a filter, ran it long enough to set the timing and warm up and then drained it again. It's now been about 120 miles (my daily driver) and I just changed the oil again and it was perfect. No contamination from what I can see and no bearing material was stuck to the magnets on the drain plugs. Next oil change I'll post again and I'm thinking about sending out a sample of the oil to a lab to be checked for any abnormal wear in the engine.

Mstng93SSP · Aug 26, 2017

I think your good.

Shakerhood · Aug 27, 2017

That stuff was banned on the Jet Engines I used to work on, even if you wiped something on the exterior of the engine it would always end up in the oil.

GalacticPonage · Feb 22, 2019

Well I forgot about this post but I’d figure I’d update now rather than never. About 6 months or 5k miles later the motor started picking up a slight knock on startup. I changed the oil and the magnet on the pan bolt was covered in fine metal dust. I substituted in a quart of Lucas with that oil change and the knock went away and the next oil change after that there was still some metal dust in the pan. I ended up pulling the car off daily driver duty not too long later so I could pull it apart and fix it up. When I pulled the motor I took it all apart and needless to say it was pretty trashed inside. The lifters were all about .010 shorter than new ones from essentially being sanded down at the roller and the cam showed fine scoring all over the lobes and bearing surfaces. The main bearings were all sanded down too with all of them showing bronze and the main journals were caked with the same metal dust I was finding in the pan. I hope this helps someone out, it’s a shame there’s a lot of resources still out there telling people it’s alright to use scotchbrite anywhere near an engine

GalacticPonage · Feb 22, 2019

It did give me a good excuse to have to pull the motor and build something even better though

shipracer · Feb 22, 2019

Thanks for the update and info.

bruno · Mar 1, 2019

Yikes, good to know.

If the dust is that bad then I guess using it to clean an engine bay is a bad idea. What would you use instead?

Does the same theory apply to SOS pads? I was going to use it to restore the finish on my intake.

GalacticPonage · Mar 2, 2019

bruno said:
Yikes, good to know.

If the dust is that bad then I guess using it to clean an engine bay is a bad idea. What would you use instead?

Does the same theory apply to SOS pads? I was going to use it to restore the finish on my intake.

As long as you keep the dust away from the filter and the motors completely sealed off it’s probably fine but if you’re just worried about cleaning up the intake I’d probably take it off the car and make sure you clean it out real good with dish soap before reinstalling.

Blown88GT · Mar 4, 2019

bruno said:
Yikes, good to know.

If the dust is that bad then I guess using it to clean an engine bay is a bad idea. What would you use instead?

Does the same theory apply to SOS pads? I was going to use it to restore the finish on my intake.

SOS pads are steel wool (bad). You could use bronze wool, available at marine stores.

Paul5992 · Mar 31, 2023

GalacticPonage did you have anything covered when you scotch brited your block? How much dust got inside?

90sickfox · Mar 31, 2023

I watched a guy destroy an engine the same way. He used a scotch Brite pad to clean up an oil pan on a 2010 malibu. I told him not to, but he didn't listen. Engine lasted only a few hundred miles before it started knocking. Only had 70k on it. What a shame.

89ripper · Sep 3, 2024

Sorry. I feel for you, i dont believe all is lost at least you havent ran it yet. Im not an expert on this but some will be on in a little while...

AeroCoupe · Sep 3, 2024

My immediate response would be is if you know it got on the cam then pull the motor and tear it down. It is cheaper at this point vs running it and trashing the motor.

limp · Sep 4, 2024

This ScotchBrite bad posting caught my eye........ I knew the discs were bad for head gaskets but the fallout from the pads is new to me..
I use Red scotchbrite in my solvent tank.... Have I corrupted the fluid and the pump filter in my solvent tank??
Thinking of draining it, cleaning it and replacing the fluid??

LILCBRA · Sep 4, 2024

limp said:
This ScotchBrite bad posting caught my eye........ I knew the discs were bad for head gaskets but the fallout from the pads is new to me..
I use Red scotchbrite in my solvent tank.... Have I corrupted the fluid and the pump filter in my solvent tank??
Thinking of draining it, cleaning it and replacing the fluid??

I would think using them in a solvent tank would be ok as long as you wipe the parts down once you've finished.

My brother learned the Scotch Brite lesson the hard way. Honestly, I thought what he did was stupid to begin with and probably different than what everyone is asking.... You know those Scotch Brite style wheels you can clamp up in a drill? He used one of those to clean the block's head mating surface on his old 5.9 Ram when he replaced the head after the intake gasket failure that they're known for. His truck died on him when he was a couple hundred miles from home pulling a trailer shortly after the swap. I asked him what all he did and he told me that that's how he cleaned the block. I told him he most likely clogged the pick up screen with those particles and he'll probably need to replace the engine now - which he had to do.

Obviously an apples to oranges situation, but I'd recommend pulling the engine and cleaning it thoroughly as well. @scottbrandon

Scotch Brite Ruining My Engine?

GalacticPonage

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Mstng93SSP

You have a nice rear end there Dave.

Deleted member 215073

mikestang63

jrichker

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GalacticPonage

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Mstng93SSP

You have a nice rear end there Dave.

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GalacticPonage

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GalacticPonage

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shipracer

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bruno

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GalacticPonage

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Blown88GT

Paul5992

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90sickfox

Wasn't a pretty sight...and I've got big hands

89ripper

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

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Scotch Brite Ruining My Engine?

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You have a nice rear end there Dave.

Deleted member 215073

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You have a nice rear end there Dave.

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Wasn't a pretty sight...and I've got big hands

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

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