hosrom_951

I started tearing down the cylinder head, camshaft housing and soon the oil cooler and front seals. If you recall, I had the head gasket cause an oil leak onto the block. It got so bad, that I saw the oil drip onto the x-over pipe and smoke.

So, I just received a wide fire headgasket kit from Lindsey Racing. Right now, everything is going well, no stripped allen heads or issues.

My question is, I need to get 3 tools (tomorrow morning), which includes the 10mm cheesehead tool for the camshaft bolt. Now, I wish to clean the inside of the camshaft housing and prepare it for sanding, buffing and polishing. What substance could be used to clean the inside of the housing and the camshaft without causing problems? fuel? diesel? brake cleaner?

The lifters are in excellent shape, no scores, scratches or holes and are currently being soaked in oil. They will stay that way for the next week or so, till the valve guides and other miscellaneous items arrive. What do you recommend? and tips?

Finally, and unrelated question, when sanding down metal, such as the intake manifold, could one use sand blasting or bead blasting to remove the casting marks, then once could use a 220 and 320 grit paper to remove the swirls and smooth down the surface ready for polishing?

Wish i had my camera

Mike B

"I wish to clean the inside of the camshaft housing and prepare it for sanding, buffing and polishing."

I'm not sure what you mean. A good degreashing and power washing is all you should need. The cam bores are precision machined and shouldn't need anything other than cleaning. When you re install your cam, you'll lube the cam lobes and it will be like new. Unless you have cam damage?

"The lifters are in excellent shape, no scores, scratches or holes and are currently being soaked in oil. They will stay that way for the next week or so, till the valve guides and other miscellaneous items arrive. What do you recommend? and tips?"

I was advised, and did the same on my rebuild, to keep them in oil and in order. Much like pistons mate themselves to a cylinder; the lifters do the same. I also read of others getting the order mixed up with no ill effects.

"Finally, and unrelated question, when sanding down metal, such as the intake manifold, could one use sand blasting or bead blasting to remove the casting marks, then once could use a 220 and 320 grit paper to remove the swirls and smooth down the surface ready for polishing?"

Bead blasting would be a great way to remove surface contaminates...such as oil, etc. I did the same then used a die grinder with a rotary sanding attachment to smooth the surface prior to powder coating. This would also be a required step for polishing. The difference with polishing is your continuing to go to finer grits...more work but the same process.

I too wish you had your camera. Everybody loves pics

hosrom_951

Mike: I was unclear on my first statement, what i want is to clean up everything inside out (camshaft housing). THEN i would sand down the OUTSIDE of the housing and prep. it for buffing & polishing.

This is not the first time i took off the camshaft housing & lifters, the lifters are indeed in order and soaked in oil.

Could you clarify a bit more on bead blasting? as you know, the intake manifold and camshaft housing do need a lot of sanding & prep. work. I am trying to find a short cut by blasting the surface, due to so many curves and tight spots here and there, and use finer grit (by hand) and finally polshing.

Mike B

Hussam, bead blasting is the same process as sand blasting but using a different, less aggressive media...such as plastic or glass beads.

If you clean and degreas it first you can do it all by hand. It would be a labour, lots of labour, of love. Power tools make the job bearable but still time consuming especially since your polishing the metal to a chrome like finish?

I found a die grinder with different sizes of small sanding type drums to be most effective. I also used a flexible extension to get into the tighter areas. Not that I necessarily buy it from Eastwood, they cost too much, but they have the stuff you would need.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...mType=CATEGORY

They are guys here who have done the same as I stopped short and powder coated. They are the real experts.

hosrom_951

Thanks Mike

First issue

That 10mm Cheese head bolt will not come off, evern after waking it up, i am not rounding it off, yet, so i will try some heat.

hosrom_951

Got it off, some heat did the trick!