I have the engine pulled and on a stand. Any advice on cleaning the interior of the block or just let it be?

 

You mean the coolant passages? Unless there's flakes of crud that might migrate and crap up the radiator tubes, I'd leave it alone.

 

Are you re-building it? Then have it hot tanked.

Otherwise, look for dino oil crud. I'd scrape that off and wipe with a rag. Don't use solvents excessively as you risk cleaning bearing and bore surfaces you want oily.

 

Do not have it hot-tanked... That's a caustic degreaser/derust/descale that's death on the aluminum. OK to have it commercially dipped and flushed, but they will likely use a detergent and high pressure water wash rather than a traditional hot tank dip.

No matter what, you get to do it all again when you get the block back. Every passage needs to thoroughly cleaned and flushed to make sure there is no debris or dirt/scale anywhere in there. The clean-room standards from that point on.

 

if your stripping the block and girdle use a razor blade held perpendicular to the surface where they meet to remove the old loctite 574 then wash the block with hot water and car wash soap,
Hot tanks works well but generally dont remove the sealants,
and it will depend on the solvents being used so they are compatible with the alusil block

 

Get it cleaned by someone who handles aluminum blocks and heads. By this time, every shop knows you need to use different processes for aluminum and steel.

Sorry if I used a generic term.

 

I am not taking the girdle off the block. I am only taking one piston out to replace a dinged/damaged one and then putting the engine back together. New conn rod bearings on that piston as well. Just wondered about all the oil and such if I should just wipe it down or clean with something. Not going to take whole engine apart unless my conn rod bearing on the one piston shows it is super worn.
If this is the case, I'll start another thread and begin there.

 

I always use oven cleaner from dollar store ,kids 10.00 swiming pool and pressure washer.then spray with wd40.

 

Don't use oven cleaner ... it's caustic and will wreck the block.

 

The pros use a Toilet brush:

 

I'll just wipe it down with some shop rags and call it good.

 

DON'T USE RAGS, you might leave lint!!!

 

I'll throw this out, with the caveat that I haven't actually done this....

I think I'd start by making sure your cylinder decks are completely clean and free of old gasket. Fill each cylinder with oily rags to minimize the crap getting in them. Then if you haven't already, make sure that each head bolt hole is completely clean and dry- blow 'em out with compressed air and run many, many brakekleen-soaked shop rags on a gun barrel cleaning rod. Those threads are under huge stress and they'd better be clean. Then I'd clean out the schmutz from each cylinder again, wipe down the deck several times to make it spotless and oil-free, and install the head for that side. Repeat the process for the other head.

Are the heads going out to get decked? Hope so.

Did you/have you measured crank endplay? On a 150K+ mile motor out of an automatic (even one with as good a maintenance history as yours) I think I'd want to make sure the thrust bearing is happy before sealing everything up. And at the very least I'd replace all the rod bearings. Torque the con rod nuts well....

 

I thought you bought another block from Carl. A nikasil coated one. What are you going to do with it? Gunar
https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ew-engine.html

 

What kind of cleaner did this pro use? I like the look of this block that is being toiletbrushed. I don't think it was Duck, was it?