Forgive my ignorance but working on this engine has me paranoid beyond the norm

These head gasket surfaces are a bear to clean. I am using some professional carb cleaner and a fine 3m abrasive pad by hand. Am I correct in my approach. Seems to be slow and tedious and I am starting to question how clean this aluminum needs to be.

Have done many ls series GM engines but they are newer and the gaskets seem to come off cleaner due to less age.

Feedback? Thanks!

 

I would put the scotchbrite away,
go buy a fresh pack of good razor blades and change then regularly
Hold the bade perpendicular to the surface and scratch back and forth.

Use a straight edge to see if the bores are flush with the sides of the block
if not flush then decking should be performed.

 

Thank you sir! I did start by dragging the blade but some of the deposits were extremely stubborn. Will get back to it and see how it goes. I appreciate it!

 

Permatex Gasket Remover perhaps?

 

Thanks Daniel. I have been using it all the way. Looks like mine is just a bit more stubborn then typical. I am chipping away it slowly!

 

I love green scotchbrite scrubby pads for this kind of thing.
They aren't aggressive or abrasive, just scrubby...
Light hand pressure and a little bit of oil or brake cleaner will go a long way to make the surface nice and clean.

 

Its getting there, this is not pitting but it was certainly not too far off from it.

 

I could use those pistons

 

I think I need them or else I just wasted a lot of prep work cleaning everything

On a serious note, am I looking close to go here from a cleaning standpoint?

 

Not ready.

 

Thanks. More work on the head I assume?

 

take the heads to get a fresh plane on them (not much material at all) and the block.. keep scrubbing.

 

Okay. Sounds like a plan, I am back to sweating and scrubbing!

 

Be careful not to take off too much material in one spot by scrubbing it like a mad man. The deck and head surface need to be flat and uniform. If you get to a point that aluminium has to be scrubbed away to get to the corroded/pitted sections, than you either stop and use the parts as is or have them re surfaced at a machine shop.

 

Yep. That's my problem. I am so paranoid about doing more damage than good. Scotch Brite can leave ano abrasive dust around that that can damage bearings etc. I tape and plug the drain holes when doing this work but am trying to be careful with making waves in the aluminum as well. Although working by hand would make that tough to do, it can happen.