A tale of my woes
#41
#42
1. Use the razor blade and/or a wire brush on a drill, then follow it up with a 220 or lighter sanding.
2. To keep debris from falling into the block, you can a)plug the block holes (coolant and oil passages) with paper towels or b) have an assistant hold a vacuum cleaner next to the block when you clean.
3. I always like to clean the piston heads, but that requires you to rotate the crank to get each piston at TDC. If rotating the crank is not a concern to you (i.e. timing) then go ahead and put each piston at TDC and scrape the carbon off with a wire wheel on a drill.
4. I think I read where you are sending the heads off for cleaning/machining. If not, make sure you put a straight edge across the mating surface from corner to corner to ensure flatness. Any warpage (even slight) will cause gasket failure in the future (ask me how I know!!!)
2. To keep debris from falling into the block, you can a)plug the block holes (coolant and oil passages) with paper towels or b) have an assistant hold a vacuum cleaner next to the block when you clean.
3. I always like to clean the piston heads, but that requires you to rotate the crank to get each piston at TDC. If rotating the crank is not a concern to you (i.e. timing) then go ahead and put each piston at TDC and scrape the carbon off with a wire wheel on a drill.
4. I think I read where you are sending the heads off for cleaning/machining. If not, make sure you put a straight edge across the mating surface from corner to corner to ensure flatness. Any warpage (even slight) will cause gasket failure in the future (ask me how I know!!!)
#43
1. Use the razor blade and/or a wire brush on a drill, then follow it up with a 220 or lighter sanding.
2. To keep debris from falling into the block, you can a)plug the block holes (coolant and oil passages) with paper towels or b) have an assistant hold a vacuum cleaner next to the block when you clean.
3. I always like to clean the piston heads, but that requires you to rotate the crank to get each piston at TDC. If rotating the crank is not a concern to you (i.e. timing) then go ahead and put each piston at TDC and scrape the carbon off with a wire wheel on a drill.
4. I think I read where you are sending the heads off for cleaning/machining. If not, make sure you put a straight edge across the mating surface from corner to corner to ensure flatness. Any warpage (even slight) will cause gasket failure in the future (ask me how I know!!!)
2. To keep debris from falling into the block, you can a)plug the block holes (coolant and oil passages) with paper towels or b) have an assistant hold a vacuum cleaner next to the block when you clean.
3. I always like to clean the piston heads, but that requires you to rotate the crank to get each piston at TDC. If rotating the crank is not a concern to you (i.e. timing) then go ahead and put each piston at TDC and scrape the carbon off with a wire wheel on a drill.
4. I think I read where you are sending the heads off for cleaning/machining. If not, make sure you put a straight edge across the mating surface from corner to corner to ensure flatness. Any warpage (even slight) will cause gasket failure in the future (ask me how I know!!!)
#46
#48
[QUOTE=gobbell1;2159928]
3. If rotating the crank is not a concern to you (i.e. timing) then go ahead and put each piston at TDC [QUOTE]
Would rotating the crank with the heads off change the timing?
I rotated them last night to get the coolant out of the cylinders when i pulled the head off.
I assumed that it would not as I am not really changing anything. The cam would still turn with the crank, when I bolt the head back on the valves would be in the right postion for the pistons.
3. If rotating the crank is not a concern to you (i.e. timing) then go ahead and put each piston at TDC [QUOTE]
Would rotating the crank with the heads off change the timing?
I rotated them last night to get the coolant out of the cylinders when i pulled the head off.
I assumed that it would not as I am not really changing anything. The cam would still turn with the crank, when I bolt the head back on the valves would be in the right postion for the pistons.
#49
That and some fine emery cloth should be all you need.
Myself, if it's just the usual thin layer, I leave it. It's normal, doesn't cause any harm, and is going to reform within 20k miles or so anyway. If the domes are really cruddy due to some past poor oil control (e.g. a blown plenum gasket that was left for too long) it's probably better to clean up.
If you want to clean it out, be sure you get all of the carbon off of each piston dome that you mess with, and get it all out of the cylinder before reassembly. Once you fracture the layer you have to get all of it, or you risk that what you leave behind will break loose during operation. Chunks of carbon breaking free can do all kinds of unpleasant things like smashing spark plug electrodes, hanging valves, and hastening the demise of catalytic converters.