Remove rust inside the engine

Henk_Brough

Yesterday I got back the engine block from the machine shop.
The block has had a resonating treatment in a fluid bath to get it complete clean.
On the outside it looks perfect. I thought I can build the engine up now. Foreget that !!! With a long thin screwdriver I pushed in the holes around the bores and on the valve side it feels like pushing in a sponge. I was busy several hours with small screwdrivers and steel wires and pressed air ( 6 bar ). All the freese plugs are out so I could reach almost all the important spots.
The result you can see on the photo's. I'am not on the photo but I can assure you I'am very derty.
Very big clouds and bigger pieces of rust come out the engine.
My questions :
1. Is this good enough now or is it better to do another treatment.
2. As you see on the photo there also came two pieces of steel wire out the cooling system. What's that ??

The valve guides I also must renew. The inlet channels are also derty and not really cleaned by the resonating
treatment.
3. Any idea's to clean them in a simple way ??

SuperDave

I have no idea what those wires were, unless they were used by some one trying to clean the block. I have used a short piece of speedometer cable in a drill motor to break scale loose in the water jackets. You must get it out for propper cooling and if it breakes loose while in use.. The radiator will be clogged.
When you are ready to start the engine for the first time. Put a piece of nylon stocking as a filter on the upper radiator hose for a few minutes. It will catch loose rust . remove it before driving.
Good luck with your rebuild.

fossiltin62

Those wires are from the core layup when the block was originally cast new. Someone didn't quite finish their job when this block was new. I've seen this twice, once in a chev 327 in the late 60's and in a Ford 302 in the early 70's. Just dig out the rest of the junk and rust and finish the job they didn't do.

RL Chilton

Henk-

After you do your cleaning inside, you can take this block outside and start flushing it with the hose. When you get nothing but clear, clean water, it is clean. Then you've got to take the compressed air and do a thorough drying inside and out. It's the best way to know you got all the trash out.

[Deleted User]

Do not dispare.....you are doing a good job. I also had STUFF in my block and on top of that found a 3/4 in washer in the intake??? NO wonder mine did not run very good? Strange things get discovered when you break down a 70 year old block!

Henk_Brough

If I entered the living room complete dirty and discussing with my wife about the unexpected cleaning of the engine her reaction was : Do this before you bring the engine to the machine shop. I think that is the most imported we can learn from this problem.
First clean it inside as most as you can and than do the resonating treatment !!!
Thank you very mutch for your advises !!!! Henk ten Ham

Kdancy

I clean with a pressure washer before and after the machine shop work. Put the washer wand in all the passages and the water under pressure will eventually get it all out.

[Deleted User]

Just be careful you do not ruin the water tube that goes into the block behind the water pump. Remove it very carefully as that is what cools the valve seats. You can ruin it by poking through the expansion holes on the left side of the block. This loads up at the end with crud and 5 and 6 cylinder vale seats do not receive any cool water. Walt.

Kdancy

I always get crud out after getting a block back. They do clean them but it's not good enough to really clean the water passages.
Studebaker V8's are notorious for crud in the rear portion of the block. The 37 Terraplane still had crud in it as well, the pressure washer got it out but it took me a good 45 minutes before I was satisfied (and this engine was rebuilt before it came to me)

TwinH

Lol,thats not rust... THIS is rust in the cooling system... OK,well rust and a golf tee and a couple of nuts...






And on that note I have had good luck using Oxalic acid,aka "wood bleach" to clean non-accessible coolant passages. You just have to seal it up enough so it can soak.
I use foil duct tape. Even vinegar will loosen the rust up.