Cleaning out block?

KEL 39
KEL 39 Member
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I am rebuilding my '39 212 and need the block cleaned out before I start.

There are two methods that are available to me. Boiling it out in I believe caustic soda or heating the block till alll the crud falls off. The machine shop wants to do it with the heat treatment method,but I am not so sure it is the way to go on an old block. I am thinking that the high heat will add stress. Does anyone have any experience or ideas with this ?

Glad to hear your comments.



IVAN

Comments

  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    I would think that if the heating and cooling were done gradually, no risky stresses would be induced.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    It's common practice to boil a block out. Don't worry one bit. Regardless of whether it's already cracked or not, boiling it won't change it. Besides, the old stuff is a heck of a lot more durable then the new stuff. Clean it as much as you possibly can before boiling, then boil it, then steam clean it very very thoroughly afterwards, going through the oil galley, and all other holes with block pipe cleaners.



    I just boiled a 60 year old GMC block the other day for an engine I'm rebuilding. Don't worry about boiling it, but instead worry about the crud that'll remain in there if you don't boil it. Be sure and check for existing cracks (most evident after it's all cleaned up) before you start the rebuild.
  • Clutchguy
    Clutchguy Senior Contributor
    A couple of questions. Have you removed the cam bearings and the valve guides?. The other method they are referring to is heating the block up in an oven. The oven blows a flame into a box and it cooks/bakes the old nasty slug out of the webs and insides. Alot of times it is then hot tanked and it comes real clean. Then the machine work and other repairs can be done. Also make sure that all the welch plugs[dish plugs]are removed in the deck and in between the intake port. If you are having it bored,make sure their boring bar will reach the bottoms of the bores. 5 inches is a long way with modern boring equipment.
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    A method I learned "way back" to loosen rust flakes out of the water jacket.. Use a piece of speedometer cable chucked up in a drill. Run it through every passage. Blow them out with compressed air. Don't be surprised how much gets broken loose... even after hot tanking. If you have any doubts that you got it all out. Put a nylon stocking "filter' in the outlet hose for the first hour or so of running. That catches the junk and keeps them from clogging the radiator tubes.
  • KEL 39
    KEL 39 Member
    I have removed valve guides,all plugs and cam bearings and done the

    flexable cable through each passage as well as using a long piece of drill rod to to chip away rusty scale. So far I have got about 1/2 a gallon

    can of rusty scale, and this is before taking it to get boiled out! I can imagine I could have had major heating problems in the future .



    Thanks for all the replys

    IVAN
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