Polishing Head

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Since head is off, should I have the combustion chamber polished?

Are there directions, recommendations for doing it at home?

Just looking for a light polish, nothing super pure.

Comments

  • wano1949
    wano1949 Senior Contributor
    You're getting ready to move into a whole "nuther" world. LOL

    If you are running a stock engine just clean all the carbon deposits off the chambers & block side of the head & top of the block and you'll be fine.

    While the head is off have it boiled out at a machine shop and checked for flatness and cracks as a precautionary move, if you can.

    Make sure the water ports in the head and block are clean and not corroded or stopped up with rust as I said in previous post.

    If you don't use the machine shop hot tank method use a stiff wire and run in and out of the holes to knock loose the old rust and crud. Flush out with a water hose and a lot of water.

    We used to use Oxalic acid purchased at the Pharmacy to clean out the cooling system but probably best to go with a commercial additive these days. I cant remember the ratio anyway (along with a lot of other stuff).

    The polishing of a head, ohv or flat is a pretty intricate process and best left to someone who makes a living at it.

    The combustion chambers are where, if you happen to dig a little deep with the grinder/polishing burr, or whatever you are using, you take out more material than you want. This makes the combustion chamber bigger and you have less compression in that chamber.

    An expert will do a check on all combustion chambers in the head and adjust the process to have all them even as to volume when they finish. This is called cc'ing the head.

    Any difference in performance by doing just the head, and not doing a lot of other mods to the engine would not result in any large gain.
  • Marconi
    Marconi Senior Contributor
    white distilled vinegar is oxalic acid. turn head upside down on a level surface and fill water passages with this stuff and let it sit for a day or two then flush with clean water and you'll be amazed at how much crud will come out. Of course do this after you've dug out everything you can with wire, picks, screwdrivers, etc.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Thanks, guys. I will just leave the polishing out of the equation and just wire brush the carbon out after a good dip
    in solvent.

    I will try to vinegar (and CLR) bath at home. It really is not that bad in the areas I can see.

    Thought I would ask the question since the head was off and I know polishing can help. But since there is not jump in performance or fuel efficiency, I won't.
  • wano1949
    wano1949 Senior Contributor
    This is a little bit off topic but still related.

    I once bought a Hudson from a wrecking yard and it took thirteen years to pick it up. That being the time it took them to get around to crushing cars and getting to where the car was.

    After a little tricking around I got it running and drove it around a little, seemed like a good motor.

    Pulled the 232 engine from a daily driver 1951 pacemaker (it used oil) and installed the 262 from the wrecking yard car.

    Temp gauge showed running hot, everything else seemed to be normal temp. I dropped a Stewart Warner mechanical type gauge sending end in the radiator neck while engine was hot and it read normal range of temp.

    Pulled the electric sending unit from head and noticed a lot of rust and scale on the end and no water came out of the head.

    Pulled the head, it was almost blocked in every cooling hole. This is where I learned the wire rod trick.

    Rodded the head and block out and reinstalled the old head gasket with Indian Head Copper sealer and drove the thing another six or seven years, no problem.

    The top part of the engine was running hotter than the block due to blocked passages.

    The Oxalic acid trick was from OCee Rich's book "Care and Repair of the Sports Car". The acid came as crystals you dissolved in the radiator.

    It's is acetic acid like vinegar but a whole lot stronger. The vinegar will work all right but slower. LOL

    I use white vinegar to clean rust off small steel or iron parts and screws, bolts etc. Just soak as necessary, don't leave in too long or some may fade away.

    Also don't use on aluminum or similar pot metal.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I definitely have a cooling issue as after five minutes even a new cap will be pushed and coolant will start to leak from the overflow.
  • Chris Smith
    Chris Smith Expert Adviser
    I say, anytime the opportunity arises to have your head polished,do it! Its a no brainer. It's a job best left to a professional and expect overheating and fluid loss. Seriously though, polishing the combustion chamber may help to reduce hot spots and pinging if that is a concern.
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    Cleaning of the coolent passages can be done with a short length of speedometer cable attached to an electric drill. Works on blocks too.
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