how do you clean up a used engine

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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on a few occasions i have scored good running but used engines before that i was able to hear running or drive it in its previous car.

needless to say a used engine is usually greasy and not the best looker.

so i have conclued that the best thing for a situation like that is not tear it down for rebuild ....why fix something thats not broken....especially when a budget dont permit.

so i have come up with:

partially diassemble engine peripherials and degrease.

which can be a nasty job ......i usually use a power washer after pluging the obvious holes you dont want water in, like the exhaust holes on the heads and carb hole ......i usually use paint chemical stripper after a few power washer rounds ....the stripper gets rid of old paint and some grease ......finally i use laquer thinner on bare metal and re-paint with ceramic engine paint.

i usually replace oil pan gasket and valve cover gasket and in some cases the timing chain.

then install and service as used engine

anything else that you guys do?
 
So far the best method I've found is to use lots of heavy duty oven cleaner, then hit it with a power washer. Sometimes you have to hit problem spots with a brush but overall it works pretty good.
 
65DartGTConv said:
Gasoline and a paint brush.
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Oh my. Gasoline?
Yes, I've done it but it isn't a good idea.
The story back in the day is that someone used a synthetic brush and the static actually ignited the gas.
I don’t know about that.
But the fumes of gasoline are very flammable.
Remember the people on camera who get in and out of their cars and the static ignites the tank?
 
adriver said:
Oh my. Gasoline?
Yes, I've done it but it isn't a good idea.
The story back in the day is that someone used a synthetic brush and the static actually ignited the gas.
I don’t know about that.
But the fumes of gasoline are very flammable.
Remember the people on camera who get in and out of their cars and the static ignites the tank?
Click to expand...


the flammable part might not be a bad thing .....last winter i was cleaning up an engine and there was a spot of really stubborn grease so i soaked it with carb cleaner and lit it on fire and the heat made the grease come off easier and some of the grease burned off.......


i set off the smoke detector and my dad said i was crazy but it got the job done.
 
Here's what I did "last time" good or bad

Pulled the VCs and pulled the rockers off. What this does is, to allow all the valves to close.

Of course put old plugs into the plug holes

I "burned" a ratty old distributor--just put a couple of plastic bags over, and duct taped the **** out of it

Built a plate for the carb inlet, cut a ratty gasket out of a filter box and bolted it on.

Took a pair of old VCs and plugged all holes, then glued gaskets on one side only, and oiled the engine side of the gasket.

If you can, pull all the freeze plugs and drain plugs., get your pressure in there along with scraping tools/ wire and scrape as much gunk and rust as you can

I also pulled the water pump. Be sure to "washer up" and reinstall the pump bolts to keep the timing cover sealed.

Then just take a good look for unwanted openings into the oil system, make sure the sender and dipstick is sealed, etc

And that avatar...............LOL

image.php
 
Castrol Super Clean and a pressure washer.
 
I tape/seal it up, scrape off the heavy stuff with a gasket scraper and screwdriver, spray on some engine degreaser and use stiff bristle brushes, toothbrushes, whatever I need to use. Knock more off with a scraper/screwdriver, spray more degreaser and scrub more. I do that til its clean, then I use undiluted purple clean and clean brushes/rags/water. I spray it with a hose occasionally. Then, I attack it with wire wheels on a drill. Sometimes paint remover for the rest of the paint, another wipe down, some compressed air, then some thinner. Yes, I have OCD.
 
...............and pressure washers vary. I originally thought I'd go electric, because I really didn't want to have to maintain one more gasoline engine.

But a quick look at the specs of the "big box" stores changed my mind very quickly. The best/ biggest electric they had by far underperformed the smalled gas powered washer.

Mine, with the HP nozzle, will strip grease right off with no detergent. I did run a frost free faucet outside hooked to the hot water output
 
67Dart273 said:
...............and pressure washers vary. I originally thought I'd go electric, because I really didn't want to have to maintain one more gasoline engine.

But a quick look at the specs of the "big box" stores changed my mind very quickly. The best/ biggest electric they had by far underperformed the smalled gas powered washer.

Mine, with the HP nozzle, will strip grease right off with no detergent. I did run a frost free faucet outside hooked to the hot water output
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well yea
 

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I guess I'm a little bit more fussy, I use the power washer and a good degreaser. I change the timing change and oil pump, flush the pickup in kerosene. Pop the freeze outs and run the pressure washer with a 90 degree tip in the water jacket. you'd be surprised at the stuff that comes out. New freeze out plugs, gaskets and seals and a final cleaning with brake clean before paint. Never had a problem with overheating!
 
UOP said:
So far the best method I've found is to use lots of heavy duty oven cleaner, then hit it with a power washer. Sometimes you have to hit problem spots with a brush but overall it works pretty good.
Click to expand...

That is the way we did it at the salvage yard and that is the way I do my engines too.
 
Robbie2734 said:
I guess I'm a little bit more fussy, I use the power washer and a good degreaser. I change the timing change and oil pump, flush the pickup in kerosene. Pop the freeze outs and run the pressure washer with a 90 degree tip in the water jacket. you'd be surprised at the stuff that comes out. New freeze out plugs, gaskets and seals and a final cleaning with brake clean before paint. Never had a problem with overheating!
Click to expand...

This would shure guarantee you a clean almost leak proof engine!!
 
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