Head Cleaning and Prep

[pastaroni34]

I have a few cylinder heads I need to clean. I would like to remove the valves and clean along with cam towers etc.. these heads are mostly for maching up parts (never hurts to have a shiny engine in the pictures!) But I'd like to know how to professionally clean my own stuff and I figure these will be good practice. What are your recommended cleaning methods?

If I were to beadblast the head, mating surfaces would need to be machined back flat before use, right? What about the valve seats?

I've seen many parts improperly cleaned including one magnesium abarth 16v cam tower :( I am sure we could help clear up some issues here.

Many thanks,
-Jason

[Guy Croft]

Decarbonise in special fluid (typically known as 'acid tanking').
Clean with Jizer, Hyperclean or other water washable solvent*.
Hot detergent wash, airline dry*.
Plug the blind threads.
Beadblast with Guyson Honite at 90psi.
Wash again by methods* and use gun brushes on threads esp spark plugs.

Honite is spherical beads and is fairly easy on machined faces, though if you dwell too long of course some modest surface disruption will take place. The head face will want machining as a matter of course. It won't have much effect on the valve seats. It is imperative to have the head perfectly dry before beadblasting or the media will stick all over the place.

I won't beadblast heads with inaccessible oilways etc, TC Fiats are OK with it.

GC

[Testament]

What exactly are jizer and hyperclean? I've never seen those brands in this part of the world (NZ). Just degreasers of various brands, similar to aerosol brake cleaner?, or are they more petrochemical like mineral turpentine or kerosene.

[Guy Croft]

Jizer:

Go to:
http://www.deb.co.uk/ukdeb/

go to 'product search' (bottom left on dropdown) and enter 'Jizer'.

Hyperclean is made by Comma Oil, but I could not find it on the net, I'll ring them to get some details. Hyperclean is less strong-smelling than Jizer but not quite as powerful.
'Gunk' is also good but smelly.

GC

[Snakeman]

Hi Guy,

This is a subject I am also interested in as I need to blast clean the VX transmission casings + some other bits
In the past I have used kiln dried sand which, while cheap and readily avalible, can cause more problems than it solves... as you no doubt know!.

Now you mentioned Honite.. after trawing the Tinterweb I found a company who can supply, but they have graded the size of the beads from 8 to 22. See link:

http://www.guyson.co.uk/consumables/dow ... asheet.pdf

Which size would you expect to be the best application for alloy casting cleaning. and, in the interests of the free market, do you know of another / better supplier?

Kind regards, Geoff

[Guy Croft]

The grade you need is Honite 13 - and in my view there is no better or more helpful, knowledgeable manufacturer & supplier of blast media in the world than Guyson so no - I'm not going to recommend anyone else, free market notwithstanding!
GC