LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I got my 406 back from the machine shop and will start putting it together this week. I have everything else cleaned up. In the past I have used a **** load of brake clean to clean the engine before assembly and have had no problems. I am wondering what everyone else uses and if there is a better alternative. I have read in car craft and such that they use Tide and water. Anyone else use this?

thanks for the info.

Jason

Dialed_In

iTrader: (3)

Best way at home without a Spray Jet would be to get some parts washer solvent and a set of engine cleaning brushes. Hose it down good with the solvent the scrub it to death. make sure to get all the oil gallies and the bores. Small bits of metal like to get stuck in the honing grooves in the bores. It's clean when you can take a new paper towel and wipe down the bores with WD40 and the towel stays clean. If it comes out with black or gray smudges, keep cleaning. Once it's all clean, hose it down once more and dry it all off with an air gun.

Did the machine shop final wash it for you after they machined it?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Get it back from the machine shop with ALL the oil passage and freeze plugs out of it. No cam bearings.

Use diesel fuel and rifle brushes in EVERY hole you can find, especially every oil passage, in a wash bay at the quarter car wash; followed by lots of quarters. I like to put some of the "engine clean" or "pre-soak" or whatever they call the extra sopay low-pressure mix into a bucket, and scrub the cyl walls with a rag or sponge, then blast the hell out of it. Try to do it on a warm sunny day, early in the day; leave it indoors before you wash it so it's warm, and afterwards leave it out in the sun all day to dry.

Put the cam bearings and all the plugs back in yourself, after it all dries back out.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

The shop has already put the plugs in and the cam bearings. the block looks pretty clean, but for example I spray some brake clean on the cylinder walls and use a clean towel, there is some grey on it. I know that it should be clean, but as soon as the motor starts and the rings break in, isn't there going to be microscopic amounts of metal anyway because everything is wearing in?

Dialed_In

iTrader: (3)

No, don't leave it in the sun to dry. It needs to be dried immediately or rust will form. Clean it however you wish, but make sure it is dried thoroughly as soon as possible.

You could always have the shop that did the work final wash the block and bag it.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

actually I think I am going to call the machine shop in the morning and ask them. I don't know why I didn't before.

DENN_SHAH

iTrader: (1)

i use a 50/50 mixture of Ivory & Dawn dish washing detergent mixed with water & bore brushes to scrub the cylinders, lifter bores & oil passages out, i use paper towels to check the bores. once its all clean i pressure wash all of it with the Ivory & Dawn mix & pressure rinse it. as soon as i finish the rinse i spray all of it down with WD-40, finally i blow it off with compressed air.

i trust no ones cleaning job but my own.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

very very true. thats why I asked, and I think soap/water would do a better job than brake clean alone.

I cleaned the rest of the parts with the parts washer at work and smoking hot water then used compressed air.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I went to harbor freight this morning and got a siphon/blow air gun and a bunch of brushes. I put dawn in a 5 gallon bucket of smokin hot water and washed the engine with that then blew it off with compressed air. it's in the sun right now. I wiped the bores out, there was already some flash rust on the cylinder walls, i cleaned them and they look good.

thanks for everyones input.

Jason

CamarosRUS

I'm doing this right now (motor rebuild...cleaning stage) so I'm glad this came up. My cam bearings are in and I really don't want to take it back to the machine shop so they can pull them and them back again to put them in.

My block has been tanked but I'm still giving it a throuogh cleaning will anything get trapped behind the cam bearings since they are in?


I need to do this quick since its getting cold out...

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Nothing should get trapped. The hole in the cam bearing goes down to the mains. When you blow the mains out it should blow everything else out.

F-BIRD'88

If you're not going to assemble it right away coat all machined surfaces with Rust Check or engine oil or it will rust. WD 40 is only good for a day or so. Machined surfaces will start to rust within a few days.
Rust Check brand name, protect vehicles appearance, proofing companies, manufactures rust preventatives, manufacturer of coatings, manufacturer of rust paints, manufacturer of lubricants and auto repair industry

sixpackmtrspts

i use all sorts of brushes with dawn dish soap or whatever soap i have around, i also have a line coming right off my hotwater heater and i use hot water to clean everything. thedn when the water is hot again i wash it again, i made a big round brush to attach in my cordless drill and use that while i wash the block. i usually wash the block 4 times before i assemble the engine.