Hi fellas. I have scored some low km 1200 heads for a 1250 conversion & wanna clean all the carbon & crap from the chambers & ports etc before the install. These heads are in pretty good nick but I wanna bring them up like new for the conversion.
I have some brake cleaner & scourer pads but really want a more thorough clean. Another bloke has mentioned using kerosene & a brush, then giving them a good flush out with water.
An engine outfit here in Perth can strip, bead blast & re-assemble the heads for $120. Although a common cleaning method I have read that bead residue can cause havoc if left behind after the process.
Alternatively I like the idea of ultrasonic cleaning but have been told that the black factory powdercoat may get ruined.
I'm interested if anyone here has any horror stories or advice on cleaning up heads.
Cheers, Slap.
Talk to Daddyracer56 before you attempt anything.
hi, i am not a big fan of blasting motor inners@ all but you can blast the outside if it;s to old looking , when blasting inners should be only @ 40 lb's presure max but they all have there compressors up the max effort about 120 lbs too cut down on time, high press pulverize's the bead into smaller partictes & get jamed into the pores of the alloy casting with the damp of the compress air the glass bead is even more as when damp it will not come out as easy you can wash & scrub as much as you like , if you are going to blast @ least put bolts in all the thread holes, e.g. when the motor get's hot the pores will open up more & let the bead out into your rebuilt engine, that's why i clean by hand , after blasting when you heat a head up to change a valve guide etc that's when you see little piles of bead come out even after a good washing , WD-40 with the orange squirter into the thread hole's work's good with a thread bottle brush, but anyway most rebuilders do it because it make the job look new again & less time as well. if your heads are black i would do them buy hand as the ports & cly head chamber end up with a more poilshed surface finish buy the time your done rather than a bead blast course finish
if a motor does have a bit of shit go thru it it does not mean it's going to blown up & engine can handle some debris thats why they put oil filters in there for , i like to build a happy engine thats why i do the work myself then i do not have to rely on other people but if you never done engine work before leave it for someone that knows how, if your keen you have to start from somewere
I only suggest this as I've seen it done before. I'm no expert!
Cheers for all the input guys. I ended up taking the easy way out & have sent my heads away to get "cleaned" in the U.S.
Slap.