I recently took the head off my 91 sedan and took it to the machine shop.
there is still some residue of the old gasket on the block, what have you guys used to clean it up?

If you guys have do's and don't on this subject please let not only me but anyone who posts in this thread know

My idea was to use a nylon brush i bought at auto zone and scrape it off ( nylon not to damage the block with an aluminum brush)

i.e as in what chemical or compound/process you used to clean your block for your fresh cleaned/new head.

Thanx in advanced for any info

 

a ice pick,chisel,razor blade and a screw driver always does the trick i think there is a youtube video in the FAQ section also...!!!

 

this is a pic of whats left on it. Dont worry the coolant is gone lol

 

lol. I want to see what other people used

remember i mentioned that the head had been serviced before. check out my intake mani

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlbFIcovoKQ

 

i have always uses a razor blade or paint scraper. an ice pick?

 

thats an o.k vid but doesnt explain what to use to off the old filter

 

ya it didnt say anything about a head gasket lol. just the valve cover gasket and oil dye

 

I've just used like a chizzle or any kind've scraper with a flat edge to clean off the old junk from the old gaskets and such. Also I have used my knife before and that worked good as well. You could also get a rag with carb cleaner or gas in it to wipe away any left overs.

 

i used a hard rubber brush type dremel pad i guess you could call it to take off old gasket peices. cleaned up my block and tranny real nice too.

 

This what I always use. Works great. You can use it with a cordless drill.

http://www.shop3m.com/61500132156.html

You should be able to find them at any Home Improvement center or hardware store.

 

I was taking a look at these but couldn't find any

I think using that with some de-greaser after should work fine.

i've never heard of people using gas to clean it up lol.
has anyone else used gas?

 

the 3m bristle discs are the way to go. it is NOT a good idea to be chipping at the block surface with a pick or screwdriver. you risk gouging the block. i used a angle air grinder with a fairly high grit pad to take off the crap from my block back in the day. worked easily 100x better than anything else i had tried. (didn't know about those 3m discs at the time). this method works great, but my friends machinist does not recommend it because you can still potentially damage the mating surface. so definitely try the 3m discs first, and if that doesn't take it off then carefully use an aag with an appropriate disc.

 

Mike knows that i was just messing with him about the screwdriver & pick...ice pick wtf

 

Personally i do not like using a grinding disk (used to when i first started). do not use anything that can nick/scratch the head. when you get your head or block redone the machine shop leaves that finish on there so that is what you should try to mimic.i use a plastic or flexible metal scraper it may take some time but the important part is to not damage the head

 

you should NOT using anything air powered, not even the green bristle discs because you run the risk of having high and low spots on the block.

if anything, use fine grit sandpaper and a sanding block, not your hand, and then measure with a straightedge after you are done. you should not have a variance of more than a couple thousandths

 

thanx for all information given. not only will i follow these tips but i hope someone else finds this useful

any other info. is welcomed

 

Those 3M bristle discs are not made to remove metal. They are made to remove paint or rust. They are made out of plastic/rubber stuff. If you use them on a cordless drill you would have sit in one spot for a LONG time before you would cause any damage. Chisels,razor blades or sandpaper will damage an aluminum head or block much faster, even when doing it by hand.