De-rusting Head Joint on "Fresh" Engine?

[Eddie]

I've got an empty block here that had the decks ground for flatness about 2-3 years ago, and put in storage.

Some surface rust developed (big surprise there). I'm thinking 1200-grit, crocus cloth, and scotchbrite.

Is there a "home method" or should I just bite the bullet and get it resurfaced?


Thanks,
Eddie

[r1lark]

quote:Originally posted by Eddie

I've got an empty block here that had the decks ground for flatness about 2-3 years ago, and put in storage.

Some surface rust developed (big surprise there). I'm thinking 1200-grit, crocus cloth, and scotchbrite.

Is there a "home method" or should I just bite the bullet and get it resurfaced?


Thanks,
Eddie

Eddie,

Scotchbrite with some WD-40 or similar should work fine. Blow out the headbolt holes/oil passages and wipe the decks down good with wax/oil remover or similar before installing the heads.

Another possibility are the 3M Rolock (sp?) discs, which are Skotchbrite discs that you can put in a small air tool or even a drill....does the same thing just with less effort.

Paul
Winston-Salem, NC
Visit The NEW Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

[Mike Van Veghten]

Verify if it is truly just a surface rust.

Light Scotchbrite and WD-40 or light oil. If that leaves a smooth but discolored surface, that's fine. No need to remove all of the off-color, colors.

If there is still deeper red/brown colors or roughness near the bore, cap screw holes or water passage holes...might be time to have it decked.

Mike

[rockfoot]

Lots of ways to do it but if it were mine I would use a new whetstone, fine side, with plenty of oil and elbow grease.... keeping it flat all the time in figure 8 pattern. Looking at it occasionally..just enough to knock the rust off... jmho

1955 President one owner
Moncks Corner, SC

[Mike Van Veghten]

rock -

Be carefull! If the current surface it of a very smooth surface..your method is fine.
If the current surface is rougher...your method will ruin that portion of the finish and the gasket will have different finishes at different portions of the deck, which is nesessarilly a good thing.

Scotchbrite works for both!

Mike

[rockfoot]

Huh?? The object is to keep the surface of the block flat when removing rust or scale.... it's like using a paint paddle to wet-sand a car.... you cannot bend the paint paddle or the whetstone. I agree that the safest way to clean a block surface (if not heavily rusted)is with a piece of Scotch-brite... really hard to get in trouble with Scotch-brite. Still, for my piece of mind, I would use a new whetstone, especially if I wanted to expose any high or low spots. a,jmho

1955 President one owner
Moncks Corner, SC

[fmarshall]

There are elixirs, like Evapo-Rust. I have used a different brand with great success. In your case, if you have the bare block on an engine stand, you should be able to rotate the engine to enable the head surface to sit in a shallow pan of the stuff. It will remove all of the rust. And it won't hurt the block.

========================
63 Avanti R2, 4-Speed, 3.73 TT
Martinez, CA

[starliner62]

Use a scotchbrite pad wrapped around a sanding block. Works well for me.

Jamie McLeod

starliner62
Hope Mills, NC

[JBody]

What I have done in cases like that(engine blocks/heads in storage) is use an orbital air sander(autobody or woodworking"DA")with 80 grit or finer discs and clean up the surface rust. Keep the DA moving so it removes but a negligible amount of material from your block deck, and then thoroughly clean up your block with mineral spirits and compressed air to remove sanding residue. Composition head gaskets will readily seal very minor imperfections in the deck/head surface. It has worked for me.

[Eddie]

THIS IS COOL! Thanks for all the suggestions, guys.

You can't imagine my dismay when I dug back into storage and found that carefully-stored machine-work-done block all rusty; I fingered it was now scrap...

Eddie