How to clean the block before Reassembly??

[OnMyWayTo12Secs]

Hey guys, and help here would be great. I have got a block loaded with pistons and rods, ready for my head, and all the other goodies. But i want to make sure after taking the time and money that it actually starts when finished. What is the best way to make sure the block, and cyllinders are clean and free of foreign objects. Also what about the head. I am sure formula 409 is just not the answer. Also once the motor is reassembled, is it ok to just dump the mobil 1 in and hope for the best, or is their an actual process to the first start up. Thanks for your help in advance!

 

[Wicked96GS-T]

Okay, well first things first: You can lube up the cylinder walls with a thick weight oil to keep them rust free while you do other work. And You can clean any external parts with an engine degreaser such as simple green or purple power cleaner. Once it's all reassembled with new parts it is important that you use a standard oil to break the engine in. No synthetics until about 2k-3k miles.
Here is one method (although somewhat controversial) to breaking in a new engine:
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
Good luck, and change your oil frequently (every 500-ish miles) until it's broken in, to ensure there are no particles in the oil.

 

[dr1665]

The time to concentrate on cleaning the block is before you assemble it, imo. If you've already got the rotating assembly installed, I would blow things out with compressed air (compressor or canned), then mask off the deck with painter's tape. Then hit the sides with Castrol Super Clean or whatever your preference is. You could use some scrub brushes from Autozone to clean it up a bit better. Then rinse it off (gently, so you don't lose the masking up top). Finally, hit it with brake cleaner, high temp primer, and some high temp paint.

The ideal way to clean a block, imo, is to use a wire brush on the end of your drill and just strip that grime and funk off of it before it's tanked. Then you can just brake cleaner it and get to painting. It's what I did.

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If you use the Castrol degreaser, be careful how long you let it sit on aluminum parts, as it will etch it pretty good if left there too long.

EDIT:
Good call on the dino oil for break in. Use the cheapest oil you can find and change it at 100 miles, 500 miles, 1000 miles and then switch to full synthetic when you reach the 3000 mile mark.

 

[MrBoxx]

That engine looks amazing, dr1665! I want my engine to look that good someday.

 

[OnMyWayTo12Secs]

Thanks for the help. I just finished cleaning her up, and she looks good. The block was already painted chevy red for some reason, but when i cleaned it up, it looked real good. I will post some pictures of the engine as it sits now

 

[Wicked96GS-T]

Sounds good, now get some pics up of her!