Many questions about head install.

[jakelandry]

Ok so i got my head off yesterday and im getting ready to reinstall it. Im putting a felpro head gasket and some arp's in. I have a few things im confused about however.

1. I planned to remove the remains of the old head gasket using carb cleaner and a plastic scraper but then it crossed my mind "hey dumbass, thats stupid cause stuff will get in all the holes surrounding the cylinders." So how do you soak everything in carb cleaner without getting both the cleaner and resedue into all the oil, coolant, and cylinder holes?

2. My pistons have what i would consider more than usual carbon buildup. Can i soak them down with carb cleaner also and scrub it all off with a toothbrush? It is some odd rust like stuff.

3. My head has been off and just sitting under the carport for a few hours now and its pretty windy outside, im sure some dirt or hell even leaves have found their way into the oil covered head. How should i clean it out before i reinstall it? Thanks for your time.

 

[born2tune]

you might want to read this:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cylinder-head-short-block/413772-how-clean-head-gasket-surface.html

its a good economic way of doing it.

as far as debris intrusion, you should of atleast put a big trash bag over it and cover it, not leave it exposed. if you can get yourself a hold on to a compressor maybe you could shoot some pressurized air around to blow away anything that got in there

 

[jakelandry]

you might want to read this:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cylinder-head-short-block/413772-how-clean-head-gasket-surface.html

its a good economic way of doing it.

as far as debris intrusion, you should of atleast put a big trash bag over it and cover it, not leave it exposed. if you can get yourself a hold on to a compressor maybe you could shoot some pressurized air around to blow away anything that got in there

I dont feel that is the best way IF your not getting your head resurfaced. People say scotch brites mess up heads. If a scotch brite, which range in texture from 320 to 3000 grit sand paper can gouge and unlevel a head then 80-100 grit paper will surely do damage.

Also i feel that would cause the grit of the sand paper, along with the debris to fall into the oil and coolant ports...

 

[Corse]

There are fairly non intrusive ways to remove gaskets.

Honda-Tech: How to Remove tough gaskets - YouTube

I always liked this video because these pads aren't abrasive and are softer than the head. Scotch brite /can/ scratch, so will sandpaper, but scotchbrite tends to scratch if you apply a lot of force and dig with it. Realistically superfine steel wool can too even though I use it to clean crap off windows, but if you dig, well, you can scratch if you try .

You always want to be as non intrusive as you can in removing stuff. It's also going to depend on what kind of gasket was on there before since different types of gaskets are more of a pain in the butt to get off than others. If you have a dremel, you can also see if you can find some really soft pads (long as it is softer than the head metal) to remove the gasket (much like in the video) so you don't necessarily need a die grinder. And of course, test the pad/material on a surface that /isn't/ the head (some place inconspicuous) to make sure it doesn't scratch/nick/damage the surface of that spot first BEFORE you try it on the head.

There are also gasket scrapers that work pretty good... BUT be careful, again, we get back into the potential of scratching surfaces.

I generally will plug the oil passage ways and coolant passageways with old towels or an old tipped up piece of t-shirt. Something that won't leave behind any sort of film. I will also dab them in a bit of old oil. The reason for this being that any fine dirt that works it's way near the port and possibly into the bunched up towel will tend to stick to the towel/ripped up t instead.

If you plug them up and keep debris out of them to begin with it makes the process easier. If you fear something got in them, you can always tilt the head and use some brake clean or some spray cleaner to flush it out, then let it evaporate and then plug the hole again. The reason degreaser or brake clean works well in my opinion is because it evaporates fast and makes flushing stuff out easy.

Ultimately when doing a head - I disassemble, remove gasket, hot tank it and then reassemble and go that direction since cleanliness is of the most importance. However, if you don't plan on going that far, keep all the contaminants you can away, clean clean clean, be as non-intrusive as you can be and when you think it's clean, clean it again before you install it

(edit) and if you lay it outside, at least keep it wrapped up in a towel with the ports plugged! Try not to leave it in the open. I don't like to wrap things like blocks and heads in plastic because if you forget about it and any moisture is present you can start leaving condensation where you don't want it and start rusting stuff. Try not to let the head material rest anywhere there is grit/dirt/sand, etc... if you set it down to work on it, lay it on a towel or some surface you can trust not to scratch it.

I'm sure others can probably offer some better suggestions - I'm no master mechanic, I just like to be clean and careful.

 

[jakelandry]

That tool would be nice but i unfortunately dont have access to an air compressor. Right now im trying to get the gasket off of the block. So far ive tried soaking it in carb cleaner NUMEROUS times and scraping it first with wood, then a scotch brite and then a razor. Ive gotton the outermost layer off but its like theres one layer that just refuses to come off. Will a scotch brite damage the block? They seem like they may remove it all if i sit there for a few hours.

 

[DSMReviver]

There are gasket dissolve-rs product you can use. you just soak it up for a few hours and then remove it. But dont ever use a razor blade.

 

[jakelandry]

There are gasket dissolve-rs product you can use. you just soak it up for a few hours and then remove it. But dont ever use a razor blade.

Ive always heard it was safe to use a razor blade on the block since it wasnt aluminum. As of now i have the block pretty smooth but you can still see checker marks from the orig. head gasket, is this ok?

EDIT: Ive gotton the block to a satisfying state but ive been soaking the head in gasket remover for 3 hours now and it still wont come off. Does anyoen have any more tips?