How To Remove Head Gasket Material

HalfDork
8/eight/12 8:46 a.thou.

If I cease upwardly fixing the head gasket on on e30, what is the best way to get head gasket residue off of the block side before reassembly? The short block will almost likely stay in the car for this and the head will be surfaced at a machine shop

How practise Hermes do this without damaging the block surface or leaving residue?

With a scraper, carefully.

RossD UltraDork
viii/8/12 8:50 a.m.

For careful scraping, I've used an edge of a credit/membership bill of fare. I can't annotate on how information technology will piece of work for a head gasket.

If it's gooey stuff you're trying to clean, i've used brake cleaner in the past sprayed on a rag, Non the block.

Or there's combustion sleeping room cleaner yous could apply that might be safer.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: With a scraper, carefully.

That is what I am agape of! Carefully is much harder leaning over a fender!

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: If it'south gooey stuff you're trying to make clean, i've used brake cleaner in the past sprayed on a rag, Non the block. Or there's combustion chamber cleaner you could apply that might be safer.

I am thinking it is mostly going to be baked on oil and coolant rest with small bits of gasket fabric as a filler. Only I haven't hootenannies that deep in the disassembly yet to know for certain

I just went through this on my Nissan truck a few weeks agone (atomic number 26 cake though) . I found a real live gasket scrapper (Lisle brand I think) to exist the all-time matter. I was used a piffling solvent.

I have a razor blade, and scrape it away verrrrrry advisedly. Instead of property the blade at an angle like you unremarkably would to cut things, I concur it direct up and down, perpendicular to the surface that you're scraping. e'er make certain that the width of the blade exceeds the width of the surface at all times, then that you lot don't accidentally dig in to the cake surface with 1 sharp cease or the other. It makes a HORRIBLE sound, but that means that you're doing it right. :-)

Oh, and don't forget the make clean rags to grab your droppings!

44Dwarf SuperDork
eight/viii/12 xi:04 a.m.

rag in each cyl. Make full water jackets with shaving cream, yep shaving cream cheaper the ameliorate this manner the scrapings volition float on peak and not stop up plugging you rad or heater core. When done use a shop vac to suck off the scrapings and if you desire to pull out the foam but theres realy no need youll exist doing a fill and flush after the head i'g certain.

I've used spray-on gasket removers with good success.

Nashco UltraDork
8/8/12 11:54 a.m.

Probably not the answer you lot're looking for, just having done the razor blade matter to remove old gaskets as well many times (and often in a parking lot) I finally ponied up and got some 3M Roloc wheels similar most professional person mechanics use. I employ compressed air on a high speed rotary tool (think die grinder/cut off wheel) with these wheels and information technology cleans upwards a gasket surface extremely well in short order. There are unlike compounds depending on if you lot're doing soft metallic (aluminum) or harder (cast iron), and unlike sizes depending on your needs. Razor blades are not merely a PITA, merely fairly dangerous and of course it's quite easy to damage the sealing surface on aluminum, in detail. The Roloc wheels are a joy to use, and if you've already got the loftier speed rotary tool information technology'southward only a few bucks for the attachments and the wheel.

For those of you lot who do the razor blade matter and detest it, try the Roloc wheels. It's like the internet, y'all'll wonder how you lived without it earlier.

As far as goo goes, typical brake/carb clean does the job fine. If there are particularly hard to remove silicone bits (such as Permatex Correct Stuff), you can remove that with Permatex Gasket Remover, available at well-nigh all part stores.

Bryce

Light emery or moisture newspaper nether flat* metal stock wider than the deck width, wet liberally westward/ choice of solvent and lightly skim surface end to end till all gasket residue is removed and a compatible pattern appears. Newspaper may show where the deck surface has pulled up around the caput bolt threads in block, a gasket scraper won't, maybe wanna file them downwardly. Don't dwell in one spot too long. Stuff oil wetted (like WD) shop towels in bores to collect debris.

edit: * and I hateful apartment, flat flat

Ojala Reader
8/8/12 12:12 p.m.

All of my heads and blocks are aluminum and then YMMV. I use the rolocs along with gasket remover. First I make full passages with shaving foam. I as well stuff those blueish paper "rags" in the cylinders and spray the shaving cream on top of that. Subsequently that I just vacuum out the whole mess with the shop vac. Only remember to be patient and dont press down difficult, bustle, or run the disc at peak speed.

Ojala Reader
8/eight/12 12:16 p.m.

In reply to fasted58:

My grandpa used to do something similar with a big canvass of drinking glass with wet/dry sandpaper on his work table and a liberal pour of wd40.

The finest "grit" fingered Roloc disc, and Not the "cookies", available for the old stuck on fiber gaskets. For all the newer MLS gaskets, I accept been told to use nothing sharper or harder then a block of wood. Get out the colored imprint, but get the flakes off and just wipe clean.

Goof Off Graffiti remover I have found to be the best gasket and gasket goo remover. Spray on let stand a minute or less and clean with your sraper of selection. Repeat equally needed as the stuff flashes off fast.

Chemicals (goof off, carb/brake cleaners)

Scraper (putty knife, razor blade, or gasket scraper) very carefully

A honing stone works pretty well too. It also is a very apartment surface for fifty-fifty scraping, but it clogs easily

Rolocs sometimes, merely yous're gambling with shooting fine grit throughout your engine.

This matter is better than a razor blade because you can keep the bract vertical and go some forcefulness onto it. Harder to push button downward and gouge the surface too. Hyde makes a nice one, look in the paint aisle of Lowes. (simply not Dwelling house Depot because they suck)

before you do anything... I recommend putting the crank 90 degrees off TDC and and so stuff the cylinders with highly absorptive cloth, or paper towels. The less crap y'all get into the engine, the happier it will be.

Beingness careful also means cleaning around cooling jackets... scrape abroad from the holes, not into them.

The wizzer wheels equally I call them are Not the all-time style, they can and Do remove metal, and you can cause minor imperfections in the blocks deck surface if the tool isn't used correctly.

Razor blade for the big stuff, emery paper soaked in carb cleaner to get everything make clean, wipe with brake cleaner and paper towel to finish after you make clean out all caput bolt holes.

oldeskewltoy wrote: The wizzer wheels equally I call them are NOT the all-time way, they tin can and DO remove metallic, and y'all can cause minor imperfections in the blocks deck surface if the tool isn't used correctly.

I would recommend any tool exist used correctly

I accept besides had decent luck with plastic razor blades meant for emblem removal.

Keith wrote:

oldeskewltoy wrote: The wizzer wheels as I call them are NOT the best way, they tin can and Practice remove metal, and yous can cause minor imperfections in the blocks deck surface if the tool isn't used correctly.

I would recommend whatsoever tool be used correctly

Egg_berkeleying_zachary. I spent an hr a dark for a week with 8 meg blades and "caput gasket remover" solvent trying to get the schmang cleaned of the head on the old civic. I then spent a one-half hour with a "wizzer bike," and knocked every terminal fleck of that E36 M3 off, with no problems since. Imperfections shmimperfections, that's what the gasket'due south for. YMMV.

A plastic ice scraper can be used

Source: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/head-gasket-residue-removal/53037/page1/

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