Washing block from machine shop

The machine shop said my block was ready for assembly. Should i wash it first/
Thanks

Yes, 3 o4 times. cant be to clean.
and dont forget to blow dry with air hose.

I would inspect it. Make sure all the oil passages are clean and not obstructed. Can run a rifle brush through them if needed. When all done cleaning them, I like to blow some air through the passages. Just keep in mind if the cam bearing are already installed you want to shine a flashlight down from the mains to make sure is no debris in the passage and also to verify the cam bearing are installed correctly (that you can see the oil hole in the bearing).

Take some WD40, spray it on a lint free white rag and wipe down the cylinders. If you get anything on it the cylinders are not clean. ATF also works well to clean the cylinder walls. For final cleaning and prep I use the WD40 method as discribed above. Very important to get all that honing grit out of the pores in the cylinder walls.

The rest is just visual inspection.

It can't be too Clean !!!!

It can never be too clean. I usually spray them down with an air attachement that sucks mineral spirits from a 5 gal bucket. and wash it real good with a white Schotchbrite pad. do that once or twice then do the wipe test. If it wipes clean you're good. If not keep going.....

I finish clean them with hot water and grease cutting dish detergent then spray it down with WD-40 BEFORE blowing it dry so the surface rust stays away.

I use the same method that Randy described with the dish soap, hot water and WD40 spray down during drying.
The hot water seems to make things dry nicely.
Keith

Along with what everyone else said....and watch out for water in your air lines when you are blowing it off. You can buy those cheap disposable filters that go in your air line to clean up the air. Use hot water for sure and make sure the block is dry before you spray it down with oil. ATF is super for cleaning the bores. Keep a check on it as it can still rust with WD if in a damp environement. Oh yeah, the crossover hump in the lifter valley usually always has crud in it. Check it well.

I just thought of another point to add.
If the machinist bushed the lifter bores, pay close attention to the passages, since a brush will no longer go through the front to rear galley.. It is common to have machining debris left between the bushings.....and it takes extra effort to get it all clean.
Keith

Im gonna wash it good, spray the bores while wet, wipe them and respray then blow dry then wipe test and so forth. Is there any water gonna get trapped or just turn it up side down.
Thanks

The compressed air will get all the water out. WD40 helps in this regard too (blow everything off, spray WD40, blow dry again).

I think the two most important things is making sure the oil passages and cylinder walls are clean. Any grit in the oil passages will damage the jounals or embed in the bearings, and any grit in the cylinder walls will damage the rings.

I usually wash it on a stand and rotate it to get all of the drips out.

Ok thanks. Im getting close to plucking some feathers out of a chief.
Thanks again

tconnection wrote:Ok thanks. Im getting close to plucking some feathers out of a chief.
Thanks again

HaHaHa!!! Go get 'em,,,,and leave the blue oval stamp on their forehead!

StickBBF

If they haven't already been removed, make sure you take out the front and rear oil galley plugs before you start cleaning. And when your done also make sure they go back in the correct place.

The oil plugs has for sure already been installed. Since the shop said it was ready for assembly, im assuming there isnt anything in that a good hot soapy washing cant get and the blow and drip dry and spray bores ofcourse.
Im fixin to try posting some pics in the engine build.
Thanks

tconnection wrote:The oil plugs has for sure already been installed. Since the shop said it was ready for assembly, im assuming there isnt anything in that a good hot soapy washing cant get and the blow and drip dry and spray bores ofcourse.
Im fixin to try posting some pics in the engine build.
Thanks

One would hope they got everything out of the oil galleys , but one thing I can guarantee is if not whatever crud is in those oil passages will end up in your bearings

IMHO pull the plugs and be sure.

Its a brand new a460 block. Shouldnt be no crud in it. I just dont wanna trap no water or moisture in it.

tconnection wrote:Its a brand new a460 block. Shouldnt be no crud in it. I just dont wanna trap no water or moisture in it.

Yeah just some shavings from machining operations... seen that on new blocks.. Tell you what else you better check that everything is drilled too. I once saw a brand new Dart block that did not have one of the passages to the mains drilled all the way thru.

Do what you want, but with this stuff when you assume sooner or later you get bit in the a**

Steve

I'd also agree with Steve and the others;
Remove the oil gallery plugs, lay them out so you remember which go where, and clean the block yourself.

Before the brushing and power washing, I'd also suggest you run a bottoming tap in every threaded hole in order to confirm they are clean and straight, assuring accurate & true torque readings later.

If it were mine, I would power-wash it, run the taps through the holes and brushes through all the galleries, blow EVERYTHING down/out with compressed air & wipe down the cylinder bores with white paper shop towels, then I'd lightly spray down the all interior and machined surfaces with diesel or WD40. I'd then tape off the block for painting the outside. Once taped off, I usually spray down then surfaces to be painted with some starting fluid to gently degrease it. Once the outside has pretty well dried, I'd place the block either in the Sun or use a hooded light to ensure it is dry and warm...then spray paint it.

I wouldn't assume ANYONE has cleaned it as well as you would/could..............

StickBBF

I was mainly concerned about removing the oil plugs. But hell, i can put them back like i got them. I do want it clean for sure.
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Does the A460 block also have the two types of oil gallery plugs, the pointed and the flat-backed as the production 460 blocks do?

I've read that with the production blocks, you do not want to mix up the oil gallery plugs and put them in the wrong locations....... I'm not sure what would happen if a person did, but just not to do it.

StickBBF

Which plugs to take out and what's the white stuff on the plug threads?
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Which of the plugs to remove and rince through?
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My bad, i see where Doug said which ones to take out.
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