What do you use for cleaning the block and head gasket surfaces ?

its an iron block and heads i always wondered what other people use thats safe so as not to score the surface like a wire wheel would or maybe a scotch brite wheel would be better. I just wanted to know what the pros use especially the decks on the block and head and while i'm askin what is the prefered method for aluminum heads ?

Well, I use the roll lok pads from 3 M. They do kick off a lot of dust so I stuff the cylinders and valley and have the shop vac nozzle at the point of work. They do a good job, but I'm just a shadetree

There is no good, fast way ... get it wet and use some care with single edge razor blades.

I use the fine grit flapper wheels on a die grinder.Have never had any problems so far.

I've got an oulde PROTO scraper that I've had for 50 years. It's good old USA steel and holds an edge like a razor blade. For smaller areas, I use a SHARP, small wood chisel or. a single edge razor blade. There have been, lately, several articles in the trade pubs discouraging the use of abrasives, of any sort, for cleaning gasket surfaces...ESPECIALLY Aluminum.

I remove the gasket stuff with a razor blade too. Then I run over it with a fine flat file. Then I put a cross hatch pattern on it with 120 grit sand paper on a hardwood block. It seems to me the gasket should bite better with a cross hatch, JMO.

Bill

Sharp "Snap On" scraper.

Very similar to these by craftsman

Yep. Single edge razor blades. And thinner.

nuclearcobra wrote:its an iron block and heads i always wondered what other people use thats safe so as not to score the surface like a wire wheel would or maybe a scotch brite wheel would be better. I just wanted to know what the pros use especially the decks on the block and head and while i'm askin what is the prefered method for aluminum heads ?

Thanks i guess i been doing it right all this time i been using a razor blade and a lot of cleaner untill the rag comes back clean i guess you'll never get it shiny (iron) like it is when it comes back from the machine shop.

Roloc disks are a no no, on all this fine mls gasketed stuff we get to use a cleaning compound and a plastic ice scraper...............no shit.

The goop they give us usually goes in the trash, a good carbon/paint stripper in a spray can does better. Easy off oven clean works good too.

My youngest son..........

Mark O'Neal wrote:My youngest son..........

Thats classic!!

Bill

I sharpen a putty knife and when everything is cleaned off I take a whit rock and dress it up to make sure it is smooth and slick...... I keep one in the tool box and only used for this reason..... it take off every nick, bump and blemishes on pan and head surfaces, when I get threw it is smooth as glass.....


Randy

I also use a razor blade but before I put on a new gasket I wipe down the surfaces with the 2x2 alcohol pads you can get at the drug store.
John F.

Is it better to have the surface very smooth or have a bit of "tooth" to it?

I always make sure the surface is nice and flat then put a cross hatch with a sanding block so the gasket has something to bite into.

I have even heard of folks putting center punch marks around intake ports to hold the gasket better.

Bill