Top end cleaner / tips

[diesel60]

my top end is due in thursday- any tips and tricks to cleaning top of pistons, head, and old gaskets stuck on cylinder? This is my first rebuild so any tips is greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

 

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[Zillaguy]

Soak pistons in "Chem-Dip" over night... USE GLOVES do not get it on your hands! Same with the head..Rinse them off first, then wash them in your dishwasher.... Use NEW razor blades to scrape the gaskets... DO NOT SCRATCH OR GOUGE THE METAL SURFACES!  Go slowly and be careful..

[J-Madd]

That shit usually eats aluminum. I've ruined domes with that.

[joey83]

Gasket scraper and a little carb cleaner or solvent. Ive used a light flat sanding wheel on a pneumatic cut off grinder but be VERY careful. Best just to use a gasket scraper or razor blade on gasketa and take your time. Power tools can get your gasket surfaces unlevel. It's not neccesary to get the top of piston or head sparkling clean. Just get all the carbon off of it.

[jbooker82]

I would put new pistons in if your rebuilding it. You can always use sand paper to remove the carbon from the tops of the pistons. If you go this route I would start out with some 320 grit. Then 600, 1000, 2000, 2500 grits. Then polish the tops. That way when they are smooth and polished carbon has a harder time of sticking to them.

Edited August 27, 2013 by jbooker82

[trickedcarbine]

I would put new pistons in if your rebuilding it. You can always use sand paper to remove the carbon from the tops of the pistons. If you go this route I would start out with some 320 grit. Then 600, 1000, 2000, 2500 grits. Then polish the tops. That way when they are smooth and polished carbon has a harder time of sticking to them.

A lot of research has surfaced in many forms of motor sports that a polished surface in fact does the opposite of shedding carbon build up.

[sheerider1026]

So why are pistons manufactured so

smooth then?

[trickedcarbine]

Because quality parts are smooth so as to not jank up other parts. You know that, but if you look around and do some digging, you'll find that many people have de bunked the mythical benefits of added power and less carbon build up.

[diesel60]

Thanks for the help....looks like I will do a light wet sand 2000 grit on the pistons and use the gasket remover.  I will make sure to take my time and be careful.  I mispoke when I said my top end was coming.  I was trying to get away with rings only because my pistons were in such good shape.  I ordered all new gaskets, rings, and plugs.  I also going to take the time to put anti-seize on all the studs because they def took some torque to remove.  I will post pics when I am done!

Thanks all

[Larry's Shee]

Sea Foam and Scotch Brite pad for carbon. Birchwood Casey gun scrubber will disolve 3bond, probably anything else too.

[jbooker82]

2000 grit on carbon will plug up real fast. It would be like rubbing it with a sheet of note book paper. Not going to get a lot done. I haven't really checked to see why polishing a piston is bad. It just might not help but its better than putting them back in there dirty. I would imagine a rough surface would allow carbon to form and attach easier due to the rough texture. Kind of the same reason why paint and powdercoat sticks better to a sand blasted surface than a smooth polished surface.

[diesel60]

Just got done cleaning the head .... Used sea foam, carb cleaner and 2000 grit on some of the stubborn area, gasket scrapper for gasket.

 

http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac136/diesel041511/null_zpsb7c12756.jpg

 

 

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[diesel60]

Cylinder

 

http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac136/diesel041511/null_zpse1aaa867.jpg

 

 

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