What do you guys use to clean a bare block before assembly? I tried the soap and water method and the block starts to rust before I can get it blow dried with compressed air. That's how I've always read to do it so what am I doing wrong? Is it because I rinse it with hard well water as opposed to soft water? The cylinders I wiped down with oil but the lifter bores and other areas have a rusty haze on them. Any suggestion? The magazines sure make it sound easy! Thanks

I'm thinking you're thinking is correct. Since it is a very fresh, can you wipe it off with brake cleaner or something?

Lots of water, detergent, and elbow grease, followed by a healthy dose of WD-40. Make sure to get all of those oil passages flushed out.

Tom

Troy,
I always use Dawn dishwashing detergent and real hot water. A toilet brush works great on the bores. I have always blown it off real good and never have had to worry much with any rust. I wipe down the cylinders with some ATF but everything else just gets blown dry. Most home compressors probably do not make enough pressure to do a good job though. Our shop air is at 175psi and it gets it real dry real quick.

I hate spraying WD40 or anything similar all over the engine, makes it a royal pain to clean when you want to paint it.

Wash it good with battery acid, rinse it with deer urine. Clean the lifter bores out with your toothbrush. Wipe it dry with plenty of paper towels. You're good to go! :D

PS. Vikki says "HI!"

Thanks for the replys. Bill, I think you may be on to something. I'm not sure my compressor gets it dry quick enough. By the time I try and get the cylinders dry and try to get to the lifter bores everything else is rusting before my eyes! As for Birdwell, I think you spend way too much time in front of a computer, but tell Vikki "Goob" says hey.

As for Birdwell, I think you spend way too much time in front of a computer, but tell Vikki "Goob" says hey.

Vikki agrees with you. :mad: here's another fine mess you've gotten me into! :D

i'm sure everyone else appreciates my advice! :hurray:

I have an in line dryer. It is basically a piece of pipe full of dessicant to absorb the moisture as the air passed through. Works well on the sand blaster for keeping the air dry. Straight from the compressor you can see the water coming out of the air gun. Worse in humid weather. The other day we had a deer right in our back yard. If I had know about Birdwell's trick, I could have cornered the deer for future use......I don't think so.

I bring my block out in the driveway on the stand and get the pressure washer after it. Blast all the oil passeges and stick the wand into the freeze plug holes to knock all the rust and crud from there. Blast into all the head bolt holes.....everything! Then soap and water, little scrubbing and fire up the pressure washer and do it all again. You could squirt metal prep on it to kill and stop the flash rusting. I usually mist a thin coat of chevy orange on the block to keep it from rusting up while its being assembled.