Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Twism_23]

I took my heads off today and took them to get milled and AV&V beehives, intake valves and seals put in. Parts of my old head gasket remained on the cylinders, what is the best way to remove them and clean to piston tops?
Thanks

[HD Street Performance]

Best way is with the pistons off the rods.
want to go there? I will go into further detail

[Twism_23]

No thanks, I'd like to do it if possible without removing the cylinders.

[sadunbar]

No thanks, I'd like to do it if possible without removing the cylinders.

I'd highly recommend you not try to clean the piston tops without first removing the cylinders.  The chance of not getting contamination between the pistons and cylinders is zero.  Either remove the cylinders (or better yet, remove the pistons from the rods), or leave them alone. 

Same with cleaning the cylinder top face.  You can try stuffing a rag down the cylinder and cleaning the cylinder face, but I wouldn't...  It's pretty risky.  The likelihood of scoring the piston skirt/rings and cylinder walls with contamination is high and the downside is tremendous. 

I don't know what your mileage is, but if the pistons are bad enough they need to be cleaned, you may find it worthwhile to disassemble the cylinders and pistons, clean everything thoroughly, replace the base gaskets and re-ring your pistons.   Maybe even brush hone your cylinders...  Something to consider.   

[HD Street Performance]

 
Voice of reason and my thoughts exactly.
Plus if a 110 gets the heads pulled the base gaskets should be replaced anyway. Too easy to have a leaker otherwise.
Very carefully the cylinders and rings can be reused if everything is hospital clean and the rings and cylinders are in good shape and sealed well

[Twism_23]

Gotcha, thank you both. I'll just leave them alone. They aren't in poor shape at all, I just thought it would be a good idea but you've convinced me otherwise. I still would like to know how to remove the remnants of the head gaskets stuck to the cylinder. Thanks again.

[sadunbar]

Gotcha, thank you both. I'll just leave them alone. They aren't in poor shape at all, I just thought it would be a good idea but you've convinced me otherwise. I still would like to know how to remove the remnants of the head gaskets stuck to the cylinder. Thanks again.

A putty knife and clean solvent usually works to clean the cylinder face, but again, extreme caution must be used to prevent contaminants from falling into the cylinder.  The first three rules of motor internals are clean, clean, clean!  And take great care to not disturb the cylinder, breaking the seal of the cylinder base gaskets.  I still recommend the process I suggested earlier...   

[Twolanerider]

A rule to always keep in mind.  Sometimes the enemy of perfectly good enough is the drive for something better.  Scott nailed it.  If it is perfectly good enough don't try to make it better.  Odds are too good you'll only make it worse.

[joe_lyons50023]

I use what's called a super scraper that has a car bid edge.  Easy does it.  For the small areas a razor blade at a flat edge works well.

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Scotchbrite pads work wonders, combined with elbow grease.
Scott

[TorqueInc]

I use what's called a super scraper that has a car bid edge.  Easy does it.  For the small areas a razor blade at a flat edge works well.

  I have the set of those from when they originally sold them.....pretty handy and if you are careful they wont dig in

  http://www.amazon.com/Goodson-SS-4U-Super-Scraper/dp/B0009RMAHA

http://www.goodson.com/SS-4U-1-1_4_Wide_Super_Scraper/

[Fullsac Performance]

Gasket removal from cylinder.
Bring it to top dead center while holding pressure down on the cylinders to minimize rocking. A brand new single side razor blade is what I start with and then finish off with a scotch bright pad as Scott suggested. Carefully use an airline to remove debris when finished. If your going back with Cometics it must be perfectly clean. Do not allow anything to go down the outer dowel pin. This is your oil return and will also return any garbage that gets in there straight to the bottom end. I have R+R heads dozens of times with out removing the barrels, never had a leaker yet. But they were also all late model low hour units with pliable o rings. Now that I said that, the next one will leak everywhere. Lol..

Note rags over lifter covers.

SG

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

We see stuff come in here that folks have used a 3M Roloc on.
For a fact, those will remove aluminum. Not what you want.
Scott

[dlaws01]

long, sharp finger nails