Thread: Degreasing

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Ok, goofy question. I have a small block I've taken apart except I don't want to mess with the crank or the pistons since I haven't done this before. The motor runs great but is really dirty. I wanted to clean it up to sell it or to reuse myself. I would love to soak the whole thing in degreaser, but I'm assuming that is a really bad idea? Or if I let it dry out, will that hurt the internals, pistons or rings, etc.??

put oil on everything and put it in a large garbage bag. just wondering if your not using it rebuilding it selling it why take it apart.???

I wasn't sure what I had, plus it was a good learning experience. I figure I will get more for it, if it's cleaned up and painted nice. Plus I just want to do it so I learn.

When you say cover everything in oil, you mean after soaking the whole motor in degreaser or what?

Ok, I think I might have confused you with my post. I want to clean the motor. Is it ok to soak a motor in degreaser, to remove the dirt, oil and crap.

You could do the degrease soak without any damage. Follow that with a scalding hot water bath and some dish washing liquid and a scrub brush. Scrub the snot out of the thing - it's cast iron for heaven's sake - and then hit it again with hot water. If you have a pressure washer and can hook it up to your water heater that will work pretty well.

A few pointers - wear goggles and be prepared to get really filthy yourself. This will also make a huge mess where you're working. A fairly good and inexpensive method to contain a lot of the mess is to by a cheap hard plastic (not the inflatable kind!) kiddie pool and set the engine in there to work on it.

After all the degreasing and washing, put it on an engine stand (if you don't have one - buy one for $39 at Harbor Freight) and dry the entire assembly with compressed air (keep the eye protection on) and then go everything with a soft dry cloth. Go over the exterior parts you intend to paint with lacquer thinner or acetone (wear gloves) and then use a good engine enamel.

Let it dry really well and then spray light oil over all the exposed parts and rotate the crank assembly multiple times, making sure you get oil around all the bearings and the cylinders coated. DO NOT USE WD-40. TRUST ME HERE! Then cover the entire assembly (on the stand) with a big heavy garbage bag and tape it shut. Store it inside, preferable in the garage - not outside in a shed.

That should do it - may have a bit of surface rust if the oil doesn't cover, but you should be okay to store it this way indefinitely.

I would not soak it for fear of getting grime in the passages and later in the bearings. IMO , I would get some heavy duty duct tape and tape off all areas in that will let grease and grime into the internals. Use simple green or that purple cleaner, purple might work better for you since it more stronger and will even soften the paint. You will need about 3 different size d brushes to get all the areas. Harbor freight has cheap brushes.

awesome! Thanks. I assume the same applies for the tranny as well? I can soak in in degreaser and not need to worry about the effect it will have on the internal clutches and such?

I wouldn't soak the tranny unless it's all taken apart adn you're going to rebuild it - anything except transmission fluid will in all likelihood cause major damage..

Originally Posted by whabamdo

awesome! Thanks. I assume the same applies for the tranny as well? I can soak in in degreaser and not need to worry about the effect it will have on the internal clutches and such?

By "soak it in degreaser" do you mean simply spraying degreaser on the outside case and letting it "soak"?? If that is your intent, followed by an aggressive cleaning (elbow grease. pressure washer, etc) I would think you woule be OK. If you mean submerge it to soak, getting degreaser into the internals, then that would not be a good idea...

yes, I meant soak it. I'm cleaning the outside. not the inside. that is the problem is that I've already taken it apart to the block with the crank and pistons still in it. I'm trying to figure out how to clean it. duct tape off the intake and the pistons and such?

Originally Posted by whabamdo

I wasn't sure what I had, plus it was a good learning experience. I figure I will get more for it, if it's cleaned up and painted nice. Plus I just want to do it so I learn.

When you say cover everything in oil, you mean after soaking the whole motor in degreaser or what?

I am going to ask you a direct question.Sorry guy.When you say "it cleaned up and painted you might get more for it",that I hope doesn't mean that you would be trying to represent it as something it isn't??.Pretty sure if that is the case and you turned the tables where you where buying a short block,you wouldn't like it.Smart buyers bring mics with them and know how to use them.

The other question is did you remove the valve lifters??.Did you keep them in the same order they came out of the block??.If not,throw them out.Flat tappet lifters need to be put back in the block the same way they came out.

no, you are right. In fact, one of the reasons I took it apart was that I was told it was something that it was not when it came with the vehicle that I bought. I was pretty sure it didn't have that much power, so I took it apart to see to the best of my ability. I have put all the facts down the best I can. It runs great, I was just told that it had 400 ponies, and I was pretty sure it didn't, so I took it apart so I could look up the cam, etc. and find out for myself.
So I've listed out everything I've found to show anyone who will buy it. But just like buying a house and then putting crown molding on it.... I thought it would show better cleaned up and painted. It runs great, just looks like crap

I kept the lifters in the same order. I didn't keep the pushrods or rockers in any kind of order

Originally Posted by whabamdo

no, you are right. In fact, one of the reasons I took it apart was that I was told it was something that it was not when it came with the vehicle that I bought. I was pretty sure it didn't have that much power, so I took it apart to see to the best of my ability. I have put all the facts down the best I can. It runs great, I was just told that it had 400 ponies, and I was pretty sure it didn't, so I took it apart so I could look up the cam, etc. and find out for myself.
So I've listed out everything I've found to show anyone who will buy it. But just like buying a house and then putting crown molding on it.... I thought it would show better cleaned up and painted. It runs great, just looks like crap

Take the casting numbers off the back of it above the flywheel and post it here.We can help I.D. the engine.Look at the top of the pistons,many have a stamp on them and will help you know if it have been over bored.

As a side note yrs ago a engine went over the auction block at the Indy Drag Racers auction.It was really nice looking from the outside and was sold as a really high dollar engine with stock heads.All the heads ports was taped up as the intake was.When the buyer went to the impound area to pick it up.We where there and he took off the tape of one of the heads ports to see a rusty ports without any valves.The buyers face got really red and you could see his blood pressure going up.We got some tools out of our truck and helped him take it apart.He got a hold of the auctioneer and they put out copies of the sellers info with security which at that time we needed to provide pictured I.D.,a drivers license,to sell at the auction.Well it was a empty rusty block with a junk crank in it.Security couldn't spot the seller in still in the building.The auctioneer checked their records,which we know pretty well because we had been selling there for at the time 17yrs,to find the seller checked out shortly after selling the engine and was cut a check on the first day of the auction.They tried to stop payment on the check and we found out later the check was cashed at one of those check cashing places 1/2 hr after the check for the sale was cut.Much to the credit of the auctioneer they sent out a full refund to the buyer even through they didn't need to because you sign a release when you get a bid card.They told us it was because they wanted to maintain their rep.Now here is sweet justice that happened next.The auctioneer contacted the cops as if was a theft.With the license info they tracked down the seller.Told him he had 24hrs to refund the money or they would arrest and jail his cheating butt.Well the seller did in fact return the money and the auctioneer ban him for life for him to ever come back and sent out his info to all the auctions they knew of.

Hot rodders,I just think as apart of the history of it that is,should be honest god fearing people that stick together to make sure that is the case.Good to hear that is what your doing in this case.We surely will help you I.D. this so you could give a buyer all you know.Pictures do help too.