If you can get to a power washer, you can save some money at the repair shop. If they boil the block, you need new cam bearings and freeze plugs. A power washer will do just fine if you presoak the block with Castrol degreaser or like material. Its really handy if you have the pinpoint tip (red one) for your power washer, you can clean out bolt holes and oil passages easier plus break-up crude in the block drain hole.
As far as the cylinders go, a good deglazing with ball hone will do wonders, its been done hundreds of times with out problems. I have been using Purple Power in a spray bottle as a honing fluid, not only does it wash away the grit as you hone, it speeds up the cleaning of the cylinders. I don't really see any difference in the bores since switch from oil to soap when honing. You still need to really get in there and scrub the walls down to remove any remaining grit.
Joe
