Soaking that engine block overnight in the hot caustic tank used to do the job but EPA shut
down those tanks many years ago in all the places I know of.
Then there’s the burn out ovens, and bead blasting afterwards that a lot of shops are using
now a days, but that doesn't always get a clogged water jacket clean and that’s an added
expense when rebuilding a driver, not a race engine.
So what options are open to the homebuilder? Well there is always a case of gunk engine
degreaser and the pressure washer. Works pretty good…..but that cold water really doesn’t
cut it and even at 3,000psi it just skips over the really caked on cold crud. The stuff that’s
left in a water jacket after a half century of use is a compilation of rust, lime and concentrated
glycol from years of boiling the green stuff.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/161644119 Heard lot of guys say to use Muriatic acid, but any acid is nasty stuff to be messing with
especially in your back yard with a pressure washer.
So….I’ve physically dug out as much as I can with screwdrivers, coat hangers and special
¼” scoop I made and tomorrow I’m loading the block on a skid in the back of the truck and
filling the water jacket with Purple Power then driving down to the local car wash where I
can get some high pressure hot soapy water.
dg
