The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Got the 235 back

Picked up all the pieces to my 235 friday. As soon as I get the gasket set and a set of rings I can start building her.

When I do the block and crank pre-cleaning, what chemicals can I use? I was thinking about blowing the block passages out with a spray wand running mineral spirits and rifle brushes, then following it up with acetone to dry the block & crank just before assembly. Will that hurt the paint on the block or the cam bearings?

Does it matter if I touch the bearing journals with my fingers during assembly?

thanx
chip

BTW, the shop that mangled my engine the last time did the same to other customers. That shop is no longer with us.

When I assembled mine, I used clean solvent followed by lacquer thinner. But you have to keep it off the paint. Mineral spirits should work, but I would leave out the acetone. The little bit of mineral spirits left, if it doesn't evaporate will mix with the assembly lube, but there shouldn't be enough of it to matter, especially if you blow things down with air.

As for fingerprints, wear latex or nitrile gloves during assembly. When I tore down my engine, I found rusted fingerprints on the crank journals.

I just use Kero as a cleaner ,, then on the gasket surfaces I wipe with IPA (alcohol).
Yeah , keep yer sweaty fingers covered up .

Wow!

Now there's a real surprise....

The important thing is CLEAN not what you use except that cold cleners will not remove many things like glass beads completely
After all the bruch cleaning I use clean hot water
and soap.... air presser...followed by WD40

Go get lotssa clean rags use em

I've never NEVER seen rusty fingerprints...Sorry that's just strange!

Don't forget to use a clean garbage bag to wrap clean things individually in

I use white grease to lube bearings but you might want something like HRL

Just don't get it everywhere...motor or your face

The rusty fingerprints were a surprise to me, too. Found two of them on the main journals. We determined that the engine had been the victim of a sloppy "driveway overhaul", knowing who the owner was, his limited mechanical aptitude, and the kind of buddies he ran around with.

Running the engine doesn't wear away rusty fingerprints?

JH- You give your engine a bubblebath or what? Am I supposed to have a spot of tea and pour the rest of the kettle in the block??

Rusty finger prints are a reality for a few of us , it is the acidic sweat .
I had to re-grind a surface plate once , after an employee used it last thing on a friday , and by monday morning there was a mass of rusty prints raised up all over it .
We are not all created equal .

As far as I can see, the only way the rusty fingerprint would show up is if someone had touched the surface after cleaning the journal surface when the engine was disassembled,,,,Fred T. ,,have you fingerprinted yourself lately :p :p
I suppose ANYTHING is possible.
I think J.H. and I could work well together building an engine,, ANY engine

GOT AIR??
Does this mean that you don't have access to compressed air? I don't know how clean the block will be, but you're eye balls are going to be a mess.
Before you do any cleaning, were you planning on chasing any of the cap or head, bolt hole threads.
GOT AIR??
You know, to blow those out too.
I'm with Proffit on the cleaning. HOT water and Tide. Wheel the thing outside. Scrub it good with your bottle and rifle brushes; and the soapy water. Hose the hell out of it and while you're blowing out all the passages, the sun will take care of the rest.
Now it's time to clean the block. Put a clean white rag in your hand and pour motor oil on it. Wipe down the cylinder walls. When you pull it back out, it will have a gray imprint of your fingers on it. More clean rags, more clean oil. Don't stop until the rags come out clean.
OK I'm trying to figure out in my mind how you could proceed without touching them. I'm assuming you don't have mics, so you'll be checking the clearance with plastigage. Set the crank in dry, DO NOT TURN. Set the gage in, torque it down, take the caps off and check the reading. With a little thinner on the corner of a rag, wipe the gage off. Lift the crank out, pour oil on the bearings and the main journals and then take that CLEAN FINGER and make sure that oil is everywhere on all the bearing surfaces. Now do the same on the rod journals, one at a time. And don't ding the crank rod journals like everyone here will swear they never have. Ya, right
I got one step ahead there. You did check the ring gaps before you installed them?

Chip, not for nothing,but the small town machine shop here returns my parts all clean in individual plastic bags, the bores and journals lightly oiled.All the oilways should have been brushed clean by the machinist after his work.Does you engine have threaded oil galley plugs, or the press in kind? Are there little chips inside waiting to destroy another engine?

If your going to check the bearing clearances with
plastigage why not just let it rust

You can get a blunt punch and a big pipe wrench and hit everything you can reach

Including your WALLET!!!!

Be sure to put atleast one can of Bonne Ami in the motor

Proffit, I'm glad you feel that way. If like me, you don't think he should put it together without checking clearances and you don't like plastigage then I have a third option you may like. Load your carcass and your Kennedy box up and go to MS and take care of this yourself. You said you use soap and hot water, but if Bon Ami (check your spelling) is your choice, I think you should keep that little secret to yourself.

I don't do dishes or scrub pots so don't expect me the spell kitchen products correctly

I can spell roach spray!!

My tool boxes are all wood!!I don't load em in anything
You want my help..... you showup at my door and ask

Only road trips I want anymore are with my new wife

Plastigage is junk I have never liked it...
Check the Archive here...if John hasn't dumped it you'll find some fine plastigage arguements

There are a bunch of things you can check without
fancy tools...but you really need a couple mics

I guess I just watched 'Days of Thunder' too much Sat

This is the 'Kinder Me' I'm tryin' darn it!

And a dial indicator and magnetic stand

Hey, knock it off. I pulled a muscle in my back yesterday and every time you make me laugh, I get a pain that shoots through there and I'm afraid I'll fall on the floor.
What's the roach spray for? Did they eat the drawer stops off. Ha! Ha!

Knock Knock,,,,, Hello Jim, I am trying to sell off a bunch of car-motor stuff and get enough money together for a decent 302 Jimmy with a 12 port head. LOL

Luke, forget those GMC engines, just expensive over rated lumps,maybe you can weld 2 235's together.

What should I use to blow through the block passages. I need something strong enough to remove chips, grit, & other left over machining debris that won't kill the cam bearings. I've got shop air. Should I use mineral spirits, garden hose, or Proffit's attitude?

He's just mad he has to use mics and snap gauges when building that 400 HP 302 in his green race truck. You know, the one that no chevy's seen the front of... :p

I don't use snap gauges too often I have a full set of 'Federal style' self-centering dial bore gauges

The 302 in the 39 truck is a lot less than 400hp

The 302 in the chopped 40 F@rd Coupe has a bit more than 400hp

And as I've told you before I never get madd about having to do all this.Unilke the short-engine guys around here I like to go fast and know there's a price to pay....careful assembly and preperation