How do you clean aluminium cylinder heads?

[twenty valve]

I'm looking for a good way to clean my cylinder head before rebuilding it. I have cleaned the pistons already using an oven cleaner which worked well but its hard work and leaves the surface very dull.

I was thinking of using a TFR/water mix and leaving it to soak for a day or so but I think this will also leave it discoloured. I've read about leaving it to soak in vingar or in cola? Then I was looking on 034 at their cylinder head cleaning service



I want mine to look like that! The outside of the head and the gasket faces look like they've been blasted, but the internals and the combustion chambers dont...

how can I achieve this standard of clean?

[AndyP]

Vapour blasting will get it this clean. I wouldn't use vinigar, it will dissolve steel given enough time so I dread to think what it will do to aluminum.

[JP]

^^^^ yep that's what I do, I normally take out the oilway plugs and retap them and do the insides too as I get some real sh*tters through my doors. spend more time cleaning the media out after blasting then the blasting itself but it is the only way to get them as new.

[twenty valve]

^^^^ yep that's what I do, I normally take out the oilway plugs and retap them and do the insides too as I get some real sh*tters through my doors. spend more time cleaning the media out after blasting then the blasting itself but it is the only way to get them as new.

cheers JP, I just sent you a text about this!

surley you cant just blast straight onto the inside of the head without masking the cam journals and tappet bores though?

[JP]

^^^ lol battery flat will charge it

[UrS4boy]

surley you cant just blast straight onto the inside of the head without masking the cam journals and tappet bores though?

Well I would agree with protecting the tappet bores, the cam "journals" in the head take no stress. ALL of the stress is taken by the cam caps (ALL of the 10 valve springs per cam are pushing UP on the cam, forcing it into the underside of the cam caps and away from the cam journals in the head.)

[Error404]

With vapour blasting the water lubricates the beads so it doesn't really abrade the surface anyway. Soda blasting is another "safe" option.

[Thuppu]

I used engine cleaner and hot pressure washer. Not perfect but quite good result and really fast to do.

[JP]

Blasting helps get rid of the corrosion too and makes it as new. When blasting it pounds the surface smooth if using the right grit so it gets rid of surface blemishes and provides a smoother finish for the lifter journals and cam journals. If desired though you can repolish them using an extra fine cross buff.

The key to it is to get someone to blast the head that has experience with them as I've seen too many engines written of because components haven't been properly cleaned afterwards. One of the reasons you need to open all the oil galleries up.

[baltiboyS2]

Wife won't be happy dish washer !!


cheers Raj

[220bhp]

As above,worked realy well,but do not get caught like I did,still got the scars.

[Jeltuh]

Dump it in a tub with diesel for a couple of hours. Then vapour washing.

In the motorshops they use special "dish" washers for it. You could also try to trow it in there for a couple of bucks...