HOW TO: Clean aluminium cylinder heads

[twenty valve]

start off with stipping the head down to the casting, ideally removing all the studs




buy some TFR



mix it 50-50 with water and spray it all over the head. scrub as much as you can then hit it with the jet wash. Repeat this until you get the worst the oil and dirt off.

get a container which is the same size as the cyl head (i made one out of stainless)



fill with a strong TFR-water solution

Leave the head to soak in the solution for a couple of hours

remove and jet wash again. rinse with plently of water and thats it. If you want to further improve the outside of the head you can get it vapour blasted or aqua blasted very quickly and easily.

IMPORTANT EDIT: do not remove valve guides for the cleaning process. TFR has corrosive properties on aluminium which can affect the clearances, meaning the new guides won't fit as tightly as they should.

[bazburn]

Looks like new, or is it...

How much for a tub of that?

[twenty valve]

no its definately not new, I just have OCD with cleaning things

TFR is expensive on the shelves, usually about £20 for 5 litres

But on ebay... £26 for 25 litres delivered to your door.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370233071301

and you can use it to clean the rest of the car (no good on paintwork though)

[A80Avant]

that looks really good!

wish my engine bay looks like that when the engine is out, let alone the struts...

[bazburn]

Is your mam called Aggie...

[UrS4boy]

Very nice job. I will have to look for the North American equivalent of TFR.

A few questions about this photo (below):

1. What head is that?
2. Why are there only 10 exhaust manifold studs (and not 16)?
3. Is the engine Serial Number stamped on the flat rectangular area on the upper right corner of the head (n this view)?

[Dutch_RsBlueS2]

Very nice job. I will have to look for the North American equivalent of TRF remover.

A few questions about this photo (below):

1. What head is that?
2. Why are there only 10 exhaust manifold studs (and not 16)?
3. Is the engine Serial Number stamped on the flat rectangular area on the upper right corner of the head (n this view)?

1. probably 7a
2. 7a has only that much studs because of manifold has 2 bolt flanges.
3. i don`t know.

correct me if i`m wrong.

[andy10v]

Plus hole for dizzy

Looks nice and clean though.

What do you mean no good on paint?

[rj scotty]

It strips any wax completely off and etches the surface.

If you where doing a full Polish/wax or having any paint work done this is the stuff to use first.

No good to use it all the time, paint work will be as dull as dish water.

[campbellWS]

Yeah traffic film remover is excelent for stripping grime! BEWARE always use nitrile gloves when handling!!
I was working on a farm a few years back and the farmer gave me a bucket of water with a dash of traffic cleaner in it to wash his loadall with a spunge, I had skin contact for about 2 hours. HONSTLY AGED MY HANDS 20 YEARS, NO JOKE.
BEWARE always use nitrile gloves when handling!!

[spink]

Only early 7a heads (upto about may 1990 with tubular manifolds) have 2 studs per post.The later cast manifolds have 3 (same as all turbo heads (15))