engine and drivetrain How Do I Remove The Oil Film/paste From My Block After A Blown Head Gasket Without Hot-Tanking The Block?

[Inka_Ryan_02]

Scenerio:

 

Head corrison allows oil into coolant

Head removed and coolant is allowed to evaporate leaving an oily film and paste inside the block

Head still removed

Do not want to introduce any water into the block because I want to use Evans's waterless coolant

Concerned that the holes in the head gasket for coolant are alot smaller than what's on the block and head, could have the holes clogged with debris from the block, thus no cooling

 

What can I use to get the oil out of the water jackets in the block?

Can I use some kind of detergent and vacuum out the liquid?

Should I just go ahead and run regular coolant and let the oil break up and flush the sytem, then use Evan's? What about the existing debris? How do I remove that before I put the head on?

 

 

What are some of the options, besides hot-tanking the block, which is impossible...

Edited January 11, 2014 by Inka_Ryan_02

[glemon]

I might try flushing with something that dissolves and leave little to no residue, alcohol or brake cleaner, not sure it they dissolve anti-freeze residue, but should work on oil and grease.   That being said I don't think using water would be the end of the world, don't know if it would clean the residue off, but for an initial flush aimed at debris and blockage, then dry it out with some air or heat or combination, and further flush with alcohol or the brake cleaner, this is assuming everything is stripped and there are not ancillary rubber or plastic bits that may degrade when exposed to the chemicals.

[Inka_Ryan_02]

OK, there's is no rubber or plastic in the block. I might try your suggestion, as well as trying some acetone to break up the sludge at the bottom of the block. Let the acetone evaporate then pour some more down there. Still unsure though.

[Mike Self]

While you're doing this, don't forget to remove the block drain, inconveniently located under the exhaust manifold, but pretty accessible with the head off.

 

mike

[Inka_Ryan_02]

Mike,

 

Are saying that I could flush the block, draining through that tap? At least I could flush some of the debris out through that. Its not horribly dirty, but I just dropped $2600 on a new head and all new upper parts, including hoses, water pump, and radiator. I'd prefer not to wash all that junk into my new system...good idea

[Inka_Ryan_02]

Can somebody explain to me why the holes in the gasket are so small compared to holes in the block and headand why some are blocked? Is that to increase the pressure?

[jimk]

To balance the flow,  but the back cyclinder runs hot anyway.

[TobyB]

Wash it out well with water.  Get the block drain open, and let it run.  Coolant is water- soluble, so you need

to flush it out with water.

 

Then tape a small (1/4" or 3/8") tube onto your shop vac and vacuum the passages as best you can.

 

Then let it sit in a heated garage for 48 hours or so.

 

That's about the best you can do.

 

The remaining junk will sit in the bottom of the water jackets and not bother anything.

 

And as Jim says, that gasket's designed to maintain even flow around the whole head and block.

If the passages were all open, water'd just cool the front cylinder, and the engine would melt down in short order.

 

t

[allbim]

The holes in the block are big because they support the sand-cores during the casting process and as Toby says, the holes in the gasket control the coolant flow.

Edited January 11, 2014 by allbim

[allbim]

You might try some laundry detergent (with water) after you get the engine running again. Change it several times.

[TobyB]

Tide, with scrubby bubbles? 

Or maybe All?  High Efficiency??? 

Me, I like Palmolive.... 

 

but the detergents will kill the water soluble oils in

the coolant, so don't run that way forever.... or even for more than

a day or 3.

 

t