engine and drivetrain engine apart onto cleaning it out.

[vintage_car]

I took the engine I just bout apart. It was in storage in a garage, but the valve cover was off of it at times and the engine was turned by the PO with the cover off with a breaker bar. If I want to clean out all the crud that has fallen into the head and onto the tops of the pistons what is the best way? Boil it? Can you boil a head with all the components on it as well as the block? Will this harm anything? I just want to make sure I get all the garbage out of it before putting it back together and having problems. How do I clean out the coolant passages with everything apart?

[BLUNT]

if it were me id dissasemble the entire motor and do it right.

maybe thats just me but buying a motor in that state tells me it may have not been cared for and id like to know what i have after putting time and money into it. my point is, someone that would leave a motor exposed and open to dirt and moisture maybe cut corners somewhere else. tear it down, cook it out and reseal it for years of trouble free use. cheaper in the long run

[vintage_car]

I have all new gaskets ordered for it. I don't have the cash on hand to do a full rebuild so I will have to leave the springs, valves, cam, pistons...etc as they are. Will boiling the head and block harm any of these parts or seals? I have it apart and other than carbon build up it does look much better than I anticipated. the guy said it had about 70K on it, I think he was telling the truth.

[BLUNT]

maybe someone more knowledgable will speak up but my guess is cooking the head assembled may harm valve seals etc. if thats the case id clean it up best i could while its together and go with that.

[vintage_car]

If that is the case, how do I get some of the debris that is fallen down around the springs and valves? got some crud down there that I don't want to leave there?

[BLUNT]

my advice is to get a shitload of carb cleaner and some small brushes. spray and brush and let gravity work for you. tip it upside down and spray and work assorted small brushes into the tight spots.

[vintage_car]

Cool, so carb cleaner won't harm the seals and such in there and won't leave to much residue. I'm going to run it for about 15 minutes and dump the oil anyway just to make sure everything is clean. On a side note do you know where to get a magnetic drain plug for the oil pan? What size do I need?