8 replies to this topic

[runkthepunk]

Just like the title really

just want to know the best way to really clean a cylinder head so its all shiny inside and what not

I have access to a shot blasting cabinet and wondered if its safe to or not?

Cheers

Rob

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

nah never shot blast a pecison machine surface lol will result in damage will make the head gaskt not slea properly best thing is acid dip it most engineerin firm will do this for a 10er even for a stripped cylinder head i find thats easiest if not parafin or petrol and mix in a lil bit of 2 stroke oil make it stay rust free

[runkthepunk]

nah never shot blast a pecison machine surface lol will result in damage will make the head gaskt not slea properly best thing is acid dip it most engineerin firm will do this for a 10er even for a stripped cylinder head i find thats easiest if not parafin or petrol and mix in a lil bit of 2 stroke oil make it stay rust free

Okay cool I thought as much but it would have been free and easy oh well I'll give the acid dip thing a try

Cheers

Rob

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

dont get me wrong u could shot peen the outter surface but i wouldnt risk it in a million years myself i either go for the parafin or if it needs skimmin it gets dipped

[Phaeton]

I disagree with you, if you leave the rocker cover on, & place the head flat down in the cabinet so the mating surface would be untouched along with the valves, leave the plugs & thoroughly clean it after what harm can come to it?

Alan...

[dklawson]

If you are completely re-building the head, I'd go even further than that IF you want to. You could take the bare head, plug the spark plug holes, and glass bead blast the entire head. When you're done you can have the mating surface of the head skim cut by about 0.005" to restore a perfectly flat surface.

In my early days I took the head off my BMW 2002 to a machine shop. I asked them to hot-tank the head to clean it. I wasn't thinking... the head was aluminum and could not be hot-tanked. Instead they sandblasted it, then machined the mating surface flat as I'd asked them to do. The head looked great and certainly was squeeky clean, inside and out.

[maddogmcg]

i have blasted heads before and would say that so long as the head isnt warped then a light blasting will do no harm ( the head wont seal anyway if warped ),it is the valve seat areas and the valve guide internal diameter that shouldnt be blasted as the valve seats are lapped in for a good metal to metal gas seal and blasting would destroy the finish ,as a gasket is used to seal between the head and block the minute indentations caused by blasting would easily seal up with the gasket .

[cap'n crunch]

I stripped my cylinder head and then had it sand blasted. Then before fitting it having it skimmed to ensure i smooth surface with the black.

[richybellwood]

you could do but would need to have the head skimmed after and i would think problems with shot getting into the galleries unless u blocked them. its possible but would be better to get it chemically cleaned i would say