cleaning heads

[thecrew2999]

whats some of the best or easiest ways to clean your heads?
i did a 3.2 atx to mtx swap and i swapped 3.0 heads on my 3.2 block and the heads were really nasty looking.
i was thinking some engine cleaner, the crap in a can you put in and run for like 15 mins then drain and put fresh oil in.
i just wanna know others ideas on cleaning the heads good without scrubbing with a freakin toothbrush.
o and im gonna be taking the heads off here soon since i need new head gaskets, i just wanted to note that in case anyone got any good ideas.
thanks for any help

 

[SHOtimer]

If the heads are on the motor....use AutoRX. That will thoroughly clean the entire engine, including the heads. If the heads are off the motor, I'd take them to a machine shop and have them tanked.

Doug

 

[SASHO91]

i would wait till you remove them...
Take them to a machine shop and get them tanked as doug said. they will look amazing to say the least.

 

[thecrew2999]

thanks guys.
do i have to take anything off the heads so they dont get damaged during this tank process or are they fine as is?
looks like im gonna have to find a cheap machine shop around my area.
how well does the autorx stuff work since i still plan on using it to clean the rest of the engine up?
and would it be good to soak parts in like lets say intake runners and all?

 

[Mr95Gl]

thanks guys.

and would it be good to soak parts in like lets say intake runners and all?

I'd also like an answer to that as well. I've got a spare 3.2 intake, and valve covers I'd like to clean up. I "attempted" to clean them with some engine degreaser, and all it did was dull the paint. A tub of soapy water perhaps?

 

[1993MTXSHO]

sand/bead blast and powdercoat

 

[SonicRiot]

Are you cleaning the combustion chambers and ports or the outside surfaces? Either way, sand blsting isn't reccomended considering how hard it is to get the sand OUT before re-installation. Media blasting with walnut(?) shells works, but it's not neccessary.

A tank will work, but it's gotta be a special formula for Aluminum. It's not the same proccess as hot tanking an iron block.

I prefer GM top end cleaner to decarbonize and clean. It's much more effective than Seafoam or ATF. You can quite literally stick a hose with a low flow of water into the intake an let the car run. It will steam clean itself. For really tough stuff, go for the GM cleaner. It is inducted via a ported vaccuum line slowly until the car stalls. Let it sit overnight. In the morning, you'll have a crop duster, but the heads will be clean.

 

[thecrew2999]

thanks for the advice but im pretty worried about putting water or anything into the intake of my car while its running. is their any other way to clean the heads and intake out without this process? i mean im gonna have the heads and intake off after all.
i dont like the yellow paint the guy had for the intake runners so im not worried if it takes the paint off. im gonna repaint it later on anyways.
i know using carb cleaner dont do much, i even used a brush tring to get it off with little to no results when it was on my atx. and getting inside the runners dont happen.
im hoping for something to soak the whole setup in to clean it out. maybe WD-40 over night in a bucket would work?
i know WD-40 cleans grease off your hands very well.
the heads on the inside are filthy, the owner before me musta used some crappy oil or didnt change it much. even the cams got some old oil on them on the sufaces that dont touch the shims.
the intake isnt my biggest worry at the moment since i can take that off anytime and clean it so as for now im worried about getting the heads real clean so when i change the gaskets all will be good.

if i go ahead and try this GM top end cleaner stuff is their insturctions and what not needed to do this process? becuase id love to clean my engine out pretty well the combustion part at least. its not bad like the pistons and all look good but id like to get it all cleaned out.

thanks for any help guys.
hoping if we get enough advice maybe someone will sticky this so it can help others

 

[SHOtimer]

Most people use B-12 Chemtool to clean the intakes - on the inside. You can get the felpro gasket kit...disassemble the intake and put a nice clean one back on. I did that, made a nice difference. Those things can be nasty on the inside.

I actually have a spare cleaned and regasketed 3.2 intake now that I need to do something with - ran it in a classifieds awhile ago, but nobody seemed interested.

Doug

 

[thecrew2999]

Most people use B-12 Chemtool to clean the intakes - on the inside. You can get the felpro gasket kit...disassemble the intake and put a nice clean one back on. I did that, made a nice difference. Those things can be nasty on the inside.

I actually have a spare cleaned and regasketed 3.2 intake now that I need to do something with - ran it in a classifieds awhile ago, but nobody seemed interested.

Doug

sweet so does this stuff work fast or does it have to sit then be scrubbed?
im willing to try it.
but yeah i know what you mean about selling a spare intake... i also got a 3.2 intake ready to go with a port job and all that i gasket matched and no one seems to want it... best thing i think you can do is run an ad on the shoforums . best of luck with it and thanks for the advice:type:

 

[SHOtimer]

You can buy the stuff at Walmart....or AZ. I never had to scrub with it. I just attached the red squirt tube and whatever you spray with it becomes clean. But, it strips the paint off the outside of the intake so you have to be careful.

Doug

 

[cowsareholy]

I just used the seafoam stuff into the vac line. I didn't get to much smoke after because the intake was taken off not to long ago but my idle went from smooth to slik. seems to be running alittle better as well.

 

[Shoaz]

whats some of the best or easiest ways to clean your heads?

I've used Pantene Pro-V in the shower for several years. It's the only thing I can use long term that doesn't make my scalp itch. Use a good conditioner that's separate from the shampoo, and leave it in for a while before rinsing it out. A little lemon juice in the rinse doesn't hurt, either.





...or did you mean something else?

 

[SonicRiot]

T-Gel. Some serious stuff.

 

[thecrew2999]

thats for being a smartass shoaz lol...
always nice to have a little joke in the forums.