Recommendations for cleaning cylinder heads?

[92ShoOff]

I finally finished tearing down my two 3.0 cylinder heads and would like to get them cleaned up really well. The inside of the heads are stained with dark brown oil and have a little bit of grit and dirt in them. How would you guys recommend thoroughly cleaning the inside and outside of these heads? Are there any machine shops out there that have a bath that it's safe on aluminum? I'd also like to run my intake manifold through a bath too if possible to get rid of all the build-up inside of it.

Also, is it okay to take a fine wire brush and high-speed drill to the intake and exhaust valves? My intake valves are mainly the ones that need some cleaning because they have hardened carbon buildup on them. Any recommendations on cleaning those as well?

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[93superSHO]

I finally finished tearing down my two 3.0 cylinder heads and would like to get them cleaned up really well. The inside of the heads are stained with dark brown oil and have a little bit of grit and dirt in them. How would you guys recommend thoroughly cleaning the inside and outside of these heads? Are there any machine shops out there that have a bath that it's safe on aluminum? I'd also like to run my intake manifold through a bath too if possible to get rid of all the build-up inside of it.

Also, is it okay to take a fine wire brush and high-speed drill to the intake and exhaust valves? My intake valves are mainly the ones that need some cleaning because they have hardened carbon buildup on them. Any recommendations on cleaning those as well?

Thanks,
Andrew

If you have a local engine rebuild shop near by they will have a "hot tank" for aluminum blocks, heads, etc. I used the tanks at my work to clean heads which is called a "monkey". Your intake will loose the gold tint in it if you tank it, at least mine did(powder coated it anyways). Absolutly NOT, NO wire brushing the valves, pistons, headsurface, combustion chamber at all. We use a porcelin hand bead blaster for this which will result in them needing to be reworked(valve seat surface machined). You could just clean them by hand with solvent and something to pick the carbon off( be VERY careful NOT to scuff the seat area) and make sure you keep track as to where each valve came out off so it goes back to it orig. spot. Mine got all new valves so I am NOT 100% sure this is necesary. Someone who has might shed some light on the subject. Local machine shops should have a tank for aluminum or know of one that is around.

 

[93superSHO]

Also, is that your GTP, nice. A co worker converted his to turbo and put down around 450+ whp last fall. the car is insanely fast. Him and my wife want to run the GTP vs. (her) SVT Cobra

 

[92ShoOff]

Hey thank you very much for that infor you shared with me on the heads and valves! I was getting ready to go to town on those valves with a wire wheel here in a few days lol. Is it really worth getting the valves re-worked?? I've sort of already blown around $2500+ so far in this project and I'm running out of funds. And should my 147k mile valve springs be fine, or should I swap them out with a set I have off a 47k mile 3.2 motor?

Haha, my car is actually a GTO. Don't worry, I get stuff like that all the time. A lot of people have thought it was a new Grand Am, a Grand Prix GTP, and worst of all, a Chevy Cavalier!!!

But 450 fwhp on a GTP will blow away a stock SVT Cobra! So is that Cobra stock, or does it have its share of mods too? My GTO is probably sitting around 330-340 rwhp with the mods I have. Hopefully when I get my cam in here within a few months I can get closer to 380+ rwhp with also an underdrive pulley and a good tune. Well thanks again Shawn!

-Andrew

 

[ManySHOs]

Which cams are you using? You'd probably be ok with 147K mile valve springs but that is pretty high in mileage to just reinstall during an engine build. If Ford springs were available I'd suggest getting those. You might want to contact FPS to get their custom valve springs. I put new Ford springs in my 3.2 but I wish I had gotten the FPS springs instead. (ferrara springs?)

Ian

 

[93superSHO]

duh. sorry, I glanced at the photo and I thought it was a GTP that you put diff. headlights into(didn't register GTO in my mind at all, sorry, bonk). No, (her toy)Cobra is modded( dyno'd 07/05 482rwhp), headers, x-pipe, pullied, bbk 65mm tb, diablo chip.

You know, If you are using a wire wheel as in on a bench grinder. You can do that as that spins fast enough where it won't put scratches like you can if doing it by hand (wrap the seating surface with masking tape and trim it so it only covers that surface and take your time) I did that on some valves for a 1929 model T that the guy did not want to wait for new ones. No, if the engine ran fine than you would be wasting money by regrinding the valves IMO. Use the 3.2 springs, they are tough spring and either or should be fine really. Just make sure that the shop knows that it is aluminum and NOT to put them in a "caustic" hot tank- it will eat the aluminum right up.

 

[SLoW_SHO_316]

duh. sorry, I glanced at the photo and I thought it was a GTP that you put diff. headlights into(didn't register GTO in my mind at all, sorry, bonk). No, (her toy)Cobra is modded( dyno'd 07/05 582rwhp), headers, x-pipe, pullied, bbk 65mm tb, diablo chip.

Totally off topic, but I think you mean 482rwhp. There's no way that cobra is making ~100whp more than my friends with those same mods (he made 478). Another kid I know has a ported eaton with those mods and only made 526whp.

 

[AREA 91]

You can use a wire wheel on the valves. Just wokt the head and face area. Stay away from the stem. The valves are MUTCH harder than any wire brush. Built 5 SHO engines this way.

 

[93superSHO]

Totally off topic, but I think you mean 482rwhp. There's no way that cobra is making ~100whp more than my friends with those same mods (he made 478). Another kid I know has a ported eaton with those mods and only made 526whp.

I fixed it 482 not 582(yet). that's what I get for not proof reading