225 engine assembly

A little wet yet to move the block outside so starting with cleanup this morning. A trick my Dad taught me was to use oven cleaner. Gets rid of grease and paint with ease. One thing I found out this time. Don't buy the cheap stuff, get Easy Off. This cheap *ss Family Dollar oven cleaner is worthless. Wife is picking up the good stuff in town this morning.

 

I learned the hard way about using some chemical cleaners on aluminum when I used toilet bowl cleaner on dirty engine parts that had aluminum rocker arm shaft stands. The Hydrochloric acid in the cleaner ate the aluminum, turned it to something resembling chalk.

Oven cleaner is sodium Hydroxide (Lye), and I don't know how well aluminum will stand up to that.

Don

 

Doesn't do much to Al. We use it to clean Al pots and pans all the time. Caustic soda (a base) is actually used in power plants to form protective corrosion layers. It will not eat into metal like a strong acid will.

 

I may try oven cleaner on the new (to me) D44 I got from Mike S on this forum. I scraped it pretty good, but it has years of hardened on oil and dirt in all the crooks and crannies that didn't want to come off at the car wash.

 

oven cleaner is the bomb !!

 

Caustic will seriously attack aluminum. Its all about how strong it is and how long it stays on. Thats the reason that it works so well cleaning aluminum pots and pans. Most acids wont touch aluminum but caustics will. I work as a Metallurgist and we use acids to etch most metals but use caustic to etch aluminum. Be careful using any caustic on aluminum - don't leave it on too long or it will pit the aluminum.

 

At the strength and time of application on the parts in question, there is no damage. I'm sure a NaOH paste or even a high molar concentration would pit them but oven cleaner is not that strong. I get it all over my hands during use and just wash it off, no damage.

 

Any reason why you didn't remove the water pump, dashpot, clutch fork, etc. to more thoroughly clean things?

I'm spoiled and have this at work to use

 

Caught me. Really though, unnecessary. I'm replacing the dashpot, though.

 

Post up the P/N when you do, I'll be in the market for one as well......dueling :v6: builds.

 

If and when I find one, I will. Please do the same.

 

x2

 

Agreed - oven cleaner is not that strong - it will work great as a cleaner. Just saying you wouln't want to leave aluminum sit for, say a week, with oven cleaner on it.

 

Rings arrived today. Pistons and bearings are due here Wednesday. If I can get a warm, dry day I can get started in earnest now.

 

Where are you getting your parts?

 

Mostly Summit, but gasket kits came from Rockauto, carb kit from quadrajetparts.com, head bolts from headbolts.com.

 

Never heard of this place before but its good to know 8) About 8 years ago I bought jets from this place, they are considered the "gurus" of the Rochester world

http://www.hotrodcarbs.com/

 

I am impressed with the kit. Ethanol safe, complete, with very thorough instructions. Will buy from them again.

 

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This is going to be awesome