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Suggestions for cleaning cylinder head

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joe Garfield
  • Start date Start date
J

Joe Garfield

Guest
I've got a cylinder head and related parts (valves, jugs, etc) from an '82 1100g that I need to clean up before re-assembly. What's the best approach for de-carbing everything?

I don't have a garage/shop anymore so if it's a really messy process I might have to bring it to someone else. What kind of shop would actually want that kind of work?

Thanks,
Joe
 
One thing I used in a pinch was a Harbor freight walnuts shells and a small portable hand blaster. It did not get everything off and I just did it outside on a side wlak where the wallnut shells easily cleaned up to be thrown away. I also used a large sand blaster but please heed the warning about sizing.

I used it on piston tops and head combustion chambers. A small amount of carbon was left on the valves but was of little consequence. If you have a stainless wire brush (valves ONLY) and some PB blaster you can soak that off.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...Media-Blast&highlight=harbor+freight+wallnuts

something like this but you need a compressor.

https://www.harborfreight.com/21-oz-hopper-gravity-feed-spot-blaster-gun-95793.html

The minimum you will need is PB blaster and a soft scraper. Don't use the stainless bruss on the aluminum you will scar the surfaces.
 
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Walnut shells are too soft. Use fine glass beads. They leave a smooth satin finish and wont pit holes like some people claim they do. Paint with VHT part number SP-127 Universal Aluminum. When you start the bike for the first time let it idle for maybe 8 or 10 minutes and then let it cool down. Heat the engine again but this time extend the time to maybe 15 to 20 minutes and let it cool.

the paint must be heat cured, BUT......if you just hop on and ride youll over heat the paint and it will ubble up like a bad bad sunburn. By doing a few heat / cool cycles it cures ( bakes ) the paint and eliminates bubbling when you take her out on the road.
 
chuck hahn said:
Walnut shells are too soft. Use fine glass beads. They leave a smooth satin finish and wont pit holes like some people claim they do.
Click to expand...
If you do ANY blasting with ANY media, be REALLY SURE that you flush out all of the oil passages. Run solvent through any and every hole you can find, as you don't want any of that media, no matter how 'soft' it might be, to be pushed around inside your engine while it's running.

.
 
chuck hahn said:
Walnut shells are too soft. Use fine glass beads. They leave a smooth satin finish and wont pit holes like some people claim they do. Paint with VHT part number SP-127 Universal Aluminum. When you start the bike for the first time let it idle for maybe 8 or 10 minutes and then let it cool down. Heat the engine again but this time extend the time to maybe 15 to 20 minutes and let it cool.

the paint must be heat cured, BUT......if you just hop on and ride youll over heat the paint and it will ubble up like a bad bad sunburn. By doing a few heat / cool cycles it cures ( bakes ) the paint and eliminates bubbling when you take her out on the road.
Click to expand...

With no shop or garage, I doubt he has a sand blasting booth and so you don't want to get glass beads everywhere. They are inert and will not go away for many many years.
 
Steve said:
If you do ANY blasting with ANY media, be REALLY SURE that you flush out all of the oil passages. Run solvent through any and every hole you can find, as you don't want any of that media, no matter how 'soft' it might be, to be pushed around inside your engine while it's running.

.
Click to expand...


Yea, you would hope a "bucket" with solvent and a soft brush is part of the home shop facilities plan.
 
These guys do vapor blasting...https://www.restocycle.com/

That would be my first choice if money is no object.

To clean and decarbon heads I use an old 5 gallon chlorine tablet bucket w/lid. Drop in the head and a gallon of carb dip. Shake/slosh the bucket every time you think of it to keep the head wet. After a few days or a week all the carbon will be softened enough to easily scrape off.
 
Jim..my first blast cabinet was an 8FT X 8FT box frame made of 2X2 lumber. Staple gunned some clear plastic sheeting to it and duct taped it to the garage floor after sweeping it very well. Sweep up the beads from time to time and screen them back into the hopper. Wore a blasting hood i got at the local supply house and a dust mask. Did 2 frames and 2 engines that way. beads were contained and reused and finally disposed of in the dumpster when done.

Its can be done rather cheaply and if you wanted to store the panels for future use youre all set up.
 
vapor blasting is the best way. has to be degreased first and thoroughly cleaned out afterwards.
The resulting finish is second to none.
 
chuck hahn said:
Jim..my first blast cabinet was an 8FT X 8FT box frame made of 2X2 lumber. Staple gunned some clear plastic sheeting to it and duct taped it to the garage floor after sweeping it very well. Sweep up the beads from time to time and screen them back into the hopper. Wore a blasting hood i got at the local supply house and a dust mask. Did 2 frames and 2 engines that way. beads were contained and reused and finally disposed of in the dumpster when done.

Its can be done rather cheaply and if you wanted to store the panels for future use youre all set up.
Click to expand...

It is probably mute, as he probably doesn't even have a compressor.
 
Media blasting a cylinder head is risky because the grit does down into the blind oil galley passages. I've done it before but the post clean up work is very tedious and frankly, questions always remain. Plugging up all the oil passages before blasting is recommended too. The prep work takes a lot of time.

For my KZ head I blasted with soda. Soda is easier to clean than most other grits. Even still, it's nerve wracking to properly clean afterwards. The soda kills the grass in the yard too. Didn't know that at the time...

P1020014 by nessism, on Flickr
 
You can clean the chambers with a wire wheel out in the yard. Carbon on the valve faces may require individual attention of some other kind. But once the valves are out, you can do whatever needs done without worrying about the aluminum or passages. A stiffer wire wheel, prying with a screwdriver, chemistry, etc. Cleaning the old head gasket's remains off can be done with a green Roloc wheel or equivalent. You don't need a pretty finish, it just needs to be clean. In your line of work, I suspect you understand sealing things. You have a metal seal around each chamber a few mm wide, elastomer seals (not quite an o-ring) at the back corners where the oil passages come up through the block, and an o-ring seal around the cam chain tunnel.
 
No blasting here (although I do have a compressor). I live in an apartment where the ground level is a parking garage, and there's no yard - the apartments are basically on top of each other. Plus, it's California so making a mess outside - especially right next to the beach/ocean - is sure to draw dirty looks.

I didn't realize the head would fit in a 5 gallon pail. I just want to clean the carbon from inside.

It looks like vapor blast would cost about $70. Considering a gallon of carb dip is at least $20, that's not such a bad deal. I don't really want a gleaming head on top of a dirty engine, but I'll see what makes the most sense.

Edit: as I'm thinking about this, I realized I don't really even have a place to wash it clean afterwards! There's a hose, but the drain goes to the ocean right across the street (well, after it pools on the garage floor for a day or so.)
 
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My God... That. Is. Freaking. Cool.

Lots of good news -
1) The mole hill is not a mountain - the cylinder head doesn't look quite as bad as I remembered it.
2) I have access to the 'Fab Lab' at work, and even have my training coming up for the blast cabinet.

I can't bring the kinds of chemicals I'd use to clean this thing into the fab lab, but I'm thinking I'll do OK with a 5-gal bucket and a stiff brush and a gentle cleaner.

What's a 'decent' gentle (or biodegradable) cleaner? Obviously nothing is as good as the stuff that makes your skin fall off....
 
I used simple green pro. I think it's supposed to be environmentally safe. With that said, my engine was no where near as clean as one that's been blasted. I wasn't going for looks, just trying to minimize the amount of crud that could find its way into the crankcase.
 
Joe Garfield said:
My God... That. Is. Freaking. Cool.

Lots of good news -
1) The mole hill is not a mountain - the cylinder head doesn't look quite as bad as I remembered it.
2) I have access to the 'Fab Lab' at work, and even have my training coming up for the blast cabinet.

I can't bring the kinds of chemicals I'd use to clean this thing into the fab lab, but I'm thinking I'll do OK with a 5-gal bucket and a stiff brush and a gentle cleaner.

What's a 'decent' gentle (or biodegradable) cleaner? Obviously nothing is as good as the stuff that makes your skin fall off....
Click to expand...

I bought a jug of the purple degreaser from Lowe's.

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Zep-Commercial-Industrial-Purple-Cleaner-5-Gallon-Degreaser/3621248

Then used a rubbermaid tub to soak it in. It took the carbon off the pistons and cylinder head in no time. Harsh stuff though.
 
Mosquito13 said:
Take it to a transmission or engine shop and have them hot dip it for you. Cheap and you do not have to deal with the caustic chems. . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU8WT-vO144
Click to expand...

I love this idea. I was wondering what kind of shop would be willing to do this - ie, have the capacity such that it's little to no work for them. I had brought the head to another small shop, but the guy had a lot going on and my 35 year old, dirty cylinder head was not his top priority. I certainly don't blame him.
 
I left a few messages with a couple of local engine rebuilding shops.

Someone just told me there's a place to bring hazardous waste, and it's basically 'free' - or paid for in tax dollars; I'll look into that as well.
 
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