What's The Best Way To Have A Block Cleaned/Descaled

I have a block and set of heads that are REALLY sludged up and heavily water scaled. I've NEVER seen one sludged up and water scaled this bad. What's the best procedure to get rid of both...Hot Tank, or bake? I have 2 different Shops I can use...one Shop Hot Tanks, and the other bakes...

 

No thoughts, comments, or ideas?...

 

My buddy has his Flathead Blocks Acid Dipped.

Comes home SUPER clean, Like Brand New Clean.

 

Can't a normal machine shop just bake it and tumble it off?

 

my hemi block had to be baked and hot tanked.

 

Flatoz got his flatty super clean in mol***es, there's a pic in one of his threads.

 

Don't see how baking is going to get the scale and rust outta the jackets.
I'd take it to the hot tank guy and explain what you want as a final product. If he says he can do it, give that a shot.
I have heard good things about the modern chemical baths they have now. Again, find out if they can meet your expectations before the block leaves the bed of your truck.

 

Hot tanking the stuff will give the best results. If it's not clean after the first time, they will redo the process till clean. Just make sure they understand that you want it ready to machine.

 

Mol***es ,or mole ***es?Them furry little things wont clean **** ain't much fur either.I think someone is pulling your leg.You ever see a motor thats been sugered? bringing it to qualified pros is the only option to getting it clean its cheap too and the best insurance against failure. MOL***ES shesh ,tell ya what you go suger your flattie and let us know how it worked ,tll then ...... just the facts..... I cant believe you said that,what an idiotic thing to suggest to a beginner,listen up ...If you dont know about the basics of building flatties or anything else for that matter, get some books like that idiot did, but thats just not COOL,I don't give a sheet who he thinks he is. X38 is no pro.Building a flat head is a little differn't, first you must find out if its buildable its hard to find a good block to build they have a few weak spots to check for,any body that builds them right has a big pile of them out back,do some research before these guys really mess you up good find some guys that build them for real,ask them.......Mike O.

 

Hot tank in NaOH; that's caustic soda to most of the world. It's a real grease cutter. I had a Chevy six rebuilt decades ago. The previous owner had just added STP instead of changing the oil. The old man that ran the machine shop hot tanked it for a day, took it out and bored it, and hot tanked it for another day. Clean as hound's tooth. It may not be as effective on the scale in the water jackets; that may take an acid....slide

 

Hot tank it to get rid of the grease; then dump the clean block into mol***es bath for a month.

Same with the heads.

Did the same with both my Flatty and the Desoto Hemi. Came out super clean !!

Rat

 

I brought my flathead block to an engine rebuilder that baked it then shot peen blasted it to remove the scale and rust, it looked like brand new when done. they only charged me $125.00 money well spent.

 

Wow, clueless aren't we. Mol***es will clean the hell out of it. I guess you don't get out much. I wish I had a vat of mol***es big enough to do it. But the place I use to machine does a real nice job hot tanking them.

 

I guess, at this point in the discussion, I need to know how to get the scale out...THICK scale...in the block and heads. It would appear that the previous owner only added water to the cooling system..and never changed the oil...

 

You dont know ****.
Mol***es does an excellent job of derusting

 

sure it does all the machine shops use it around here it helps keep your oils viscosity up on those real hot days too,kinda like STP oil treatment,Right? Wink,Wink. Now I dont blame you for wanting to do it your self ,I would too,I like learning.HF has a needle s****er for 40 bucks works pretty good too ,great for what you need.Street rodder has some good articals on flaties and what to look for.but still, have the pros do the final cleaning its worth it plus they can check it for you and they have ALL the right tools

 

A good bake job will release if not remove the build-up, then a proper dip in the hot tank should finish the work by providing a flash rust inhibitor. If you still have rust issues after that, then 'Evapo-Rust' is next.
http://www.evaporust.com/ This stuff is amazing!!!!!!!!!!



.

 

I bought my machine shop's old parts washer when they upgraded. It was $2000 and another $300 for a phase convertor but man the caustic eats the grime away like wonders. Saves me a bundle when I drop stuff off to get machine work done...and I clean up dirty parts and get a lot more when I sell them. Not sure I could live without it.

 

Having had a hot tank in the school shop where I taught and having good results with it I'd say hot tank it first and then check the results and go from there.

A squirt (spray) bottle of Oil eater and a trip to the car wash will get the wet grease and oil off the block and other parts but won't help with the rust or get into the oil p***ageways or cooling system.

From what I can find the Mol***es treatement is used on the well rusted pieces like we might find sitting out without a hood on the car or the *seasoned* pieces that one sees sitting outside behind some guys shops. It's thought to be less invasive to the metal than acid or other methods.

 

Around here baking seems to work best. The first time I took a block to a place that baked and shotpeened it I was astounded. Very new looking. Maybe not everyone will do as well as that guy.

 

Here's a set of before and after pic's from my 352 FE block that I had baked clean at my machinist. I'll second what RichFox said, as I was astounded too.

 

My Hemi was done like this...

 

I second that Zman...

 

One of the 2 Shops I'm considering bakes and shot blasts. I'm wondering if it gets the scale off of the inside...or does the baking loosen most of the scale like 73RR says. So far, it looks like baking/blasting gets the nod. I suppose if I have to, I can tape the holes up and use acid on the insides..

 

ha ha ha ha ha aha aha aha , big talkin' .............small thinkin.

mol***es is good, it's just slow. Oh yeah and if it starts to ferment , look out it stinks real bad....get a 44 gallon drum and mix it about 6 or 7 to one with water..............a fish tank pump will make it circulate and work faster.

As Mr Zimmerman said, "...don't criticize what you don't understand"

Final Score: X38 1 v Mike 0

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Thats funny I was just thinking you guys must be putting yeast in there too and making some kind of ratrod moonshine,now THAT will clean anything except your head.That would explain a lot.Oh yeah NO SMOKING!!!!!! .Having the upmost respect for aussies,some one PLEASE explain how molesses removes rust from water jackets,since thats the important part of most any engine especially a flathead,I've been around a while and never heard of this,but if its some kind of mirical rust dissolver I've learned something new and this wasn't a total waste.meanwhile I'll ask around here about this,So,if were keeping score,suggesting a first timer can do it better than a pro is bad advice mabee we need un biased judges but still were ALL learning something ,the method is a little unusual but the learning is the is the important part.Agreed? Learning is fun aint it?I'll be getting back to ya's.and I agree about talking **** about something you don't understand,pisses you off don't it? so go to my intro and you may understand my problem with X38,he really stands out in a crowd.now see there I am going off topic again,SORRY

 

Mol***es is a mild acid. It takes a while, but you do not need to worry about losing metal, only rust. It works, do your research, and yes, a first timer can do this and see excellent results.

 

deadbodyman, it's apparent you have an issue with X38. Quit being a drama ***** and a ****in idiot and bashing him publicly. Be mature and talk to him privately, or better yet just shut the hell up and LEARN SOMETHING.

Since you're still skeptical, google about mol***es as a de-ruster. We're not talking out of our ***es about it. It works.

 

"That'll never work!"

http://www.homercidal.com/mol***es/***orted.htm

 

OK I here ya that the Mol***es does the job, But REALLY ? A Month ?

What does The Mol***es Cost to fill Drum enough to Do this & what do ya do with it after it goes bad + Ya have to pay for an initial Hot Tank ?

Sounds like $125.00, Drop it off & Pick it up is more cost effective & less mess to deal with at my House.

I have Enough Mess with all the Junk i have now.