Rust in the water jackets can be resolved with screw drivers, bottle brushes, coat hangers and a power washer. Knock the soft plugs out, you already got the heads off and start poking and washing. You may try loading it up with radiator flush first and letting it soak over night before knocking the soft plugs out.
As usual, Bruce is spot on. I'll only add that, since an engine flush takes a lot of "Evaporust", it might be better to try "Rust 911" which is a concentrate that works the same way, but is quite a bit cheaper. I've said it before and I'll say it again. "Evaporust" (and it's ****ogs) are about the only products I've experienced that live up to their reputation.
Once I get started, I will keep y'all up to date. Could not stand still while waiting for front end parts, so I put my su****ions to rest and tore the motor down. It looks like my motor is in pretty good shape overall. Front spring will be ready Friday, so back to that so I can get the frame mobile again, then a return to the block. Appreciate the advice
It might be hard to find a shop that has the facilities nowadays, but where I used to work we hot tanked the block first, then cleaned it in an "inhibited" acid tank, then soaked it in the hot tank again. That was combined with rinsing, poking and spraying out of the water jackets between steps. A three day process, as the blocks etc. would be soaked overnight in each step. At the end there was no rust or debris at all in the water jackets or anywhere else. And no hint of acid residue either, with the final alkali soak. I've always been a little wary of the chemical cleaning while you drive, because even though you add the neutralizer afterwards, I worry that a little bit of the acid will leak into the gaps between hoses and water necks etc. where it will slowly corrode the metal.
Scoot...the evapo is not acidic or basic to any significant degree and will not damage metal even over extended periods of time. In one case, trying to clean up severely rusted fasteners on a junky Stromberg, I left the complete carb ( I think I removed a plug, just to sure innards were full) in that soup for several months. It is hard to find ANYTHING that won't dissolve that **** zinc, but there were NO signs of metal loss anywhere. The stuff even has some creeping ability, and in a long soak will crawl up into threads and kill rust in there. I don't think there is even a shadow of danger soaking and engine, even without hosing it out afterwards. I bet even a Cal Custom water neck would live! The ONLY thing other than rust I have seen hurt by ER is some sort of mysterious paint used mostly on very old tin boxes... 1930's Snap on socket set boxes, old tin cigar boxes, etc. This suggests not using it on things like instrument faces.
Good to hear that about Evaporust. I was thinking about those old cooling system cleaners that came in a two part can, the first part being oxalic acid, a very strong organic acid. The second part (neutralizer) was sodium carbonate or bicarbonate as I recall.
Those always scared the hell out of me. I'd spend half the afternoon flushing the system 5 extra times. And that was when I had to carry the water in a jerry can from the Gulf station around the corner from my rat hole alley garage.
In the mail last night when I got home was the Christmas gift that arrives every month. Another issue of Hot Rod. As normal, not alot that pertains to my current build, But, in the new products section, Evapo-rust now sells a rust dissolving radiator flush! What timing! Prices I guess have not been figured out yet, it said TBS.
Oxalic acid (the same acid present in Rubarb Leaves) is an excellent rust remover and can be purchased fairly easily as a wood bleach deck cleaner.
Spent half a day s****ing inside the block with some home made tools, then air blast with a short extension to get down inside the block. I bet I removed a true pound of rust. Finished up with a pressure blast untill the water ran clean. I think once the engine is back in the frame and running I'll do the chemicals to clean it further.
good job!, i've got a pile on the floor just like it. the late Rumble seat said we could expect 3lbs of **** if we do a good job http://flatheadv8.org/odyssey.htm
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