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Hot Rods Hot Tanking Engine Blocks - Necessary or Pressure Washer Ok?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by bulletpruf, Dec 15, 2025 at 12:07 PM.

  1. bulletpruf
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 271

    bulletpruf
    Member

    I'm building a V8 (AMC 360) and hoping to do all the work myself. Core plugs are out, oil galley plugs out, cam bearings are out, and I've done all the work that I need to on the block -- it doesn't need to be decked (decks are less than .0015" warped) and doesn't need to be bored (.0005" on taper - max - and .001" out of round - max) so I'll just dingle ball hone it and call it good.

    I've also done some drilling on the block -- cleaned up oil p***ages from mains to oil galleys with a 12" drill bit and I also added an oil line in the valley, which required drilling two 7/16" holes in the oil galleys. That work created a fair amount of chips in some difficult to get to places.

    I'm inclined to dingle ball hone the block then pressure wash it myself (already did it once when I dis***embled it) and finish up with brake cleaner, magnets, and high pressure air just to make sure I got everything.

    I don't mind spending $50 or whatever the shop charges to hot tank a block, but it's just a pain in the *** to get the block there and pick it up and unload it by myself.

    What do y'all think?

    Scott

    IMG_5356.JPG
     
  2. FrozenMerc
    Joined: Sep 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,418

    FrozenMerc
    Member

    Pressure Washers tend to push crud around, often into tight corners were it is hard to remove.

    For what it is worth, The place I work at remanufactures 40 engines a day. We final wash all bare blocks before they are loaded onto the ***embly line. Inline engines go through a final wash machine that functions like a large dishwasher - spray jets (similar to a hand held pressure washer) and a rotating platform wash the blocks down. All V engines go through the dunk tank. We have found, after extensive sediment testing of blocks that have p***ed through the final wash process, that the V blocks come out of the dunk tank much cleaner than they do if they are put in the spray type wash machines. It does not seem to matter on Inline engines. The geometry of the V block makes it difficult to get the spray in all the necessary areas, where as the cleaner flowing through it in the dunk tank seems to work better.

    I know that did not answer your question, and is just an anecdotal story, and I will admit to doing a spray can overhaul or two with just a pressure washer. How clean do you want it?
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2025 at 12:25 PM
  3. lostone
    Joined: Oct 13, 2013
    Posts: 3,606

    lostone
    Member
    from kansas

    Hot tank is my preferred method, like the idea of super hot water and cleaners doing their thing throughout the entire block...

    ....
     
  4. bulletpruf
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 271

    bulletpruf
    Member

    I'm not too worried about cleanliness or a bit of grime, my main concern is getting all the metal chips out.

    Thanks
     
  5. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 22,459

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    I can't even wrap my arms around this question!
     
  6. UpNorthGreg
    Joined: Sep 6, 2025
    Posts: 20

    UpNorthGreg

    If your pressure washer can handle it, run a hose from a laundry tub or washing machine hookup and give your engine a hot water wash.
     
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  7. Doublepumper
    Joined: Jun 26, 2016
    Posts: 1,825

    Doublepumper
    Member
    from WA-OR, USA

    Only benefit I can see to hot tanking is the removal of rust scale inside the coolant p***ages in the block and gunk inside the oil p***ages. If the block isn't too crusted up inside a pressure wash should do a good job of washing everything out. I've had stuff hot tanked and still needed to clean things up and rod out the oil p***ages somehow. A pressure wash sounds like a good thing to me, whether hot tank cleaned , or not.
     
    bulletpruf likes this.
  8. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,574

    evintho
    Member

    I did just that on my well maintained 95k mile 5.0. No hot tank. Dingle ball honed followed by 220 grit sandpaper taped to a length of PVC pipe to clean up the lifter bores without removing material......

    ball hone1.JPG

    ball hone3.JPG

    lifter bore tool.JPG

    Followed that with a thorough pressure wash while rodding out oil p***ages and water jackets, then a couple of handwashes with hot, hot soapy water, thorough rinses, blowdried and wiped ATF on all machined surfaces.

    washing block1.JPG

    Put it back together and been driving it for a couple thousand miles with no issues!
     
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  9. I pressure washed my last 261 to get the wort of the grease and oil so I could handle it, then had it jet washed and baked to remove all the grime, oil and all the built up in the coolant p***ages.
     
    Rodney Dangercar and bulletpruf like this.
  10. Dave G in Gansevoort
    Joined: Mar 28, 2019
    Posts: 3,761

    Dave G in Gansevoort
    Member
    from Upstate NY

    If you have a place that has the shake and bake option, then that’s what I would suggest.
     
    bulletpruf likes this.
  11. If you are worried about crud floating around the cooling system after a pressure clean or hand wash, install a temporary filter in the top hose(es).
    That's a nice engine turner on your stand! We need to know where you got the gears from!
     
  12. big john d
    Joined: Nov 24, 2011
    Posts: 485

    big john d
    Member
    from ma

    after your first pressure wash push a rifle cleaning rod and patch through the oil galley until a clean patch comes out clean then pressure wash a second time and blow dry then put a little atf on any machined surface and bag it until ready to work on ( i have poured some CLR into rusty water p***ages before the first power wash and it did remove a lot of the rust and crud with the first wash )do not forget to chase the threads before and after the cleaning good luck
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2025 at 2:43 PM
    bulletpruf likes this.
  13. Onemansjunk
    Joined: Nov 30, 2008
    Posts: 543

    Onemansjunk
    Member
    from Modesto,CA

    If you don't clean every orifice of your engine block after receiving it from the machine shop, you're still at risk anyway.
     
  14. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,935

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

    Hot tank and a beer bribe to get someone to help load/unload.
     
  15. If you are certain the oil galley/ lines are clean, skip the hot tank. The oil filter should get out any metal residue .
    A large, strong magnet , or two, on the oil pan will not hurt. My 2 cents.

    Ben
     
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  16. bulletpruf
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 271

    bulletpruf
    Member

    Good point in the magnet.

    Thanks
     
  17. bulletpruf
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 271

    bulletpruf
    Member

    Excellent point.

    Thanks
     
  18. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 5,378

    ekimneirbo
    Member
    from Brooks Ky

    You could set it on some risers inside a 55 gallon drum and fill the drum with water and soap and whatever else that dissolves grease you might want to throw in............then get one of those small propane stoves and set it under the drum and let it heat to a slow boil. The boiling water should move about and dissolve/dislodge just about everything thats greasy,grimy, or gritty. Then some gun brushes thru the oil galleys followed by air pressure............

    Heres one.

    If you have something thats very flat and ridgid, you might want to glue some emory paper to it and lightly drag it across the tops of the cylinders. Maybe an old piece of gl*** or some left over piece of steel plate just to give the surface something to bite into the gasket.
     
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  19. bulletpruf
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 271

    bulletpruf
    Member

    A DIY hot tank is a bit more than I want to tackle at this point.

    I have a smaller surface plate that I can drag across the deck with some 80 grit glued to it. That's how I'm going to surface the cylinder heads, which are .0025" and .004" warped.
     
  20. Flathead Dave
    Joined: Mar 21, 2014
    Posts: 4,029

    Flathead Dave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from So. Cal.

    Hot tank the block and let a shop machine it for you. There will be crud that'll be backed up someplace with a pressure washer that you can't get out.
    I don't know what your skill set is.
    Don't cut corners.
     
  21. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,574

    evintho
    Member

  22. Agree. I had to do a LOT of cleaning on mine. The best part was NO GREASY RESIDUE.

    Ben
     
  23. The last block I got hot tanked was a waste of money, got it back and the oil p***age going up to the heads was still completely blocked. I used a rifle cleaning kit to clean it out after running a long drill bit through, main galley also. This was a Y block engine. I went through a flathead Ford motor a few months ago and used oven cleaner and pressure washer, cleaning out all oil p***ages with the rifle cleaning rod then spraying out with gasoline. I'm now working on a flathead Cadillac motor and doing the same thing, I don't know if the problem with cleaning the Y block was because it was so very dirty (draft tube only motor) or just poor workmanship.
     
  24. Joe H
    Joined: Feb 10, 2008
    Posts: 1,874

    Joe H
    Member

    Pressure wash it using the RED nozzle tip, my 3500psi John Deere washer will remove paint with the red pin point tip. It will blow through the p***age ways with no problems. I use Simple Green or Purple Power before washing. To clean the bores, I use a degreaser and home made brush. Where I work, the janitors scrub and polish the floors with 24" diameter scotch bite looking pads about 1" thick, I take all the old ones and cut 4" circles then stack them on a threaded rod. A couple nuts holds them tight and a 1/2" drill motor to spin it. The scrubby pads won't remove metal but really do a great job of deep cleaning the bores. For lifter bores I use red scotch brite rolled around a small rod with more degreaser and then water. The pin point tip is great for cleaning out bolt holes, but be prepared for getting dirty and wet! For long holes, use 1/8" rod with a piece of scotch brite pinched on the end, a drill motor, and spray bottle of degreaser. Shops around me quite using hot takes years ago, now it's spray washing, I can do that and use the money somewhere else.
     

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