DIY Head Cleaning

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Any ideas about how to go about cleaning a 1964 CA77 head if you don't have a sandblaster or any spare cash laying around? The top of my combustion chamber is downright fugly...I'm planning on leaving the valve guides, as they appear to measure out well and there's no play in them; they seem pretty tight...

I *do* have a big can of Elbow Grease, though....any ideas on how to apply it??

-John

[Dr. Frankenstein]

To Irutt and cknight - thank, guys, I'll give the cup brush a try; I don't have a blaster of any sort laying around, so it looks like solvents and the brush are my only real options here...

[jensen]

Hi,

You could try vacuum blasting or high pressure water blasting but as you stated no blasting, so etching is a possibility.

Degrease the head with grease solvents, then find yourself a big plastic box.

Fill it with a sour, for example vinegar ( few liters), soak the head for two hours, clean it with water.
Try to get the dirt off again, with soft brushes, soak it again in vinegar for two hours.

Do this as often as needed.

Remember, vinegar is etching (sour) the aluminum, don't put it in for a few days.
It makes the aluminum a bit dull, but it will shine after buffing it a little with a cloth.

I saw that brewsky also using this method for his carburetors, and if you use a stronger sour, be careful with your skin and eyes.

I use this method for some aluminum parts, becuase blasting changes the surface structure.

But you do need elbow grease, time and a couple liters of vinegar.

Jensen