I've just finished getting the motor set up in the bay and have ripped everything out to reassemble the motor. Random dust and crud has found its way around the bare block inside and out and I'm wondering the best way to clean the engine now? I've heard that nylon scrubbers and kerosene work well? Any opinions/suggestions would be helpful


P.S: its been hot-tanked already, I just want to go through it again before I reassemble...

I washed my block in a degreaser, you can use kero, use a scrubber. dry it off with the air compressor then spray the block/parts with WD-40 to keep the rust at bay and reassemble. you can get crap out of the water jacket with welding wire or something similar

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1975 Leyland Mini: 1060cc - resto/ ex-hsc project.

Yep. And when you've cleaned it, clean it again. Then clean it one more time, and wipe it down with a white rag. If the rag's not still white when you've finished, clean it again

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

I do hope you removed the main oilway plugs and they are still out?
That oilway is a parking spot for metal swarf and other crud.

I wash it in diesel, pull a pipe cleaner through, followed by some Supercrap degreaser, then hose it out, then blow dry with compressed air.

<edit> then I turn up 2 new solid brass plugs to 0.504" diameter, and knock em in.
I don't like the later type that looks like a welch plug, I've had them leak!

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I use kero.

I use nylon pipe cleaners for the oil galleys and the water jackets... I find that the normal ones leave lint.

With the bores and deck I clean them using paper towel and a tiny smiggy little bit of engine oil. You can get them spotless using dry towels and then put a tiny bit of oil on the paper towel and scrub the bore again and you will get more honing oil and crap off it. I just keep going till the paper towels come out dry and as clean as they were off the roll. Then inspect to make sure they didn't leave any lint behind (which if you use the right paper towels, they won't... but it never hurts to check).

If an engine has been tanked, do not assume it is clean enough for assembly. You will be able to get it cleaner and often while in the tank crap floats into places it shouldn't be,,, so always clean it again after getting it tanked.

This is another one of those things that Phat Kat found out the hard way I thought;

"oh yeah, give it a rinse and a blow out and she'll be right for assembly,, c'mon its been tanked its probably clean enough already"

Well,, that particular engine (my first) lasted.... ewww about an hour!

Like sgc and everyone else said... unless the towels or rags you are using are coming out of the motor cleaner than they went in,,, its still not clean enough to assemble

So at least your a smarter cookie than me in that you thought of cleaning it again

Doc thats pretty interesting, I've heard of other people using diesel for a degreaser... I've not tried it myself... but something I do do occasionally if I know I'm going to pull a motor apart soon, is I run diesel engine oil (in the same weight as the engine oil I'd normally use) in it for 50-60 km. It has a higher level of detergants in it so it comes apart much cleaner.

Some people could argue that it isn't a good idea running diesel oil in a petrol engine because it is ""too clean"" or something and it could do damage. I personally have never had a problem doing it if its only 50 odd clicks. I don't know what effects it could have over a long period of using it though. Never had any reason to want to find out

PK, I prefer diesel to kero for a few reasons:
1. Kero & petrol both give me dermatitis on my hands, diesel doesn't.
2. Diesel is a bit oily, so if you wash things with it they don't rust afterwards. It's very good for flushing out gearbox crud if you want to leave the mainshaft assembly in. Works as good at cleaning as kero, IMO.
3. It shines aluminium up nice inside the box, by dissolving all that old castrol black sludge...
4. It hardly evaporates, so is great in the parts washer too.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

And Diesel is cheaper and a little more easy to come by.

But they both STINK BAD!!

Thanks Doc,,, I was wondering what the appeal was. I think that is a pretty good argument. I'm sold, I reckon I'll give it a go. Especially with the heat we've had lately

Thanks again

my wash-up tub is full of the stuff ... (diesel that is)

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

yep I tried Diesel in a box a little while ago. I used it with a spray bottle this, way I could aim it all around and then let it sit and splash it around then do it again and again and again. Considering it was black and sludgy its really come a treat.And with the knowledge that Diesel is oily I'm pleased it will fine by the time it gets put on the block, Which I should get shortly

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It