Cleaning out emulsified oil

[TimmyG]

How would yall recommend I clean this gross mess out of my head and engine while changing the head gasket?

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Solvent tank.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Remember to use a timing chain wedge or bent over garden hose to block your timing chain tensioner.

[TimmyG]

3 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Remember to use a timing chain wedge or bent over garden hose to block your timing chain tensioner.

Thanks! I have one ready. Good heads up, tho.

I was hoping for an at home way of cleaning this out as well.

[datzenmike]

Pull the drain plug and let it drain for a day or more. Replace the oil filter and refill with some inexpensive crap oil. If you have old oil from a previous change throw that in and run the engine for a day or two and change the oil again with the cheap stuff and a filter. Depending on what comes out the second time do a third time but two will probably be fine. When confident you have most of the crap out,  use a good quality oil that is high in ZDDP content suitable for 'flat tappet' cams and not the regular stuff that they formulate for today's cars..... and a quality filter like WIX or NAPA Gold. It's water, and the temperature of the oil and the rest of the engine, given time, will evaporate what little is left as you drive.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I always try to think of the method with the least amount of waste left to deal with. Hosing with a degreaser and water leaves you with a biohazard.

 

Do you have a machine shop in town that could hot tank it for you? You can hot tank a complete assembly as long as you disassemble it and clean it before the steel parts rust.

[TimmyG]

1 hour ago, datzenmike said:

Pull the drain plug and let it drain for a day or more. Replace the oil filter and refill with some inexpensive crap oil. If you have old oil from a previous change throw that in and run the engine for a day or two and change the oil again with the cheap stuff and a filter. Depending on what comes out the second time do a third time but two will probably be fine. When confident you have most of the crap out,  use a good quality oil that is high in ZDDP content suitable for 'flat tappet' cams and not the regular stuff that they formulate for today's cars..... and a quality filter like WIX or NAPA Gold. It's water, and the temperature of the oil and the rest of the engine, given time, will evaporate what little is left as you drive.

This was my plan, just figured I could do something to clean the head while it's off. Not recommended?

[TimmyG]

37 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I always try to think of the method with the least amount of waste left to deal with. Hosing with a degreaser and water leaves you with a biohazard.

 

Do you have a machine shop in town that could hot tank it for you? You can hot tank a complete assembly as long as you disassemble it and clean it before the steel parts rust.

I am trying to keep this very low budget and all done at home without a machine shop if possible. 

[docbainey]

Get a gallon of kerosene and a container big enough to put the head in and scrub scrub scrub. Parts cleaner brush works well or old tooth brushes to get rid of grunge. Scrape the gasket surfaces with a razor blade. I've used those cheap storage bins before. Kero don't seem to melt them. In your case turn the cam to get to different areas. Don't poor all the kero in at once. You gotta save some for the final rinse. That's as cheap as it gets.

[datzenmike]

2 hours ago, TimmyG said:

This was my plan, just figured I could do something to clean the head while it's off. Not recommended?

 

 

 It's oil and water. For de-greaser use a citrus spray cleaner if you must. Use a car wash power spray and rinse the soap off. They have an oil water separator in the sump to keep that shit out of the environment, so no clean up. 

[docbainey]

if the motor runs get it hot then drain the oil and change the filter. Get a can or two of stp, dump it in with kerosene, run it for a while, don't let it idle and don't blast it, drain and replace filter, then change filter after a few hundred miles. Neighbor did this to some American iron when I was growing up. Did this to my audi coupe to try and eliminate the all to common lifter tick. Didn't work, but the sht that drained out was like tar. Gotta have the engine hot.

[datzenmike]

How do you get the STP out? That stuff is sticky and holds the dirt in when changing the oil. Learned this in the early '70s. Only use on worn out engines you don't care about..

 

Again it's only water in there. Flush out with fresh oil and filter. Warmth from driving will do the rest.