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Hi, I'm getting stuff ready to start on my HG project and I saw a video of a guy cleaning an aluminum head with Roloc so I stopped in at my local tool store and bought a white one which I think is 120 or 150 grit. It looks to be plastic so I wouldn't think it would hurt anything but I'm not sure. Has anyone tried using the Roloc to clean the aluminum block and head? Does it work well without damaging the surface? Thanks

 
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I would use a single edge razor blade scraper for removing stickers on windshields. Go very careful being sure not to scrape any aluminum by keeping angle down. The single edge blades are more flexible then the utility blades. When I got close with all the gasket gone, I would use lacquer cleaner. Filling with my fingertips, maybe a little more blade and lacquer . I assume you only have one head. May take a while but the results will be worth it. Ever little dip means a chance for a oil or water leak some days. No way I would use a tool like that on a gasket surface. Just my opinion. Sure there's a better ways since all my overhauls are for hobby. Have done quite a few however.

 
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Thanks RIPSAW, Here is the video I was referring to,the guy claims to be a Ford dealership tech. The aluminum head part starts about 14:40 or so.

 
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I am not impressed since I like to see what I have done and once you hit the aluminum and it changes the finish, you know longer know what you have. (not saying it is not OK since that guy does it for a living) However my old Civic head looked a lot like that with only a few areas that needed scraped. It was more black like color however. When I was thru, you could still see the fine grooves from the original machining. This actually locks the head to the gasket (I think) . These engines move around a whole lot from dead cold to hot. Surprises me things stay sealed as well as they do. Most problems I have see is intermixing of water and oil. The compression area is sealed by a crush ring in the gasket.

 
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Bristle disc? (Eraser disc)
They too can and will remove aluminum (and steel), leaving the surfaces less than perfectly flat which can lead to premature gasket failure.


Use a razor blade. Buy a box of them if you have to. Stick a single edge blade in a set of needlenose vise-grips if you want a handle for it.

All you really need to scrape is the loose stuff, the black colored residue from the original head gasket. And maybe any carbon buildup.

You do NOT need to get the surface shiny to be clean.
Flat is far more important than shiny.

If you are sending the head out to be inspected and/or machined, have the machine shop do the clean up on it?

 
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Thanks RIPSAW and ezone, I will take your advice and use razor blades and brake cleaner.

ezone, I wasn't planning on taking it to the machine shop unless I see a problem with the head. I was going to use a feeler guage and straight edge on it. I did stop in at my local machine shop he quoted me $160 to check it and $300 for machining.

The car runs fine and doesn't have much leakage of coolant, mostly when you do long highway runs then the coolant resevior gains some. I would think at this point it is pretty minor but I want to fix it and be done with it.

Thanks

 
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Got a precision straightedge? .05mm or .002" is the max warp limit.

That sounds freekin high.

 
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Be sure to dump some kerosene on top of the valves to see how bad they leak thru. Autozone will probably have a valve spring tool (mine has free loan) If the do not have a lot of groove, I would personally touch them up to get a gray pattern with lapping compound which if they are OK will come in real quick with fine lapping paste. Then use new valve guide seals. Keep everything in same holes and keepers to it's own valve. If everything is correct, it will hold kerosine.
If you go that route, after all together, tap each valve stem on top of spring couple three times just to make it move slightly to ensure those keepers are snapped in correctly.

 
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^this.

I can't quite recall how much my local shop charged me to deck my head, but it was maybe $100 max. First time I went in, they checked the head for free. When I asked about cleaning it out (since the engine it came from had been sitting for quite some time), they said that it wasn't bad, and that they could charge me $35 to hot tank it, or I could buy a $5 can of brake cleaner and do it myself. Needless to say, they're my go-to shop for machine work now.

 
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I guess I need to check around for pricing, this shop is a couple blocks from my house. It is well know to engine rebuilders and racers, I trust their work completely I just never thought it would be that much. I would be okay with $30 - $50 to check the head. I went in person to get the estimate, I may call to see if they tell me the same number over the phone,I guess it could be a counter person giving me wrong numbers. This shop is also an auto parts store.

 
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I'm not a racer nor an engine builder.

I'm a simple mechanic, and I have had my own precision straightedge for many years. Decades.
I need to be able to check my own jobs on-site and determine for myself if I have to send the head to a machinist.

Know any good mechanics? Ask around.