Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

Hey Fellas:

My short block has been together for a while but I've had a few other aspects of the build that have not allowed me to button up the assembly yet (oil pump, pickup tube mods, oil pan mods, windage tray) I cover the short block assembly with an engine bag each time I'm done working on it but over the time I've been working on the other items, I see dust in a few areas of the block that I want to thoroughly remove before adding the pan, heads and intake.

Just curious what methods have you used to do a final cleaning on a short block assembly? Wiping the bores is a given but I wonder about anything that is further down in the bore and possibly caught on the rings and not able to be wiped away. Anyone spray or pour a cleaner into the cylinders and then rotate the block to let it pour out to thoroughly clean (followed by wiping and re-lubricating the bores? Other methods?

As it is only a short block, and you have identified dust etc sitting on it already it would probably be easier just to pull it apart and clean it properly.
Trying to wash down the sides of pistons with solvent etc will wash any oil away from that area, you may be able to re oil both ends of the bores but you won't know what is trapped between the lands, or how dry the second ring is going to be.

When I went through this. I used a can of keyboard cleaner with the little straw that come with it to make sure I got the bits of dust out of the bore around the piston tops. Just parked each one at tdc and blew them out. Then oiled every one again lightly once turned to bdc. It fired right up several months later, not much if any smoking.

Mine had only sat less than 12 months though. Sounds like you have had it sitting open for years.

Thanks guys. This short block assembly was completed in October 2020 so not long ago. It's more a matter of the environment I have not being 100% ideal but also how many times I have had to un-bag it to do the things I've needed to do. I had also thought of both of the suggestions you've made and will keep those open as the build progresses later. For the time being, the short block is going back into the shop for a correction.

Thanks for your help.

hoodeng wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 10:13 pm As it is only a short block, and you have identified dust etc sitting on it already it would probably be easier just to pull it apart and clean it properly.
Trying to wash down the sides of pistons with solvent etc will wash any oil away from that area, you may be able to re oil both ends of the bores but you won't know what is trapped between the lands, or how dry the second ring is going to be.

You would pull an engine apart because of dust on the parts if the shortblock is assembled?

heck dust it off with some dry compressed air. all the critical bearing surfaces wont be affected since they are covered with the mating part.

Unless you have a blasting cabinet in the same area.. id just blast it with some break clean and air. Turn the rotating assembly and wipe the bores with some wd40 and assemble the rest of the block.

Mt, you are right, if it was only dusted,wiped down and some brake clean, dried and lubed, for sure, no problem.

If there has been contaminated solvent blown down into the ring pack, that's a different thing altogether. That's when i would pull it apart.

Cheers.