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Thread: How do I clean the heads?

  1. #1
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    Exclamation How do I clean the heads?

    I pulled out the spark plugs last week to clean them and noticed some oil in the heads. I am going to clean all of the tubing for my supercharger with MAF cleaner since I have a full can. I was wondering if I could use this spray to clean the heads when the plugs are removed or if I need to do it another way.

    Oil should no longer get into the engine after tomorrow, I just wanna get it all clean and free of oil.

    Would this work? If not what do you suggest?

    I haven't a clue since there is no where for the spray to go unless I take the heads off. Would wiping it down just be easier? Or spray and wipe? Is any spray a bad idea?

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  2. #2
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    Dom, I'm not sure what you mean by oil "in the heads"...Do you mean down in the spark-plug wells? Or do you mean in the actual cylinders? I'm also not sure what this means: "Oil should no longer get into the engine after tomorrow"...care to give us more details?
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Motorhead350 View Post
    Oil should no longer get into the engine after tomorrow, :
    This is probably a bad thing.
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  4. #4
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    My guess he's talking about oil being on the exterior of the engine and he FINALLY wants to clean that engine bay, I would recommend Simple Green on a cool engine, let sit, scrub where needed and rinse off.
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Motorhead350 View Post
    I pulled out the spark plugs last week to clean them and noticed some oil in the heads.
    I think he means in the engine.
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  6. #6
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    Dom, if the oil is in the spark plug 'wells' just stuff some curled up paper towels down the tubes and twirl the towels around to clean them up.
    Do NOT spray any cleaner down the tubes if you have pulled the spark plugs.
    That cleaner will wash all the oil and crud right into your cylinders.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Walsh View Post
    Dom, if the oil is in the spark plug 'wells' just stuff some curled up paper towels down the tubes and twirl the towels around to clean them up.
    Do NOT spray any cleaner down the tubes if you have pulled the spark plugs.
    That cleaner will wash all the oil and crud right into your cylinders.
    That's what I was thinking. Even paper towels will potentially knock crud into the cylinders.

    If it needs to be cleaned, I would put the plugs back in, spray the cleaner down in the holes, then vacuum it out with a shop vac. Attach some small tubing to the vacuum cleaner hose with duct tape.
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by FordNut View Post
    That's what I was thinking. Even paper towels will potentially knock crud into the cylinders.

    If it needs to be cleaned, I would put the plugs back in, spray the cleaner down in the holes, then vacuum it out with a shop vac. Attach some small tubing to the vacuum cleaner hose with duct tape.
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    Take off the charge pipe, shoot a fast stream of war water down into the engine while the motor is running.... for better results run a 50/50 mix of water and kerosene.


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  11. #11
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    Clean it with kerosene.

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    He needs to sand blast them...
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  13. #13
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    Thanks guys!
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    Quote Originally Posted by RacerX View Post
    He needs to sand blast them...
    WHOA!



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  15. #15
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    you could also just not worry about it. 3 years ago or so one of the the o-ring deals between the cam covers and spark plug ports went out and the ports on that side filled with oil. Sucked most of the oil out and left it at that. There is still a little oil on the spark plugs when I change them since the oil got in the threads. Hasn't been a problem otherwise.


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