The V8 Owners Forum -

Cleaned my 4.6 RV8 heads in thinners, then petrol, took off casting marks and cleaned up the ports with carbide burrs, soda blasted them, ground the valves in, washed in petrol again, then in the bath with industrial degreaser and very hot water and jet spray shower head, when dry I spotted a bit of crap down one hole, went at all the tapped holes with cotton buds and thinners here is the result ! that's over a 100 cotton buds in the pic and they are still not clean! I had already run a tap down all the holes before I started, with the cotton buds the worst was the rocker bolt holes, full of oil.

I use carb cleaner spray in my bolt holes and then compressed air to blow the crud out. But nothing beats a hot wash in Dave Knights hot parts washer prior to me doing my final clean ready for assembly

You just have to keep doing it until no more dirt comes out mate

As Pel says, for tapped holes solvent and a blast of compressed air. Cant see the point of getting them surgically clean as you still need to put oil or copperslip in the threads otherwise they are going to bind and marr up.

Madame's dishwasher is a good start.
Just make sure she's either on board or out the house and run it empty with a dose of cleaner or a tablet after you're done.

They're gona get dirty again lol

unstable load wrote:Madame's dishwasher is a good start.
Just make sure she's either on board or out the house and run it empty with a dose of cleaner or a tablet after you're done.

He might be in trouble with Madame when she looks for her cotton buds in the bathroom

DEVONMAN wrote: He might be in trouble with Madame when she looks for her cotton buds in the bathroom

I don't know about that, Pink ones still look like they have some mileage in them....

In terms of the colour and the quantity of the said cotton buds they looks similar to the ones that I've used on my ears after a few days of working in my garage.

Front room carpet, newspaper, engine bits. Devonrod Rules

I was doing these at home, my garage is 10 miles away towards central London and is a pain in the arse to get too, I have a big 3 cylinder compressor and will give them a final blast next time I am there, I was amazed how much crap was down the holes ! Ive been doing this lark for nearly 50 years now but must admit I last rebuilt an engine about 30 years ago. The other thing is these heads were very clean when they came off the engine and it had not been touched before.

Dave

I'm wondering if what you're seeing is the remnants of the Scotch thread sealer the factory (once?) used. Only thing that really shifts it is cellulose thinners.