With Head Off - What Should I Do?

[it's paid for]

. . . I asked a friend of mine (the ex-Honda mechanic who totally hates my 2G) what I should do to the car with the head off and he recommended the following:
Remove the "brown ring" at the top of the cylinders with a rag and a little brake fluid, being very careful not to let any brake fluid get anywhere else into the engine
Take a scraper and gently scrape off most of the carbon deposits on top of the pistons - do this when they're at TDC and have a shop vac next to the scraper to remove any scraped-off residue

Okay - this is good advice, but what else should I do?

He recommended not taking off the oil pan just to replace that gasket . . . I thought it would be a good idea to do so because the oil pan probably has tons of crud in it and it would be good to remove all that stuff . . . but he said "No!" . . . I sure as heck don't know what to do . . . he still thinks I'm an idiot for removing all the vacuum lines, a/c and for thinking about removing the power steering crap . . .

. . . I'd like to clean the outside of the engine block but it's really, really nasty and I'm afraid I'd never be able to really get it free from dirt and also, I'd risk the possibility of getting dirt/gunk into the engine block openings . . . you know . . . those holes around the cylinders . . . oil & coolant passages, I guess . . .

Thanks very much,

IPF

[NXRacer]

if you want to clean the outside up, just wait until you have it back together again and then clean it because sure as shooting youll get it dirty again.

[A20A1]

plug the oil passages with cut up strips from a good sturdy rag (not ones that will leave a lot of fluff and loose threads)... or whipe clean the surface down and lay tape over the holes... Don't worry too much about getting stuff in the cooling passages... but you really need to make sure you get off all the old gasket material.

If you change the oil then do the oil pan gasket and whipe the base of the pan clean to get rid of the metallic bits that colllects there over time.

definately clean the block. Remove the Alternator and other electrical things so you can rinse the block down with water.

[dXsquared]

go buy about 5 cans off Brake Cleaner... its got a very high concentrate of alcohol and cleaner so it evaps real fast... just use it librally becuase it will all be gone when you go to wipe if you dont.. oh yah... its ok to get it in your oil and coolant passages because it would be best to warm the car up to operating temp, and then drain the oil flush it a few times with some kind of engine cleaner... then fill her back up with new oil and new filter to make shur you got all the gasket and dirt partices out of the oil...

Travis

[it's paid for]

. . . thanks for the useful suggestions . . . I guess it's okay to wear latex gloves when using brake fluid?

. . . without removing the oil pan, is it possible to get inside the pan to remove any gunk . . . I'm thinking of maybe using a magnet on the end of a flexible shaft that could fit inside the oil pan drain hole . . . to pick up any metal bits that have settled on the bottom of the pan . . . or perhaps I could scrape some of the gunk out using a small, flexible scraper, of some sort . . . ?

. . . also, this car has been sitting for almost two months . . . before turning the crankshaft (by hand), should I wipe some motor oil onto the cylinder walls? They look really dry and I imagine the rings scraping the walls of the dry cylinders isn't desireable . . . perhaps, I worry too much . . . it seems the more time & effort I invest in this car . . . the more I seem to want it to live again . . . at this point, after all I've been through, it will really be a miracle if the car gets put back together and actually runs . . .

thanks again,

IPF

[dXsquared]

dont use brake fluid... its brake cleaner... and brake fluid will eat through latex in NO time

Travis

[rocky2]

I suggest to clean area with non-abrasvive "hand cleaner" the tops of pistons will come clean. Put some on the top of pistons let sit till the morning,the carbon then could be wiped up. But since you have the head off,you may want to consider pullin out the rods and pistons with engine still in car. Because the ring gaps line up by themsel;ves. And your gonna need a ring compressor. It can really make the differance when you take the time to clean ring groves on the pistons and open up the tiny oil holes on the scraper rings on bottom of pistons,at this time you can also put new bearings and rings. I call it a hillbillie rebuild.

Its only 4 cylinders

[A20A1]

Don't forget to re-oil the bearrings if you remove the rods before puting them back together... assembly grease is good to.

[rocky2]

Taking pistons out is a one man job.

But when you go back it with them with engine still in car is a two man job. You have to have help when guiding rods onto crank,slightly hitting top of piston down with a wooden hammer handle as to not scrap crank.

[it's paid for]

But since you have the head off,you may want to consider pullin out the rods and pistons with engine still in car.
There's no doubt this should be done . . . and the hillbilly rebuild or actual rebuild would be great . . . I have no money & no time . . . I'm getting a job offer tomorrow or Thursday and I'd like to start work next week . . . somehow, doing the valve job will just have to do for now and later, perhaps this summer, I'll be able to do the rings and crank bearings . . .

. . . and yeah, I've heard all the negative things about doing the head without doing the rings too . . . so save it . . . this is how it's gotta be for now . . .

. . . brake cleaner, not brake fluid - got it . . .

Thanks,

IPF

[it's paid for]

I suggest to clean area with non-abrasvive "hand cleaner" the tops of pistons will come clean. Put some on the top of pistons let sit till the morning,the carbon then could be wiped up.
What type of hand cleaner should I use? Like Goop, or something similar? Would liquid Dial hand soap work? My engine is at an angle . . . is that okay if some of the soap gets on the cylinder walls - as long as I wipe it up really good with a clean, lint-free rag?

Thanks,

IPF