removing head gasket

[shrapnel]

What is the best (and safest) way to clean up the block from the head gasket crud?

[cordes]

I use acetone and a copper wired brush to clean them up. Perhaps throw a little brake cleaner at it if you want too.

[chilort]

Is the engine still in the car with all of the pistons still installed?

If it is, I take a cotton rag and get it kind of sloppy with oil and wipe down the cylinder walls. Then I put paper towels down in the cylinders in a way that should collect most of anything that falls in.

I tape up using blue masking tape all of the water passages and what not as best I can.

Then I carefully use a razor. We have a ceramic cook top that we clean with a razor so I have lots of practice.

Then I take of the tape and try to clean up around the water passages while trying to get a little funk down in them as possible.

I wipe the mating surface down with something like brake fluid, though I've also used acetone.

Finally, I take the paper towels out of the cylinders and wipe them down with the oily rag again.

[Username]

I do the same with the oily rags in the cylinders for the crud to cling to, and whatever the razor blade won't get through I hit real lightly with an air angle grinder and a surfacing pad, then I wipe it down with brake kleen, just make sure it's all evaporated before tossing the head gasket back on. Don't forget to clean out the head bolt holes as well, if you don't have a clean out, taking an old bolt and grinding the threads off on each side at a tapered angle length wise along the bolt works alright, then sop up all the crud and oil in the holes with a bunch of q-tips.