I need to remove some corrosion from the head-mating surfaces of an ea82 block. Don't really want (able) to spring for a redeck, so what is the second best way to clean up the surface? A redeck leaves a certain amount of machining "tooth", so I assume I also need to do so.

 

Suggestions from the mavins, please.

I'm thinking perhaps the use of a pneumatic surface prep tool. Angle grinder with 3m Roloc pad chucked in it.

 

Bring it down to the shop and I may be able to help you with it.

Is it actually pitted? I use a "soft" wire wheel in a die grinder myself - it doesn't touch the aluminium other than polishing it a bit.

 

Thick peice of glass that you can wrap wet-dry paper around - at least large enough to span the length and width of the deck and a little more to insure it's brought down evenly. 180 should give a good surface finish.

 

GD

I used a hone (or stone). Same as you would buy for sharpening a knife. It's what is used for prepping mating surfaces in the turbine industry (AMHIK!). Measures something like 6"x2"x1", one side is coarse, and the other is fine. Pull the alignment pins from the heads/block, it will make doing this a lot easier. Use the coarse if you MUST to remove stuck gasket or knock down any nicks/gouges, be sure to end with the fine side before putting it all together. Be sure and use some sort of lube (wd-40 or kroil) and clean all the oils off before assembly, I used brakeclean and clean rags. Be sure to be as even and flat as possible when doing this and use a "wax on wax off" motion or "figure 8" to not make lines, but circles. Hope this helps. Spencer

Thanks for the responses, guys.

 

Sorry. should have mentioned that the corrosion was from the shortblock having been poorly stored for a couple years. Not really pitted, but the corrosion is a little more than purely surface, scrub-off-with-a-scotchbrite-pad.

 

Charlie (sp?), which shop and when? (The meds the witchdocs have me on really screw with my memory...)

.... 180 should give a good surface finish.

 

GD

GD, thanks for this information, specifically.