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Thread: 1953 263 engine block cooling cleanout

  1. #1
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    1953 263 engine block cooling cleanout

    I have a 1953 263 that I bought recently. When I opened the coolant block drain petcock, nothing came out. I removed the petcock and stick a screwdriver in the hole and it only went in about 1/2 inch, with black stuff in there that I chiseled at that was hard as a rock and got the screwdriver to go in an inch - I can chisel away more at it, but this only cleans it out by the petcock mounting hole. On the non-rebuildable engine I'm replacing, the same screwdriver easily goes in the petcock hole up to the handle without hitting anything - 4 or 5 inches. I'd like thoughts on how to clean out this hard sediment at the bottom of the engine block's water-jacket. I don't want to take it to a shop to be boiled out. It has not been put in the car yet. Should I pop out the frost plugs to gain more access?....or is there an easier way?
    Dave

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by outbdnut View Post
    I have a 1953 263 that I bought recently. When I opened the coolant block drain petcock, nothing came out. I removed the petcock and stick a screwdriver in the hole and it only went in about 1/2 inch, with black stuff in there that I chiseled at that was hard as a rock and got the screwdriver to go in an inch - I can chisel away more at it, but this only cleans it out by the petcock mounting hole. On the non-rebuildable engine I'm replacing, the same screwdriver easily goes in the petcock hole up to the handle without hitting anything - 4 or 5 inches. I'd like thoughts on how to clean out this hard sediment at the bottom of the engine block's water-jacket. I don't want to take it to a shop to be boiled out. It has not been put in the car yet. Should I pop out the frost plugs to gain more access?....or is there an easier way?
    Dave
    No easy way. Even if you take the block a shop, the glorified dishwasher and silly soap that they have to use won't hardly take off the paint let alone the rust and that "stuff" in the water jacket. And, in the water jacket is the most important place that you want to get CLEAN! Otherwise, you will have a hot engine all the time. What to do? Get a 50 gal barrel. About 30 lbs of caustic soda, or lye. Set up the barrel up so that you can get a little propane barbie' (as in, que!), put about 1lb of soda to 1gal of water. Strip the block, don't forget the cam bearings. Load the barrel, you could even put some simple green in as well, rember the displacement value of the block, don't fill to the top just enough to cover the block. Start the burner and heat to about boiling or thereof, that mixture will eat all the crap out of the block and leave you with bare iron. Keep an eye on it. This is basicly a old skool hot tank. A lot of trouble to be sure, but when you are working with 70-80 year old engines, ya gotta do what ya got to do! Now, the powers that be really don't like us rebuilding that "old junk", we're 'post to go buy a new Honda....mmm, not me. Alleycat

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by alleycatoo View Post
    No easy way. Even if you take the block a shop, the glorified dishwasher and silly soap that they have to use won't hardly take off the paint let alone the rust and that "stuff" in the water jacket. And, in the water jacket is the most important place that you want to get CLEAN! Otherwise, you will have a hot engine all the time. What to do? Get a 50 gal barrel. About 30 lbs of caustic soda, or lye. Set up the barrel up so that you can get a little propane barbie' (as in, que!), put about 1lb of soda to 1gal of water. Strip the block, don't forget the cam bearings. Load the barrel, you could even put some simple green in as well, rember the displacement value of the block, don't fill to the top just enough to cover the block. Start the burner and heat to about boiling or thereof, that mixture will eat all the crap out of the block and leave you with bare iron. Keep an eye on it. This is basicly a old skool hot tank. A lot of trouble to be sure, but when you are working with 70-80 year old engines, ya gotta do what ya got to do! Now, the powers that be really don't like us rebuilding that "old junk", we're 'post to go buy a new Honda....mmm, not me. Alleycat
    That method will remove paint, oil and sludge, but will do nothing to any mineral deposits from hard water or to rust. Acid will, but that is too hard to control and neutralize. "Reverse plating" --- using DC current will work...using car batteries is slow and high amperage/high voltage DC is not feasible.

  4. #4
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    How about finding a shop that does thermal cleaning? Heating the block to 750 degrees, then putting it in a shot blaster.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by shoprat View Post
    How about finding a shop that does thermal cleaning? Heating the block to 750 degrees, then putting it in a shot blaster.
    The real problem with that method is: the shot blasting. I have seen a few blocks that have had that done, every machined surface is beat almost to death, and rods that have been "done", there's almost nothing left to machine. WAY too scarry for me to even think about it! Shot peening and shot blasting are very different processes, I do all my own shot peening just because it's so important it's done correctly. But shot blasting...you better have nerve...Alleycat

  6. #6

    Coolant

    Quote Originally Posted by outbdnut View Post
    I have a 1953 263 that I bought recently. When I opened the coolant block drain petcock, nothing came out. I removed the petcock and stick a screwdriver in the hole and it only went in about 1/2 inch, with black stuff in there that I chiseled at that was hard as a rock and got the screwdriver to go in an inch - I can chisel away more at it, but this only cleans it out by the petcock mounting hole. On the non-rebuildable engine I'm replacing, the same screwdriver easily goes in the petcock hole up to the handle without hitting anything - 4 or 5 inches. I'd like thoughts on how to clean out this hard sediment at the bottom of the engine block's water-jacket. I don't want to take it to a shop to be boiled out. It has not been put in the car yet. Should I pop out the frost plugs to gain more access?....or is there an easier way?
    Dave
    Yep. Pull the head. Remove the casting [freeze] plugs and pick and poke away. How I did two different engines. MOST of the gunk will be at the back of the engine. Patience required.

    Ben

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by firstofeight View Post
    Yep. Pull the head. Remove the casting [freeze] plugs and pick and poke away. How I did two different engines. MOST of the gunk will be at the back of the engine. Patience required.

    Ben

    Are the freeze plugs readily available as a common generic size?
    Dave

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by outbdnut View Post
    Are the freeze plugs readily available as a common generic size?
    Dave
    Not standard sizes. Available from CARS, Inc, an old Buick parts supplier in NJ.

    Ben

  9. #9
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    Thanks Ben, I'll order some freeze plugs.

    Dave

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