[Vwdiesel] Headgasket--Solvents

[Gerry Wolfe]

Maybe this is the the same thing as in woodworking with scrapers... creates
a bit of a burr on one side, removes an extremely thin shaving... much finer
than a plane would even remove.

rgds, g

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erik Lane" <erikjlane at yahoo.com>
To: <vwdiesel at audifans.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2005 12:22
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Headgasket--Solvents


> One neat bodyman's trick is to bend the razor's blade edge
> a bit. Take it to a piece of glass and flex the blade up
> against it a few times on one side only. You won't be able
> to see the difference on the blade but it will make a HUGE
> difference with how it bites. It won't dig into the metal
> on the one side, but if you have it where the very edge
> curls downwards, then it will bite really hard. (I guess if
> you use a microscope you might be able to see the
> difference.)
>
> If you do that and then use it carefully you can even
> remove stuff from the top of a painted surface without
> damaging the paint. It takes patience and a steady hand,
> tho. And it HAS to be a new blade.
>
> I guess it might not matter that much on the iron block,
> but on the aluminum head I would be at least a bit careful.
>
> Erik
> --- SLATERSFB at aol.com wrote:
>
> > I use one of those small stainless steel wire brushes
> > with plastic handle &
> > brake cleaner or carb cleaner. Leaves sort of swirly
> > finish which I figured
> > would crush microscopically to conform to gasket. Look
> > under microscope at
> > brushed surface - looks like mountains & valleys.
> >
> > Bob in NY
> >
> >
> > ***********************
> >
> > > Use whatever you can find, and clean it well.
> > > I actually CAREFULLY, shaved the head with a single
> > edge razor blade in one
> > > of those blade holders used to de-paint window glass.
> > To get some of the
> > > nasty gasket crap off.
> >
> >     Some rebuilders are going for "ground" heads, which
> > look like a
> >     heavy bead blasting.  This surface "bites" into the
> > head
> >     gasket, and prevents burnishing of the gasket
> > surface.  The
> >     burnishing is thought to contribute to head gasket
> > failure,
> >     by creating a smoother, sliding surface.
> >
> >     Check with the recommendations of the provider of
> > your head
> >     gasket.  THe manufacturers don't want to say that
> > their gasket
> >     won't work on a certain surface, but in seminars,
> > some are
> >     recommending head surfaces machined a certain way.
> >
> >     Having said all that, every cylinder head gasket I've
> > installed
> >     on a VW cyl head, has been with the smooth surface,
> > or a lightly
> >     reground surface, with appears almost mirror smooth
> > (if that's
> >     possible with Al).  The one I'm doing this spring
> > will be done
> >     the "new" way.
> >
> >     Recent gasser cyl heads have been the "new" way, and
> > without
> >     near-term failures.  The gasket manufacturers claim
> > that the rough
> >     surface prep is more critical in a diesel gasket.
> > One manufacturer
> >     rep indicated that the majority of gasket "failure"
> > complaints
> >     they get are on diesels, which account for less than
> > 6% of their
> >     sales.
> >
> > > BE SURE to vacuum the bolt holes after cleaning to
> > remove crud and solvent
> > > that fell in.
> > > I Highly recommend 2 or 3 rinses of the bolt holes with
> > solvent,  and
> > > chasing the threads with an old bolt with a slot cut
> > down the side like a
> > > tap.
> >
> >     Also consider cutting an "X" in the tip of the bolt,
> > to help
> >     loosen up stuff that collects in the bottom of bolt
> > holes.
> >
> >   Brake cleaner, and the straw that comes with the can,
> > are
> >     great things.  Compressed air is really pretty handy
> > as well.
> >
> > >
> > > I had crud in the bottom of a couple of the holes in
> > mine that I had to
> > > scrape loose with a screwdriver. Then more rinsing with
> > solvent till clear.
> > >
> > > As my wife the nurse would say, "enema until clear"
> > :^)
> >
> >     Scary.
> >
> >     Val
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Sandy
> > > -____
> > >
> > > Much too much information...
> > > LOL!
> > >
> > > -James
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Vwdiesel mailing list
> > Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
> >
>
>
>
>
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