attworth Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 I've done a bit of searching and have a few questions. When removing the head from my car, it seems a good way to protect the block and head is to coat them in WD-40. Is it necessarry to clean the WD-40 off before reassembly? What about all the coolant and oil passages? Any special way to clean them out? Is there anything better to use? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzzzzzz Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 WD-40 will keep rust at bay. Drain oil/coolant as best you can. Spray it and bag it to keep crap out. I'm assuming you're going to rebuild properly? If not, I'd be inclined to clear all passages prior to reassembly. WD-40 tends to coagulate over time (fish oil based) so I'd clean it off prior to assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attworth Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 I'll be replacing the head with one I have on another motor. Prior to replacement I'm going to have the head checked and check the mating surface of the block as well as the cylinders. I will probably replace the timing chain as well (and associated pieces.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 While it's off you might want to look into some ARP studs just for good measure. What model head are you replacing it with? Yes clean the WD-40 off before reassembly. For proper torque it's good to clean the head bolt holes with a thread chaser and parts cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attworth Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 naviathan, I started another thread regarding the head I'm deciding to use. Do you think ARP studs will be necessary? I don't plan to make more than about 300hp if even that much. I was planning to use the stock turbo studs as sold by Courtesy Nissan (which is local.) The ARPs are about 4 times as much, and I'm not sure I'd ever be pushing enough power to warrant that cost. Although, I'm the newb here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowlerMonkey Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 WD40 will not keep rust at bay for more than a couple of days. Garbage bags, scissors, and tape is what I use. I use a heavier oil that is used in the aviation industry specifically for that. It's probably a bit like fogger oil for storing outboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 WD-40 tends to coagulate over time (fish oil based) Check out snopes et al, there have been emails about WD-40 being good for all sorts of things on a long list, and a reply from the WD-40 makers refuting about 2/3rds of them, WD-40 is actually Petroleum based. To keep the iron liner sleeves on my rover V8 clear I used CRC 5.56 to wipe down and clean them, then rubbed heavy lithum based grease over the bores. You'd be best to use a storage grease like cosmolene (check army surplus stores) or similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 How long are you planning on having them out for? Where are you storing them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theghosttanker Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 A lot of machine shops around here use red transmission fluid on their finished work. WD 40 is absolutely inadequate for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Cosmoline is available in spray cans (orange and black) at most good industrial hardware stores. LPS makes a wax-based preservative, that was used on aircraft in the tropics, which also works well. it all depends on what you are planning for storage duration. If it's a week, WD to drive out the water, then like mentioned 10Wt oil of some kind (or even motor oil) Anything more than a couple of days, knuckle under and buy some PROPER preservative oils that are persistent and STICK (this means it WILL be hard to clean off later!) Really, if you have a FRESH, HOT, CLEAN block (like out of the caustic dip and flush), the best thing you can do is PAINT the damn thing ASAP, and grease/oil everything else. I have seen blocks that were PINK because that was what they could get cheap. I have six cans of Cosmoline at home at all times. I have WD by the Gallon in manual sprayers, as well as PB Blaster. When in doubt, I brake-clean the thing, and liberally apply cosmoline. Then I go buy more. You never know what life will throw at you, and if you get sidelined for two years...you DO NOT want to come back to a rusted bore because you cheaped out on preservative! It will take 15 minutes more of cleaning with light solvent to clean off cosmoline that has waxed up and hardened compared to other things (you can grease over the cosmoline after it's waxed up, then bag it as mentioned above!) How long it gonna take to remachine and liner that bore...or surface grind and re-line-bore that journal gallery? A couple of ounces of prevention beats a pound of cure in this instance to be sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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