My initial cleaning consisted of using a Shark Steam Cleaner followed by use of mineral spirits and parts brush (parts done above/in a 4ft plastic kiddie pool).Conner wrote:Ray--
I'm planning to detail my engine before re-installing it. Could you (maybe in a new post) describe the steps and products you used to clean-up and detail your engine and transmission? It looks really nice.
After that I usually detergent pressure washed the parts to remove any residue.
The alum parts were given a very diluted acid etch & immediate rinse to brighten.
USE PROPER SAFETY WEAR !!!
Any alum that required polishing (valve cover /carb domes), Never Dull wadding was used.
The timing cover , being the most difficult to clean/brighten, was Goodson Aluminum Last Blasted.
Brass parts were given an acid etch to a bright finish.
Cad plated parts were given a clear coat of high temp engine enamel (with ceramic).
Block and oil pan done in high temp engine enamel (with ceramic).
Goodson Aluminum Last Blast and other engine products can be found at
http://www.goodson.com/
Eagle One Mag etching cleaner (for rough wheels) and Never Dull can be found at
http://www.eagleone.com/
Elbow grease can be found between the keyboard and the shoulders.

(p.s.) I was almost tempted to spray all the alum with Goodsons because it was such a deceiving finish product.
Ray B.