hot tanking a block

[Bkpigs]

If I get my block hot tanked, will it remove all the paint or just the gunk?

 

[kencombs]

It will be bare cast iron. And will need further cleaning and rinsing to get the junk out of all the oil passages.

 

[T.R.K.]

You need to ask the shop doing the work. The old stuff took off everything. They might be using something gentler now.

 

[Janicholson]

Agreed. Pulling the 1/8" pipe plugs in the oil galleries is part of that deal. (they should have taken them out (or when they prep it)) to assure clean oiling. Be sure they go back in. Some are inside the crank case, some are on the outside. Some engines have 6 or more, some have none, but radically important. Jim

 

[DoubleO7]

Depends on the equipment being used by the shop.
Some of the more "modern" machines are a big cabinet that has a rotary table upon which the block is placed.
The cabinet is clamped to seal.
Then like a big dishwasher it sprays and heats and rotates the block, etc.
Goes thru several different cycles before it is done.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

I had one done for an M Farmall. It came back shiny and silver colored. Pressure cleaned through all oil and anti-freeze ports. It cost me $300.00 and I was
good with that price for the quality of work. Ellis

 

[Duner Wi]

Assortment of rifle cleaning brushes seem to help. Just because it looks pretty on the outside doesn't guarantee the inside is perfect.

 

[rustred]

it will come out clean cast color . must be completely bare when soaking, sleeves and plugs and all.

 

[gene bender]

If the block is an I-H they coated the inside with a paint to stop the cast from "flacking" and boiling the block will remove it and it should be painted again to stop the process

 

[Janicholson]

This is that stuff. Jim
Glyptal

 

[Dennis Minn]

BKPigs,

I have built a few engines, and had a few hot-tanked. Be very careful making any assumption. I was disappointed when I was flipping the block over after a hot-tank treatment. All the soft plugs were knocked into the block and left there. I heard the rattle.

After that, (1980ish) I agree with all others that said to remove any and all passage plugs and clean the passages yourself. If nothing else, peace of mind.

D.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I've had a couple done. If the engine has an aluminum tag with drive screws they will disappear. I talked to an engine guy about glyptal he said only if you can get it really clean. It helps oil flow but think it's more to seal any grit that might be on new castings.

 

[showcrop]

I have had a few done. Every time they have removed the plugs and after cleaning installed new ones. Careful checking revealed no short cuts. This was with four different shops.

 

[John M]

Any fluids to clean good were outlawed here, and Im sure in other places. Now all anyone can use is hot water and soap. There area few specialty places that will clean anything, but its very expensive.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 16:38:11 05/18/20) Any fluids to clean good were outlawed here, and Im sure in other places. Now all anyone can use is hot water and soap. There area few specialty places that will clean anything, but its very expensive.

John, they probably used to use chlorinated hydrocarbon which was banned. It was the same as the old Gunk. Now they would be using potassium hydroxide which will take your skin right off but is used for many aggressive cleaners such as oven cleaner. It will strip all old grease and paint off no problem.

 

[John M]

I believe that was the federal ban. This was a state deal. I don't exactly recall now what some were using, but it was toxic to some microbe in the artic (sarcasm), so state banned it too. There are a coupleof companies around that have a "special" permit to use toxic chemicals for cleaning, but its too strong for engine parts. BLocks would come out spotless, but it is so expensive, like 400 or so for a block. It got to a point where we just cleaned blocks with oven cleaner and a pressure washer, then washed out the oil passages and stuff.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 03:30:04 05/19/20) I believe that was the federal ban. This was a state deal. I don't exactly recall now what some were using, but it was toxic to some microbe in the artic (sarcasm), so state banned it too. There are a coupleof companies around that have a "special" permit to use toxic chemicals for cleaning, but its too strong for engine parts. BLocks would come out spotless, but it is so expensive, like 400 or so for a block. It got to a point where we just cleaned blocks with oven cleaner and a pressure washer, then washed out the oil passages and stuff.

John, I bet that you are thinking of the Chlorinated hydro carbon ban. Everybody loved how the old Gunk worked but it was extremely toxic to various plants and animals in very low concentrations.

 

[Bkpigs]

Thanks everyone. Maybe I should just clean the oil passages myself and call it good enough.