Block prep thread

I will be doing my headgaskets in the very near future, and have done a LOT of reading and research on this. I will be using ARP's and OEM Ford headgaskets. I have found a local machine shop to go through the heads, and they do quite a bit of 6.0 heads, so I'm confident they can do a good job.

The one area I always seem to get mixed answers or some answers that don't seem so solid is on block preparation.

So what have you guys done or what would you recommend for prepping the block surface to do a headgasket job? Obviously the best option would be having the block itself decked, but honestly that just seems completely unrealistic for most of us DIY'ers. This also isn't going to be a 1000hp build here, I just want to keep my gaskets in tact running a tuner, maybe in the next year upgrade injector/turbo to something like a 175/190cc and a powermax. Nothing too crazy.

So let's hear it...

Use ford metal surface prep part number ZC -A-31. Than brass scrappers. The surface prep stuff will get everywhere so use q tips to get it out of cooling tallies.

What is it? A cleaner of some sort? This is the first I've even heard of this... amazing how many different approaches there are. So you don't recommend any type of sanding or....? I guess I need more clarification as to what this prep part number includes...

That P/N doesn't come up in Tousley's website search either...

No idea who this tousle character is but he sounds not up to date. Call ford dealer and ask for it. Comes in a huge metal can with brush. Brush it on thick. Let it sit for a few than carefully scrap away. Almost no pressure. It will take about 4 passes each side with the compound.

I had my heads decked, block sanded the block and the exhaust manifolds. Both are holding up great and its been two years.



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The ZC-A-31 is a chemical gasket cleaner/remover.

FX4 F2-Fifty said:

I had my heads decked, block sanded the block and the exhaust manifolds. Both are holding up great and its been two years.

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The guy that is helping just did his heads too and that's the method he used. I am not opposed to it, guess I'm just looking for ideas. Thanks for the input.

CTC DEEZUL said:

No idea who this tousle character is but he sounds not up to date. Call ford dealer and ask for it. Comes in a huge metal can with brush. Brush it on thick. Let it sit for a few than carefully scrap away. Almost no pressure. It will take about 4 passes each side with the compound.

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http://www.tousleyfordparts.com/ They're one of the cheapest places I've seen to get OEM Ford parts...

Thanks for the info on the Ford cleaner, never heard of it before now. Any idea of the cost of it? I'll probably get it and try it out if it's not too crazy priced.

G Racing said:

The ZC-A-31 is a chemical gasket cleaner/remover.

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Awesome, thanks.


So that's it, you guys just glob this on, let it sit, scrape if off with something soft I'm assuming, and then repeat until the block is clean? That's it?

He said " brass scraper" which would be soft so Thats what I would try.

Yeah I got that part... just wasn't sure if there was more to it or not. So this is just going to remove old gasket material, what about imperfections in the block though? They do get pitting from coolant contamination...

Fords procedure says a plastic scrapper, but as long as you use even pressure, and only a little bit, you can use brass... you dont want to remove the 'stains' in the block, just the gasket material.. It should take you about an hour each side.

I assume you saw this thread over on PSN.---->http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95759&highlight=block+prep

In that thread is a vid of a Ford tech using a piece of flat bar stock. I would really like to know more about this method.

There are a couple links in that thread to some other block prep discussions. The thread I linked to is the most "comprehesive" I've seen, which isn't saying much. Just be sure to ignore those advocating the use of cookie wheels.

If all else fails, give Doug a call and report back to us. I'd like to hear what method he prefers these days.

Yea I stopped suggesting the cookie wheel I realized some people arent able to do it correctly so Im not going to try to convert...

as to my method I use.... I cannot say, it depends....

CTC DEEZUL said:

Yea I stopped suggesting the cookie wheel I realized some people arent able to do it correctly so Im not going to try to convert...

as to my method I use.... I cannot say, it depends....

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LOL

I agree, a cookie wheel in the wrong hands is a dangerous thing. By all rights, you shouldn't be able to fawk up a deck with one. But there's a few people around that are dumber than a bag of hammers and could fawk up said bag of hammers with a wiffle bat.:morons:

haha, definately agree!!!

Appreciate the input guys. I will read through that thread some more on PSN. Doug was one person I wanted to contact about this actually, just haven't done so yet. I see he's not really on the forums very much anymore either...

Appreciate all the input guys. I can probably get a really flat piece of material here from work. I really just don't want to have to do this job again, or at least not for a long time.

I tried the piece of flat stock... I didnt like it...

I used key stock approximate 1/2 square covered in fine grit emery cloth. I cleaned the cyl out after I was done.


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CTC DEEZUL said:

I tried the piece of flat stock... I didnt like it...

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Can you elaborate? Was it a piece of bar stock that had been milled flat or ??? What didn't you like about it?

wetnsloppy4x said:

Can you elaborate? Was it a piece of bar stock that had been milled flat or ??? What didn't you like about it?

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Yes, please elaborate on this...

wetnsloppy4x said:

I assume you saw this thread over on PSN.---->http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95759&highlight=block+prep

In that thread is a vid of a Ford tech using a piece of flat bar stock. I would really like to know more about this method.

There are a couple links in that thread to some other block prep discussions. The thread I linked to is the most "comprehesive" I've seen, which isn't saying much. Just be sure to ignore those advocating the use of cookie wheels.

If all else fails, give Doug a call and report back to us. I'd like to hear what method he prefers these days.

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I actually posted in this thread way back when... seems like no one ever agreed on a method! I think I'm just going to call Doug up.