Gasket Scraping Tips?

[GSequoia]

Rear main (sucks!).

Anyway, got the pan all cleaned up but need to do the block, anybody got any great tips for making that a little easier? That OEM gasket material is like JB Weld!

On a side not the main bearing at the rear and the oil pump pickup screen look great (thanks Valvoline full synth!)...I'll probably check a rod bearingi too - maybe not, might not want to know what they look like!

Sequoia

 

[Yucca-Man]

I haven't tried it on the oilpan, but I've got a can of Gasket Remover floating around in my garage someplace. It dissolved gasket remnants off the exhaust manifold gasket and eats RTV off diff covers pretty nicely. Being underneath it, you may want to test-spray into a cloth first and apply it that way...

 

[5-90]

Scotch-brite - get those little (~2") pads that chuck onto your drill. Second choice - paint stripper wheels (kinda rigid & spongy, about 1/2" by 5" or so.) Third choice - a small (~2-3") brass wheel brush. I've got all of them - watch around at Sears and some parts houses for the brass brushes, you can find them for about $1 each and when I see them I clean them out! Many uses...

5-90

 

[tm999xxx]

I just did mine last week...gasket remover (spray on ) small wire brush and a scraper

 

[rockwerks]

razor blade scraper worked for me on the ol 89 motor. fast and easy and no fumes! LOL

 

[8Mud]

I´ve had pretty good luck with Aceton, softens the gasket, but evaporates fast. I keep a selection of wood chisels (keep them sharp), better control than puddy knifes. But you have to be carefull on aluminum.
Also had pretty good luck with penetrating oil on baked on composion gaskets.
And an assortment of brass brushes.

 

[bajacalal]

Anyway, got the pan all cleaned up but need to do the block, anybody got any great tips for making that a little easier? That OEM gasket material is like JB Weld!

Get the razor blade on a stick tool. Looks like a screwdrive w/ a razor blade on the end. Works very well for all sorts of things. Also, gasket remover, coleman fuel (use it as a solvent and for cleaning bolts, good for rtv) the potscrubber things that are steel (steel shreds, not steel wool) and aluminum foil in ball works good for me for aluminum stuff like the thermostat housing.

 

[XJXJ]

I've found a torch + scraper helpful on stubborn gaskets. Just beware of fire risks with oil/fuel around and use a degreaser 1st.

 

[PaulJ]

Razor blades. You don't want to polute your engine internals by flinging bits of gasket around.

 

[Sparkman]

Single-edged razor blades. I hold them in my fingers or use a window scraper handle. The gasket remover stuff is awesome!

 

[twardnw]

I used a small wood chisel, a putty knife with the edge sharpened helps a lot. I had mine off for probly 2 1/2 weeks total, and I noticed that after it being exposed that long the gasket actually softened up on its own quite a bit

 

[Johnny V]

Another vote for wood chisel! Spray gasket with brake cleaner or carb cleaner let soak, then scrape.

 

[explorer]

Scotch-brite - get those little (~2") pads that chuck onto your drill. Second choice - paint stripper wheels (kinda rigid & spongy, about 1/2" by 5" or so.) Third choice - a small (~2-3") brass wheel brush. I've got all of them - watch around at Sears and some parts houses for the brass brushes, you can find them for about $1 each and when I see them I clean them out! Many uses...

5-90

These all work great for contaminating your engine w/ abrasive and other fibrous gasket material.

Use a ridgid scraper. And use the one piece metal reinforced rubber gasket on reassembly. It will be a lot easier next time that way, and if your careful, you can reuse it.

 

[5-90]

Somehow, I don't have any trouble with that. Probably because I 1) mind the rotation of the tool and make sure I don't throw anything IN to the engine; and 2) I given everything a flush before I put it all together to make sure there isn't anything in there. I didn't mention those parts since I figured everyone here would think of that on their own...

5-90

 

[8Mud]

I´ve got the vacuum cleaner nozzle in the left hand and the scrapper in the right. Keeps about 90% of the stuff out of the motor. It used to take longer for clenaup than the actually gasket replacement. Vacuuming as you go, really saves a lot of time.

 

[explorer]

5-90, Just wanted to make a note of the potential for bad things. If your careful about how you do it fine. But I'm sure you've also seen those who aren't.