What should be used to clean old head gaskets off an aluminum head and block. I would think a wire brush or a scraper would ruin the surface. Any suggestions?

 

They make a spray on gasket remover that works good.

 

I use chemical stuff first and then a razor blade to get off the residue.

Rich

 

If you're worried about hurting the metal when you scrape it, you can get one of those plastic knives in the same section of the hardware store where you can find spackle.

 

If you have a right angle die grinder that you use roloc disc in to clean other surfaces, 3M makes a rubber roloc with a bunch of rubber fingers designed just for this task of removing gasket material from aluminum surfaces. It does not work nearly as fast as the 3M pad type rolocs but it's better than nothing and cleans the surface alot quicker than scraping manually.

 

thanks we ended up using the 3m scotch bright pads under advise from a local machine shop and it worked perfectly

 

thats what I used on my heads. I have always heard that or a car Ice scraper.