Well, my gold maverick's block has been filthy since I bought it. With the amount of caked on oil and where it's collecting it has to be the Valve cover gasket leaking. There's oil sitting around the spark plugs! I can't change them for fear of it running in after they're out. Is the job simple enough for me to do? How can I clean off the block? This is the beginning of the overhaul to make it a daily driver and I figured I should start there.
You can get yourself a can of engine shampoo and clean the engine before you start your repairs. Just keeep in mind old ignition parts dont like engine shampoos. If its due for cap and wires then shampoo it off and do the oil leaks,plugs and wires all at once.
Changing that valver cover gasket is a simple fix. unplug the vacuum line to the pcv valve and remove the bolts that hold the cover to the head. Once they are out you will need to persuade that cover to release from the old gaskets. I used a wooden hammer on mine last week and dented both covers. (Not a good thing) someone may have a better way. I like neoprene (as opposed to cork) gaskets as they are re-usable and don't need to be glued on.
Tow it up to the car wash and use the degreaser. It along with the pressure washer will make it like new!!!!
Call me old school but I like cork gaskets better. A thin skin of ol' Permatex #2 on both sides of the gasket to hold'em in place and re-toque the bolts (3-5 ft. lbs) after they relax and you're good to go
I will never clean a block again without using OVER CLEANER! I took my 302 to the car wash and pressure washed with 1200psi and it wouldnt not come clean, the gunk was caked and baked on. I then bought 4 cans of over cleaner let it sit for 20min and used a garden hose then repainted the motor.
So to be clear for my own peace of mind- I would Bag up the distributor and carb/air cleaner, spray the gunk with oven cleaner and set the hose on it then when done with that I'd replace the cap and wires (I was planning on doing that anyway. I already have the parts) and change the gasket? Also how many pounds do I torque the bolts to?
See post #5 (3 to 5 ft lbs). Almost hand tight, little more than finger tight. Use a nut driver if you don't have a small toque wrench.
I know this post is a bit old, but I have another question. Is the oven cleaner safe to use on the hoses and all that stuff? The gunk is everywhere. On the fuel pump, ignition coil, p/s pump etc.
You should be ok using oven cleaner on all those parts .. Oven cleaner works best when you can get the metal warm even from the sun. Spray the cleaner on let it set for a short time use a wire brush to loosen up some hard bake on grease . Then wash off if motor still dirty respray cleaner and repete.. Jay
First I would set my engine up for a high idle. Then I would drive the car to a car wash early in the morning. Then spray on a degreaser. You could use oven cleaner but it will ruin paint so keep the outside metal hosed down cause the fan will throw it every where. After it sits for a while, start the car up. While its running use the pressure wash to start cleaning. The engine will bog a little if you start getting too much water where you shouldn't but if your ignition system is in good shape, you will not have a problem. After all the cleaning and rinsing is done, it will totally dry out on the drive home. And be kind to the next person. Once you pull your car out, rinse all the grime off the concrete pad so the next guy dont drive through it. If you do this at home, you have a big mess to clean up when your done.
What will the oven cleaner do to aluminum? I'm in the process of cleaning up some aluminum valve covers that have been painted a couple of times. Used oven cleaner on a small area yesterday, washed it off immediately and didn't notice any bad effects.
