Hey Guys,

I'm working on my first head gasket change and I'm wondering what you all use to resurface the head gasket mating surfaces. I bought a grey 3m scotch brite disc to hook up to my power drill but after testing in a small area it seems like it may be a little too strong. Am I wussing out here or am I doing damage? Here is the image of the disc I bought.

i find thos discs work good on removing surface rust.
you could use a fine soft wire wheel brush to clean off the old gaskets.
you probably could use a fine grit sandpaper also. iv always used a sharp razer blade to scrape off the old gaskets and such. but carefull enough not to leave marks in the metal.
then i use a fine grit paper to freshen up the surface.

The correct method is to use nothing more than a SHARP razor blade. You will need a package of blades as they dull up quickly (I like the utility knife blades as they are thicker and stronger). You just need to get the old material off, not the stains. The stains will not affect sealing.

Sand paper (of any grit) is not recommended, nor are sanding discs or 3M roloc discs. The abrasive grit they leave behind can be very damaging to the engine bearings...and the grit WILL get into the oil drain holes, cylinders, coolant ports, ect.

It takes a sharp eye and a bright light to make sure all the old matterial is off, but don't confuse stains with old gasket matterial.

[This message has been edited by 1fatcat (edited 09-25-2011).]

aaah, I was confusing the stains for material. I couldn't feel it with my fingernail but my instinct tells me that if I can see it, remove it.

So the pic below shows the stains, should I keep scraping with my razorblade? I will clean up with 91% alcohol and a lint-free cloth before I'm done. I'm also going to pour some oil into the cylinders, let them drain, then wipe off the walls with a lint free cloth and then pour some more oil in, do the same thing, turn the engine over a few times and then clean off the cylinder walls and drain the oil. Any other recommendations?



Thanks!

[This message has been edited by JamesCurtis (edited 09-25-2011).]