Alright, tomorrow morning I am going to spray engine degreaser all over a 350 TBI longblock that I picked up. I'll rinse it off and that should take care of all the dirt and grime. I would like to paint the block though, as the factory paint is faded in most places. What can I do to prep the block or strip the old paint off? Aside from hot tanking the block, or sitting there with a drill and wirewheel for a couple of hours, is there anything I can do to strip the paint?

 

power washer or car wash

 

Yup, the quarter car wash.

Buy a few cams of Permatex 4MA Gasket Remover; spray that on it, and let it soak for a while; then blast it real good.

 

brake cleaner man....it works wonders, it wil even strip the old paint for ya...

 

Easy-off Oven cleaner!

 

Sounds goofy, but you'd be suprised as to how well this stuf really works.

 

I third the oven cleaner. It doesent even matter which brand either. You could use dollar store crap and it still works great.

 

Careful with that stuff. The sodium hydroxide in it attacks some types of paints and plastics. Other then that it really takes **** off.

 

ive always used brake cleaner and never had a problem removing the toughest old paint or grime thats built up on an engine ....ive also used oven cleaner and had awsome results just make sure you dont eat your seals or gaskets up ....it sucks ...to have that happen..

 

What would work well safely for the motor of a daily driver. I think I had a power steering fluid leak, and there's gunk on the hoses and on some of the front end parts below. I would like to get it cleaned off.

 

Well, I had spoken with KingTal0n about it, and I ended up following his advice. I sprayed the crap out of it with engine brite degreaser, scrubbed everything with a wire brush, rinsed it off, and did it again. When it was clean, I dampened a cotton rag with pure acetone, and rubbed the whole block. Then I just went ahead and painted the block. Came out very nice, and the paint looks like it stuck very very well. I'll see if I post some pics when I get a chance.