i bought a set of used trickflows and then painted them with black engine enamel. they are pretty dirty from the carbon but nothing absolutly horrible and i was just wodnering if they would need to be cleaned throughly (hottanked i think it might be called?) and if so would that also clean off all my paint? the paint isnt a huge deal but just something i would like to know.

 

brake cleaner...tape off the paint.

 

see ya round stek

 

There is oven cleaner that is safe to use on aluminum. Use that. It did a fantastic job on my intake manifold!

Maybe try putting them in your dishwasher too, that works really nice!

 

good thinkin with the dishwasher trick. i just wonder if the rack will hold up to the weight
do you know if that over cleaner will strip the paint as well?

 

Why would you paint aluminum heads in the first place?

 

because i wanted them to look black instead of alumnium

 

Don't let your mom or wife catch you with car parts in the dishwasher. And don't ask me how I learned this

But if you can get away with it, use the bottom rack. It holds weight easier.

I think Easy-Off is the oven cleaner but read that label first and see if it is safe for aluminum.

 

Yes, use the bottom rack and only do one head at a time. Mine seemed 'stressed' holding my intake and a few other parts, and the weight was probably about what one head was.

Set it for the heaviest wash load you can, and use the most powerful detergent you can. It might take off paint, but I don't know, none of the parts I did had paint on them.

Oven cleaner will likely take the paint off though, or at least substantially weaken it and make it easier to take off.

MAKE SURE ITS SAFE FOR ALUMINUM!!! Most oven cleaners aren't safe on aluminum!!

 

just an update....havent cleaned them yet but im going to try the brake cleaner and then go out and buy some over cleaner thats safe for alumnium but just bringing it to the top...anyone else have any suggestions.

also, i cant take my valve springs off so they will have to be cleaned with the valve still in. will they get cleaned well enough, like at the seats etc?

 

Removing valve springs isn't hard. A simple tool is all it requires (the heads being not bolted to an engine, a C-clamp compressor may be best).

 

youre right but i dont have the c clamp compressor only the cheap kind that mount to the studs. well it doesnt work and the c clamp type are $90. i wont be using it that often and i have many many many MANY other things (such as promags) that need to be bought first...you know that

 

I bought a C-clamp from sears for about $20....

 

a c clamp compressor? if so then ill have to check it out. the only ones ive seen were around the $90 (such as in jegs etc)