Clean off old gasket material/crap from the block while the engine is still in the car? My wimpy air compressor won't support a grinder. Can anyone with some experience speak up?

 

better to scrape the gaskets off anyway. Putty knives don't work too well, but razor blade scrapers do. If you want to see one intended for this, go to summitracing.com and search part number WMR-W233. I prefer something with a shorter handle, and you can find good ones at Lowe's or Home Depot.

 

Ditto, above.

Try to keep as much of the old stuff out of the bores and the lifter valley as possible. Stuffing rags in the bore and laying them in the bottom of the lifter valley is a good idea. You'll always get some crud in it anyway, but try to be as clean as you can.

Always cover an open motor with a clean sheet or plastic if you're going to walk away from it for more than an hour. Dust, dirt and crud goes flying around a shop when you least expect it.

 

which gasket anyway?

yea, an exacto knife/box cutter is what I use. Don't gouge into your aluminum parts if you can avoid it. I use a wire brush chucked up in my drill on cast iron surfaces. (and aluminum, but shhh, don't tell anybody...)

 

Thats what I was thinking of doing. I want to get the mating surfaces as clean as possible.

 

If you've got aluminum parts and don't trust yourself not to gouge 'em, a small piece of Lexan works wonders, I used 'em all the time working in aviation. Cut out a rectangle maybe 2" by 4", then use a belt sander to grind one of the short edges at about a 30-40 degree angle.

 

The only thing aluminum is the intake and I already have it cleaned up.

 

I went to Sears many, many years ago and got one of their gasket scrapers. Still have it. And still use it.