Cleaning out water passages in my 383

Posted By: TX9H6E4CUDA

Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/30/11 11:19 PM

I just got done sealing up my 383 for my superbee. I took all the frost plugs out to replace them with brass units. Well I noticed there was some crud in the water passages. What is the best way to clean out the passages to try and make the best cooling for the car.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/30/11 11:24 PM

garden hose w spray nozzle & maybe your engine cleaning long handled brushes along w shop air

Posted By: DrCharles

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/30/11 11:24 PM

Pressure washer? (if the engine's not in the car)...

Posted By: TX9H6E4CUDA

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/30/11 11:41 PM

No the engine is sitting on the stand still but its all together. I just noticed some garbage in there (almost a clay like substance and some rust chunks) I just want to clean it out.

Posted By: IMGTX

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/30/11 11:50 PM

Pull all the plugs and flush with a water hose.

You'll be fine but if you don't have the pans on it be careful where the water goes.

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 12:05 AM

This car and motor sat from 1987-2003 with the same coolant in my garage. I started it a couple times a year but never changed the coolant that I can remember. About 5 years after I started driving it again the core plugs rusted out.

I jerked the 340 out one Sat morning along with the tranny to replace all the core plugs. I used a pressure washer and got the inside of the block clean. There was a ton of junk in there.
Sun morning I put it all back in the car and was driving it that afternoon.
Felt real good about that.
Couple months later the motor won't turn over one morning. Found water in #5 cly, blew it out and the car started and ran fine. After a couple more times of this I knew I had a serious problem.
This picture was taken after I had pressure washed the motor clean inside and out. Then took the oil pan off to clean the inside of it out.

Jerked it out again a couple months later and ultimately found a crack in #5 cly. Shoot!

Then took another block I had and stuffed new pistons in it and put on Eddie heads I had for like 4 years. Never got around to using them until now. the block I had was still standard bore, Had to wait for pistons like a couple weeks or more because I wanted standard bore. I guess they don't sell many.

The new bullet, I built it at my race shop and brought it home, still running it today.
Good luck with yours.

Posted By: TX9H6E4CUDA

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 12:09 AM

Yep all the pans are on and sealed up. I just was wondering if I should use any cleaners or anything to knock the grime loose?

Posted By: Supercuda

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 12:56 AM

Garden hose and a long screwdriver or coat hanger wire. Once it's all sealed up and installed a gallon of vinegar in the cooling system cleans the rest up as a cheap cleaner/flush.

Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 01:14 AM

When people tear down an engine for a rebuild why not just have the block cooked. It doesn't cost very much have done and then it is done right. The new solvent used don't even eat up cam bearings like the old stuff did.

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 01:32 AM

Quote:

When people tear down an engine for a rebuild why not just have the block cooked. It doesn't cost very much have done and then it is done right. The new solvent used don't even eat up cam bearings like the old stuff did.

I have always pounded out the cam bearings and had the block "hot tanked" with heated caustic cleaner. Still have access to one. This is the block for the above motor with Eddie heads.
Will a hi pressure parts washer get em this clean? Is that what there using nowadays?

Posted By: DrCharles

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 01:56 AM

Quote:

I used a pressure washer and got the inside of the block clean. There was a ton of junk in there.
..
Couple months later the motor won't turn over one morning. Found water in #5 cly, blew it out and the car started and ran fine. After a couple more times of this I knew I had a serious problem.

Do you think the cylinder wall crack could have been caused by the pressure washing? Or was it just age and corrosion...

Maybe the hot-tank or garden hose would be safer?

Posted By: TX9H6E4CUDA

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 02:00 AM

Quote:

When people tear down an engine for a rebuild why not just have the block cooked. It doesn't cost very much have done and then it is done right. The new solvent used don't even eat up cam bearings like the old stuff did.

I would of but my engine is not rebuilt. It was rebuilt about 20 year ago and ran awesome when it was taken out. My friend and I inspected it and everything looked great inside so we regasketed it and upgraded it a little. I wanted to install brass plus so they don't rot out and noticed all the crap in there.

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 02:05 AM

Quote:

Quote:

When people tear down an engine for a rebuild why not just have the block cooked. It doesn't cost very much have done and then it is done right. The new solvent used don't even eat up cam bearings like the old stuff did.

I would of but my engine is not rebuilt. It was rebuilt about 20 year ago and ran awesome when it was taken out. My friend and I inspected it and everything looked great inside so we regasketed it and upgraded it a little. I wanted to install brass plus so they don't rot out and noticed all the crap in there.

Heck yea, now is the time to clean it out of course and a garden hose will be fine along with a small diameter brush.
My cylinder in my block cracked from neglect during all those years of storage.imo And I'm sure I speed-ed it up by cleaning it up when replacing the core plugs.
If your block is to the point where a pressure washer can hurt it, it's junk anyway or will be soon like mine. lol

Posted By: TX9H6E4CUDA

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 02:15 AM

Thanks for the help people

ill get her done this week. I hope my block doesn't go bad but we will see.

Posted By: 383man

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 02:33 AM

Here in Md I cant find a machine shop with the old hot tank cooker thanks to the envierment people. Most shops just put the block in a water pressure type cleaner. It did not do as good a job as I liked on my 493 block so I took a long pick and went in the core plug holes as far as I could and cleaned out as much as I could. Then I washed it out with a hose and then with compressed air. Did a good job for me. Ron

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 04:31 AM

About 20 yrs ago Doug Dutra the /6 guru used a percentage (not sure how much) of muriatic acid/water iirc & let it sit overnight & it got the insides as clean as the block several posts back. I do think the scale buildup even a smooth baked on coating of it inhibits heat transfer a fair amt

Posted By: 52savoy

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 05:24 AM

Quote:

Here in Md I cant find a machine shop with the old hot tank cooker thanks to the envierment people

Thank you envierment(enviroment) people! Now I can find rivers and streams to fish in when they were non-existant in Ohio before 1970 and clean water to drink..

Ron, Don't be too disheartened because when the EPA is dismanteled we'll be going back to cleaner living..

but back to the subject... why not seal it up mix up your own solution to let it cook for an hour? Drain cleaner and water? Pepsi please?

Posted By: dart4forte

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 05:46 AM

Muriatic acid. Use steel freeze plugs. With the block on the engine stand place one side upright and pour the contents in to the water passege. As soon as it hits the metal the solution will turn green. Let it sit for about 10 minutes then flush with water. The water dilutes the acid. Repaetr the same procedure on the other side of the block. Muretic acid is one of the chemicals I use in my pool. Be real carefull not to breath in the fumes. It's a sure trip to the ER.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 08:42 AM

Dart4forte did you use it straight

Posted By: 383man

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 09:02 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Here in Md I cant find a machine shop with the old hot tank cooker thanks to the envierment people

Thank you envierment(enviroment) people! Now I can find rivers and streams to fish in when they were non-existant in Ohio before 1970 and clean water to drink..

Ron, Don't be too disheartened because when the EPA is dismanteled we'll be going back to cleaner living..

but back to the subject... why not seal it up mix up your own solution to let it cook for an hour? Drain cleaner and water? Pepsi please?

I wasn't knocking them but I guess it sounded that way. I understand why they do what they do. I guess I just hate that my blocks dont get cleaned as good as they used too. Ron

Posted By: dogdays

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 04:10 PM

You do know you can sleeve a cracked cylinder, right? It's a no-brainer. Decent 340 blocks have value and I sure wouldn't mind spending $100 to get one sleeved, if I had a 340 block at all!

I have a hard time believing that anything sitting on a garage floor would crack from "neglect". That's just a little too far into the "Magic Kingdom" for me. Now if it was sitting there with water in a cylinder and it froze that's a different story. But blocks don't "know" if you're neglecting them or not. They don't feel neglected because they're just lumps of cast iron. And what kind of stress would there be sitting on the floor?

Rant Over,
R.

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 05:08 PM

Quote:

You do know you can sleeve a cracked cylinder, right? It's a no-brainer. Decent 340 blocks have value and I sure wouldn't mind spending $100 to get one sleeved, if I had a 340 block at all!

I have a hard time believing that anything sitting on a garage floor would crack from "neglect". That's just a little too far into the "Magic Kingdom" for me. Now if it was sitting there with water in a cylinder and it froze that's a different story. But blocks don't "know" if you're neglecting them or not. They don't feel neglected because they're just lumps of cast iron. And what kind of stress would there be sitting on the floor?

Rant Over,
R.

Yes I know they can be sleeved.
Mine sat in the car with 15 year old coolant in it. No it never froze because I had anti freeze in it. But it sat there for all those years and I never changed the coolant. I figured that didn't help and caused extra corrosion leading to the crack?
I'm lucky as I have 3 more good 340 blocks plus the cracked one. I didn't need to have it sleeved. Been saving them since 1976 when I wrecked/totaled my first 340 challenger.

Then totaled my second 340 challenger 2 years later. Still have both motors. Yea I can't drive ...

Posted By: Supercuda

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 08/31/11 11:47 PM

YOU sure the block cracked and didn't rust thru the cylinder? had that happen on the flathead in the 38 Plymouth I bought. If it weren't for that I think I could of gotten it running.

Posted By: GO_Fish

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 09/01/11 01:02 AM

OP has a much harder time since his engine is assembled.

I did my bare block 360 on the engine stand with all core plugs removed, outside on a hot day with a garden hose and coat hangers, etc and compressed air. VERY messy job, got orange crap flying everywhere. But I was actually pretty pleased, all the sludge and major scale came out of the block, casting was 90% clean when I was done, then I needed about an 1/2 hour shower myself...

Posted By: pishta

Re: Cleaning out water passages in my 383 - 09/01/11 01:11 AM

You guys running acid in the block, make sure you run a dose of baking soda though it or something with a lower PH to neutralize the high PH acid. I think baking soda and water is a neutralizer. If not, it can sit in there and keep eating if you dont put it back into service ASAP. Check on slantsix.org for Dutra wisdom...