Cleaning coolant out of Block

**jb3golf** · 12-05-2009, 02:25 PM

What up LS1's. Ok heres my situation: I have newly cleaned and prepared LS1 heads, a TSP 224R cam on 114, LT's and 918 springs & TSP Y-Pipe ready for install. The problem is I took my heads off BEFORE removing the coolant plugs out of my block.....so consequently I have coolant in the block and in my blind bolt holes. At this point what is your advice? I've taken the plugs out and this released alot of coolant, but there's still more. Maybe compressed air? Also my block is IN CAR not on an engine stand.....Thanks

**DaddySS** · 12-05-2009, 08:20 PM

Twist paper towels and put them down the holes until you get every drop of collant and oil out of the holes. Some have rigged straws to shop vacs for this too, but I use paper towels and long stem cotton swabs to help push the paper towels down. you can buy bags of 100 cheap. It's a tedious process but you must get every drop or you'll crack the block when you put the new bolts in. Once you get all the fluid cleaned out, take one of the old bolts and grind a grove down the length to use it as a thread cleaner and run that down the holes sveral times until it come out clean. Thoroughly clean the holes, mop up any additional coolant around the block , be sure to clean the cylinders out - use compressed air - and then change the oil to get any coolant out of there.

**0rion** · 12-05-2009, 08:27 PM

little late for this advice but a cool trick is to take your water pump off and stick a shop vac to the water ports on the heads and suck the coolant out of the heads prior to taking them off. Saves you one hell of a mess but you still have a little coolant left in there.
They sell an attachment for a shop vac that goes down to about a pencil size or smaller and that should get most of it out of there. Then I used the paper towel trick and I have my wife (RN) bring me home some of those long ass q-tips like you see at a dentists or doctors office and used those although they're too hard to really pick up much. Then I blew them out with air. Just make sure you get it all out of there. I kept using the paper towel trick until it would come up completely bone dry.

**Cutlass** · 12-06-2009, 10:23 AM

compressed air works good. Then spray brake cleaner down the hole and use compressed air to blow it out again. It'll be clean and dry then.

**jb3golf** · 12-06-2009, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Cutlass

compressed air works good. Then spray brake cleaner down the hole and use compressed air to blow it out again. It'll be clean and dry then.

Thanks. Appreciate the reply. I'll you guys know how it turns out.

**jb3golf** · 12-06-2009, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by DaddySS

Twist paper towels and put them down the holes until you get every drop of collant and oil out of the holes. Some have rigged straws to shop vacs for this too, but I use paper towels and long stem cotton swabs to help push the paper towels down. you can buy bags of 100 cheap. It's a tedious process but you must get every drop or you'll crack the block when you put the new bolts in. Once you get all the fluid cleaned out, take one of the old bolts and grind a grove down the length to use it as a thread cleaner and run that down the holes sveral times until it come out clean. Thoroughly clean the holes, mop up any additional coolant around the block , be sure to clean the cylinders out - use compressed air - and then change the oil to get any coolant out of there.

Thanks Man. Good idea. I'll try this method and posts results.

**jb3golf** · 12-06-2009, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by Cutlass

compressed air works good. Then spray brake cleaner down the hole and use compressed air to blow it out again. It'll be clean and dry then.

Great Idea. I'll let you know how it turns out.

**jb3golf** · 12-10-2009, 07:55 AM

Ok DaddySS good call on the paper towels! This really took care of about 90% of the coolant in the bolt holes. I also used bottles of dust remover air spray cans from Wal-Mart and Home Depot to blow the gunk out. Additionally, what about the little spaces? I can see coolant in the open areas just above and below the bolt holes....do I need to be concerned about these openings?? Thanks.