Base gasket mating surface clean up.

[StihlEchoingHusky]

I have torn into my new timber wolf and I'd have to say the hardest part is getting the mating surface cleaned up. I don't know if a thread like this has been made but.

What is your preferred method of gasket material re removal? Metal scrapers scare me enough with aluminum. Id hate to see what it would do to magnesium. Plastic scrapers are pretty time consuming

 

[dangerousatom]

I use a cheap 1/4" horrible freight brass punch filed square then on an angle as a scraper. Then finish cleaning it up with a narrow strip of white 3m scrubby wired on the end of a pencil thickness dowel or hard wood scrap. Dip it in Lacquer thinner if the seal material needs extra coaxing.

 

[fredx]

lightly sand with sandpaper

 

[Mastermind]

We use a razor blade.

 

[trooney]

I use the grit wheels on my drill followed by fine grit sandpaper. Even a razor blade can take a Asian out of the metal if your not careful. I usually follow that up with brakeclean

 

[trooney]

And I didnt even have spellcheck on...

 

[srcarr52]

These are the best scrapers I've ever used. Often back dragging them will take that last little thin layer of stuck on gasket without any gouging.

SS5 — The Original SuperScraper

www.superscraper.com

 

[Mastermind]

These are the best scrapers I've ever used. Often back dragging them will take that last little thin layer of stuck on gasket without any gouging.

SS5 — The Original SuperScraper

www.superscraper.com

We have a couple of those. They are good.

 

[dangerousatom]

$28........rich guys and their scrapers Geesh!
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[srcarr52]

$28........rich guys and their scrapers Geesh!
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Lifetime warranty. We used to beat on them with a hammer to knock exhaust manifold gaskets off steel heads until the handles would crack in 1/2. They'd just hand us a new one or put a new wood handle on it. I think we only managed to chip the carbide once.

 

[dangerousatom]

WoW Must be American Made or chinese unobtanium
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[Sloughfoot]

Sharp wood chisel

 

[EFSM]

Sanding pad on the end of a right angle die grinder is what I use, although I will not take offense if someone calls me dumb.

 

[fredx]

The obvious key advantage with sandpaper is it doesnt gouge- sometimes I use a wire wheel on an angle grinder. If its steel, then a wire wheel. Softer alloys such as aluminum then sandpaper by hand. The sandpaper mainly for the small areas that you couldnt get with a scraper, not using sandpaper for the whole process

 

[1Snowcat]

Cheapest thing I've used as a scraper that works awesome, go to your local Home Depot or Lowes etc. and grab a few samples size of the formica/counter top samples in the kitchen cabinet area . They are super hard pressed paper, that stands up (wont soften) to Brake Kleen/ gas/ lacquer thinner etc and won't gouge aluminum or magnesium..
You can sand em for a sharp edge or grind on them to cut them down etc, for a nice size to work with and are dirt cheap. They are usually free, I have bright colors that are easy to spot on the bench.
Trick from the aluminum cylinder head motorcycle gasket scraping days... no scratches or nasty gouging like metal scrapers..

 

[Mastermind]

Cheapest thing I've used as a scraper that works awesome, go to your local Home Depot or Lowes etc. and grab a few samples size of the formica/counter top samples in the kitchen cabinet area . They are super hard pressed paper, that stands up (wont soften) to Brake Kleen/ gas/ lacquer thinner etc and won't gouge aluminum or magnesium..
You can sand em for a sharp edge or grind on them to cut them down etc, for a nice size to work with and are dirt cheap. They are usually free, I have bright colors that are easy to spot on the bench.
Trick from the aluminum cylinder head motorcycle gasket scraping days... no scratches or nasty gouging like metal scrapers..

Excellent. I'll be trying this.

 

[dangerousatom]

Ding-Dang! that is an excellent recommendation.

That’s got to be worth some kind of “OPE-woodchuck” points or something.
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[Mastermind]

Ding-Dang! that is an excellent recommendation.

That’s got to be worth some kind of “OPE-woodchuck” points or something.
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Agreed. But they took the "Best Answer" button away.

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

Sanding pad on the end of a right angle die grinder is what I use, although I will not take offense if someone calls me dumb.

I ended up trying a White Bristle roloc Same thing Ive used to clean cylinder heads with. Worked out great. High speed very light touch

 

[beaglebriar]

I use a dullish razor blade.