Hot Tanking

PaulW_NJ · Oct 5, 2010

I'm about to replace the rings and bearings on my 240U, along with the crank seals,and decided I'd send the engine out to be hot tanked "while I was at it". I hadn't planned to touch the camshaft and lifters, but just yesterday I began to think maybe I should remove them first just to provide clearer passageway. And now I'm wondering if hot tanking will affect the cylinder sleeve O-rings. Other than honing I hadn't planned to pull the sleeves. First time on this so I'm not really sure the best way to prepare, and the consequences of hot tanking. I could use some advice.

As always, the "while I'm at it" list keeps growing.

MeanGene1 · Oct 5, 2010

You'd have to touch the cam & lifters then, as a hot tank does unfriendly things to cam bearings- and seals, and o-rings- plus you can't flush out the caustic chemicals with internals in place. Does it really need it-is it really gunked up inside? You pretty much need to take it down to the bare block to tank it, and my neighbor across the street who owns the local speed & machine and does most of the tractor and wind machine work for the Napa Valley also runs them through the derusting tank- but then you're taking it completely apart. Anything you do cleaning-wise without taking it apart needs to be careful, to avoid getting stuff in the oil passages- might be safer to just keep it clean, do your work, and clean the pan, valve covers head, etc. of gunk

Roger46 · Oct 5, 2010

I agree that you need to strip the engine down to the bare block for hot tanking. Then after hot tanking you need to make sure all the oil passages are clean. I usually try to run a brush down all the oil galleries and blow them out with compressed air. This means taking off all the plugs so you can clean all these passages. Dirt from hot tanking or dirt/grime soaked loose in these passages are bad for a newly overhauled engine bearings. I also recently had an engine block thermally cleaned where they heat it up to burn off all the crud. According to the shop where I had it done they said that you need to replace all the soft plugs, remove and replace cam bearings, and if the engine doesn't have sleeves you need to hone the cylinders as there is a residue that needs to be removed from the cylinders. Mine was a Farmall 350 diesel with dry sleeves, so I just needed to install new sleeves. Again, you still need to clean the oil passages. Roger

Hot Tanking

PaulW_NJ

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MeanGene1

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Roger46

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