Scrub, scrub, scrub.....

Spent a couple of hours this morning doing some detail cleaning on the head studs and case bolts.  I started by placing them all into a RubberMaid bin:

Rusty, greasy and ugly looking!

Next, I covered them with a couple of inches of hot water and approximately 1 cup of Simple Green cleaner.  This resulted in a cleaning solution equal to about a 10:1 ratio, the recommended strength listed on the jug:​

I decided to let the whole batch soak a bit.  While I waited, I brought the engine case half that has been giving me trouble with the studs outside.  I wanted to try the home-brew penetrating oil I've read about online that others have tried that worked.

The home-brew penetrating oil is made by creating a 50:50 mix of automatic transmission fluid (ATF) and acetone.  I bought some acetone the other day and had some ATF lying around:

I didn't want to make a huge batch of this stuff as I only have two studs to work on, so I took some old medical syringes I had ​and measured out just enough equal amounts of each and mixed them in a old plastic coffee can:

It's hard to see as the red ATF is almost the exact colour of the coffee can

Once mixed, I used one of the syringes to add a generous amount of "the brew" to the base of the stud where it enters the block:

While I cleaned the studs and bolts, "the brew" appeared to be slowly seeping into the threads - so I just added more. Hopefully that will be enough to loosen them right up!

Over the course of the next two hours, I used dish sponges/scrub pads and a bottle brush for the case nuts.  Once the grease was off, I was pleased to see the studs were in good shape, with little to any hard tool marks or signs of twisting.  The threads also seem in amazing shape.  The rust you can see is just on the surface without any bad spots.  The studs get painted once installed in the block, so I'll clean them up some more with a wire wheel before I prime them for paint.

I clearly have more serviceable short studs and may have to order new long ones as the thread ends are badly corroded off, leaving limited threads available:

20 serviceable short head studs - I need 12, so I'll pick the best of the bunch

All the long studs with the exception of two have badly corroded ends on them, typical of Corvair engines according to what I've read - these will be replaced.

The case bolts and nuts were filthy when I put them in the bath - now they look almost factory new!

I put everything back into inventory for now.  I'll keep adding "the brew" to the stubborn head studs and then give turning them out a try - at minimum, if they don'e turn, I can be fairly confident they will stay in place.

Next up.... the case halves take their turn in the bath.