How do I Clean a Ford Flathead?

The Flathead engine was an eight-cylinder engine designed and manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1932 to 1953. Due to the Flathead oil filtration system, or lack thereof, the engine would become dirty, with carbon and oil deposits on its surface. If you are restoring an old Flathead engine, the first step is to properly clean away all carbon, oil and other grime. Cleaning of the Flathead is going to require a bit of elbow grease to ensure all grime is removed. Due to the age of the Flathead engine, it's important to learn the proper way to clean the Flathead, as harsh cleaning methods, such as sandblasting, may crack parts of the engine.

Things You'll Need

• Wire brush
• Bucket
• Rags
• Carburetor cleaner

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Instructions

• 1

  Open the hood of the vehicle. Wipe away loose dirt and debris with a rag dipped in hot water.

• 2

  Scrub the Ford Flathead with a wire brush to loosen visible built-up dirt and grime. Wipe the engine clean once more with the rag. Dip the wire brush and rag into a bucket of hot water as needed. Continue this process until most of the visible built-up grime is removed.

• 3

  Spray carburetor cleaner generously on the engine surface. Leave the cleaner to soak in and penetrate the remaining grime and carbon for 15 minutes.

• 4

  Clean the Flathead with the wire brush and hot water. This may require extreme force to clear away stubborn carbon debris. If needed, spray more carburetor cleaner onto the Flathead and allow an additional 15 minutes to soak.

• 5

  Rinse the Flathead clean with a rag and hot water. Repeat this process until the Flathead is visibly clean and all built-up grime is removed.