White lithium grease

[Artsaves666]

I recently bought a built s14 assembled shortblock. Has around 1500 miles. When it got tore down it got sprayed with white lithium grease to preserve everything. My question is what can i use to safely clean the assembly of the lithium grease and anything else before i install my cylinder head?

[Kingtal0n]

Brake Cleen ("brake clean" / "brake kleen") is the most toxic flammable abusive volatile liquid (but not liquid for long) generally accepted as a parts cleaner, it will melt plastic, and probably give you cancer, but it will clean just about any hydrophobic substance away from your engine parts prior to installation and leave no residue.

Don't get it on things like O-rings and rubber parts. It will clean iron so well that the iron will literally rust in front of your eyes in just a few minutes so spray it, wipe if necessary, and do your installations. For most parts, like camshafts, the surface of the head or block, use it with no-fray paper towels (paper towels that do not fall apart). If you spray the brake cleaner, and wipe with a clean fresh paper towel, you will be able to look at the paper towel and see what is coming up.

[Artsaves666]

Awesome! Thanks for the reply! Should i wipe down the cylinders with oil or any kind of assemby lube after cleaning with brake cleaner?

[Kingtal0n]

Awesome! Thanks for the reply! Should i wipe down the cylinders with oil or any kind of assemby lube after cleaning with brake cleaner?

Well , Like I said, anything rustable that you spray with brake clean will rust right away. So in the case of your cylinders, if there is white lithium grease on them, just wipe it off with a towel; no need to use brake cleaner to get all the oil residue off. You could wipe the cylinders down with some engine oil if you wanted. Just dont over do it. The oil will make the initial startup a little smokey but it will burn right off. Never let cylinders sit without any lubrication because they will rust up REALLY FAST.

Gasket surfaces, like between the oil pan and block, or water pump and block, or oil pump and block, or valve cover and block, or head and head gasket / block, etc... should all be washed/wiped down with brake cleaner and then install the part in question right away. Never clean anything with anything, then let it sit in the open air. There are millions of microscopic particulate in open air that settle over time on all objects, unless you are in a sealed clean room with a running hepa-filter to remove contaminants.