Rusty valve chamber

[HDowse]

I pulled the intake manifold off the '40 this afternoon and found a fair amount of oily rust in the valve chamber. Note the rust going down the fuel pump/oil filler stack. I can easily sandblast the manifold itself clean but I need to figure out how to get the rusty crud out of the valve chamber without getting any down the stack. I'll get some solvent in there tomorrow and wire brush and suck out the debris and sludge. But how to clean the stack without causing rust to fall further down?
Has anyone else dealt with this and if so, how'd you handle it? My guess is I'll end up having to drop the pan to clean that out, too.
Thanks,
Hunt

[Kube]

Yikes! That engine got wet at some point. Ya know, as long as you have it this far, I would suggest stripping it down and at the very least, getting it hot tanked. then, it'll be clean and you can test it for cracks.
It would be a shame to do all the work you have already considered only to find out the block is poopy.
My guess? 99% certain that block has at least one crack.

[JSeery]

Be cautious about sandblasting the intake, or any part that is exposed to the internal part of the engine. It is very difficult to get all of the blast medium off/out and it plays havoc with the inside of an engine. I would be more incline to bush it off. It is going to be difficult to clean inside the valve chamber and get all the mess out of there!

Note: Kube has a good point, this is in such bad shape it would be better to take it apart and clean it properly.

[ford38v8]

Hunt, I agree with the others, but don't let Kube's "99% sure" guess scare you. He must base that guess on the fact that many if not most blocks have at least one crack, because I fail to see anything in those pictures to indicate your block has a crack, rust or no rust.

Hey Mike! One for two today, not bad, huh?

[HDowse]

I'm sure something went wrong with this flathead in the past but I'm not sure what. According to paperwork I got with the car, the engine was rebuilt in 1983, 3000 miles ago. If I do pull it, where in NH or New England can I take it to get it cleaned and checked for cracks. I can strip it down and reassemble it but I might have the pro do it to be sure. What a PITA this is….at least the rest of the car is really nice.
Thanks,
Hunt

[Angledrive]

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Hunt, Call Jim Lowrey in Tilton NH. 603.286.7488 He will steer you in the right direction. He is well respected in the restoration business.

[HDowse]

Angledrive, thanks, I'll call him, he's only 1+ hours away. Getting pretty set with doing this right and pulling the motor, then I'll know what's up. Hunt

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by HDowse

Angledrive, thanks, I'll call him, he's only 1+ hours away. Getting pretty set with doing this right and pulling the motor, then I'll know what's up. Hunt

Best way to go for a lot of reasons!