So I've experienced some project-creep. I've been meaning to do the front crank seal so I went ahead and did that while waiting for some parts for the head gasket job. I also cleaned, or attempted to clean, the thermostat housing and water pump housing with a vinegar solution...and am ordering some new hoses because why not!? The solution works ok to loosen up the junk.
I've been using various noxious chemicals to clean various bits of the engine that have been caked with crud and oil and who knows what for decades. Gasoline/petrol seems to be the most effective, followed up with brake clean type spray. It's what I have in the garage.
The engine looks cleaner than it has since who knows when. Not perfect, but clean enough to see what's what and to work on it more effectively.
