In a message dated 96-04-12 01:01:19 EDT, Tom wrote:

>My 78 Engine is out, stripped down, heads are off, can now see my sunken
>valve seat that caused this mess in the first place! Anyways, the engine is
>pretty damn dirty, real thick greasy oil and dirt pretty much cover the
>bottom 2/3's of it. The cylinders aren't too bad but could stand to be
>cleaned. I don't think I want to get into the crankcase as the engine was
>running and sounding fine before, but I'm unsure what to do about the
>pistons and cylinders. I removed one cylinder to check general condition
>and it "seems" fine, no major wierd marks or scratches anywhere, and
>compression was reading 125 all around before the dropped seat.

I've got my '78 engine out and also decided not to split the case.  Opted to
not buy new cylinders and pistons since mine looked very good.  
>
>However the engine was using alot of oil before this, mainly through oil
>leaks I'm sure, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to replace the rings
>and remove the pistons and cylinders to give them a thourough cleaning.
>Good idea?

I toyed with the idea of not putting new rings in but only for a few
nanoseconds.  The engine is a big enough inconvenience to remove I decided I
didn't want to do it again soon.  Besides the head work it is getting new
rings and I've put in new rod bearings.  I'm also putting in new front and
rear crank seals along with any other gasket/seal thats apt to develop a leak
soon.
>
>How should I approach the engine case? It's majorly filthy, but I don't
>really want to take it in and have it cleaned, scraping and towelling will
>have to suffice for now. Should I be overly cautious about getting engine
>cleaner anywhere inside or could that be drained out without harm? Anyways,
>sorry for all the questions, this is my first engine rebuild and I'd like
>to do it right. Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated!

My engine is pretty clean but yours sounds like the '74 I performed similar
maintenance to a couple of years ago. (The dipstick boot cracked on the
previous owner and he just kept adding oil, it went everywhere).  I take
major pains not to get anything inside the case that doesn't belong there  -
dirt, solvents, sawdust, leaves - you name it.  Keep it covered when you're
not working on it too.

Hope this helps.

Bruce