[ROVERNET - UK] De-coking a rover V8

[Gavin.Walker at csiro.au]

Hi Kent,
  I took a look through woolies yesterday and could not find "easy off
blue".  Oven cleaners were pretty much all in pressure packs.  Most
contained significant amounts of NaOH.  One claimed to be "non-caustic",
however the back warned of strong alkaline salts.  Since when are strong
alkaline salts "non-caustic"?  Other cleaners for stovetops were citrus
based but warned against used with aluminium.  In the "easy off" line
woolies stocked "bam" and "degreaser", the later cautioning used with
aluminium.  Got me confused, so I haven't bought/tried anything yet.

The V8 upper cylinder kit I bought comes with silvered tin head gaskets.
Why should I remove the silver coating?  It also came with gaskets for
both SU and Stromberg carburettors.  Having played with both I'm
struggling to see where I use some of it.  The kit contains little round
rubber washers, o-rings, copper compression rings.  No idea where the
latter would go.  Didn't come with any exhaust manifold gaskets, though
I kept asking the shop about those, will have to get them separately.

Lastly I finally got the EGR valve out.  It wasn't connected and just
got in the way.  Now have a suitable replacement bolt.


Gavin Walker
Canberra, Australia