Cylinder head/barrels

[Acro1985]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for cleaning up the mating surfaces on the top of the barrels and bottom of the cylinder head where the gasket goes. I tried petrol and wd40 with a soft cloth but it hasn't really done anything

[DomP]

I got my barrels skimmed partly because I'd replaced a few liners which Bryan rebored for me and they needed flushing up on the mating face.  Also help to compress the o rings on the oil galleries that are known to be too thin in the supplied Vesrah gasket set.

[SteveW]

Sheet of glass and fine grinding paste.

[Sesman]

If it’s only staining/discolouration don’t be concerned. The gaskets are there for a reason.

[Murf]

You do need to remove all traces of the old Gaskets, I use a very flat scraper I made years ago, it’s about 30 mm wide and 3mm thick, it is blunt with the end ground 90 deg to the sides, the end  to flat side corner is used for scraping. With careful use this type of scraper  will remove gasket material but no metal.  After scraping run your fingers over the surfaces to find any remaining bits off gasket.  I use a  vacuum cleaner held close to the scraper to suck up the bits and stop them falling down oil ways or into the cylinders.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

As has been said most of it looks like staining, I had my 500 head skimmed to the lowest amount by a fancy machine it was about 3 tho of an inch. I used some gasket remover spray for the last stubborn remnant and a plastic scrape tool.