That's exactly 0.0018939393939393939393939393939394 miles, JOG!  

youzguyz wrote on 10/12/16 at 04:45:45:


Well....you have been riding and heat bonding that gasket to he head far longer than anyone else ever has.

I use a piece of plexiglass that is sharpened into a plastic chisel to scrape gaskets, and it needs to be sharpened frequently.  These scrapers can also be made form Ebony or a similar very hard wood, and there are commercial gasket scrapers that are made form materials that won't scratch metal.

I also use a sheet of wet/dry sandpaper duct taped to a sheet of glass (I have a tempered piece from a small glass coffee table).  I use 360 or 400 and move the head back/forth while flushing with water to keep the paper from gumming up....and keep sanding until the head surface is clean and shiny.  I do the same with the top side of the head, head cover and valve inspection caps just to make sure everything is clean, square and without any burrs.

This stuff laughs at plastic scrapers of any kind.. even after a soaking in the removal snake oil.
Once I get it down to metal I will cleanup with a fine sandpaper attached to a known flat surface, like that glass Dave mentioned.

I am using the "90 degree with a razor blade scrape" method, and I have dullled 3 razor blades so far.

Well they do make gasket remover things the fit into an air tool/drill....they are a rotary Scotch Bright pad and they work great on cast iron and steel.  You have to be really careful with them on aluminum, especially when you are near the edges as they will remove aluminum and round off the corners (they should not be used on the thin surfaces of the engine side covers or the cylinder head cover).  You might be able to use them safely on the big flat areas of the cylinder head.

Extreme care with a wide file has been something I have done.
Gotta keep it unclogged, tho.

I've used wood chisels, bevel down, to get it down close.

youzguyz wrote on 10/12/16 at 06:23:04:



I'd stick to the heat gun.  You want to get it hot without burning your motor to a crisp.

Google "heat gun gasket removal".  It works for most people.  I mean you can remove old paint with a heat gun.  I use mine for everything from to custom fitting ski boots to rebuilding golf clubs.   Just get one, you won't regret it.  

I have a butane soldering iron, about forty bucks, pull the end off and it's a tight blue fire. The heat is not at all like a MAPPgas or butane plumbers soldering torch. Controllable by moving it along, but a genuine heat gun is probably the easiest, safest bet. Adhesives get soft when they get good and hot.