I've got the front part of my 1973's engine torn apart and I am wondering if anyone out there knows of anything that will dissolve the residual pieces of old gasket that seem to have atomically bonded with the timing cover and various other parts. Obviously, I'd need something that won't hurt aluminum. Any ideas?

I have used fine sand paper in the past to remove the little bit that just don't want to come off with a scraper.

Spray glue some 120 grit sandpaper to a flat wooden stick, about 3/4" square by about 8 inch long. Use this to remove the gasket material and to keep the surfaces flat as you do it. Do each section between the alignment pins. Only use sandpaper for the last very thin bits, use a single edge razor blade for the rest. Aluminum nicks easy. Go slow. Patience grasshopper.

Use a Scotchbrite pad. Sandpaper damages the gasket surface.

I use relatively fine steel wool or a razor blade, depending on what the situation calls for.

I run a flat bastard file very lightly over any flat surfaces once most of the gasket is removed. If it leaves marks on the metal around a remaining patch of gasket material I leave the gasket material as surfacing filler. Flat and smooth is the key for good sealing, not shiny.

There are some good stories on other forums about heads and other parts being ruined or close to it through efforts to removed all traces of gasket material. Aluminum is soft metal.

I wipe the surface with ATF and let it soak it off, agitating with a fine brass brush/brass wool as necessary. I have found ATF gets more dirt off of

"clean" metal than anything else I have tried.

I run a flat bastard file very lightly over any flat surfaces once most of the gasket is removed.

How do you know the file was a bastard?

I agree with John. After scraping, heavy "Scotchbrite" and some solvent has worked for me with no damage to the surface.

3M makes a godsend, they are the little roloc disks white, with little stubbles around the edges of the disk, made of plastic and they make an mandrel you can put in a rotary tool. I've used these things for years and really work great, most autobody shops carry them. They don't score the metal at all but they remove gasket like its nothing. The white is the finest i think 120 grit, its what i've been using.

I've used the Roloc's myself, but one word of caution, they CAN damage aluminum.

They are abrasive, and while it does take a bit of doing to do a lot of damage, on aluminum sometimes a bit is too much.

(Door/Sill Aluminum kick plates is where I used the white.)

But if you're careful, they are REALLY fast.

They also use the same adapter for the Scotchpad roloc discs.

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In the link below, the guy in the video cleans gasket material with a perpendicularly positioned razor blade. I have tried it and it works well. You just need to be careful not to cut the aluminum.

I use an angle die grinder with a Scotchbrite roloc pad. As long as you are careful, it works great. If you don't have air, a Scotchbrite pad can be used by hand. It just takes a bit longer.