Cleaning valve cover question?

[sdyck]

I took valve cover off to adjust my valves for the first time and found some big chunks of hardened sludge on some screws in the valve cover. I knocked it off but it left crumbs of hardened sludge stuck in the oil in the nooks and crannies of the cover. To make sure it's clean I was going to rince it with mineral spirits.

I have no experience so this may be a dumb question. Is there a better way to clean this out?

Thanks

Edited November 6, 2015 by sdyck

[Zed Head]

You're cleaning the inside of the valve cover?  Not the top of the head?

 

Mineral spirits should work.  But a can of carb and choke cleaner would probably blast the crud out and dissolve the varnishy stuff.  That's what I'd use, just for ease of application.  Seems better to me.

 

Don't get the carb cleaner on any painted surfaces though.  It's a potent solvent.

[grannyknot]

Mineral spirits, paint thinner, varsol, even old gas works. What does the head look like, are there a lot of deposits and sludge there too?

[NVZEE]

Are you sure that's not sealant used to keep the oil baffle and screws in place?

[siteunseen]

Are you sure that's not sealant used to keep the oil baffle and screws in place?

Good call. It looks like brown caulk to me.

[sdyck]

Interesting on the sealant. There is definitely some of that. But the sludge was black and crusty broke away easily. Nothing that I can see on the head it was quite clean.