The block has been sitting all winter and there is some rust on the deck and in the bores. It is only surface rust. The How to Rebuild Your Nissan Datsun OHC Engine by Tom Monroe says nothing about removing rust. What is the best way to take care of this?

Here are some pictures

The pics make it look worse than it probably is, but anyway I would use a gray Scotchbrite pad and some WD-40 and carefully remove it. The bores will be more of an issue than the deck. For sure don't use anything more abrasive than a Scotchbright pad. Before you start and after you are done keep it oiled up to loosen the current rust and to prevent it from coming back.

Thanks lance, it worked great. I think the rust was a very thin layer, maybe even from the old head gasket.

Keep it oiled up as now is the time of year that you will start to get a lot of condensation if your garage isn't heated. The metal is cold and with the warm damp spring air it is soaking wet in minutes, next comes the rust. Being in PA you will be getting it just like we do in IN, damp every morning for the next couple of months until the evenings start staying warm.