Silicone in head bolt holes - how to remove?

Taking apart a new to me 429 motor and as I removed the head bolts I noticed that some of them were installed with silicone on the threads.

Thinking that when this goes back together that torquing the heads with silicone in them would not be so good.

My solution is to take an old head bolt and cut 4 vertical slots in the threads - thread the bolt into the head bolt holes to clean the dried silicone.

Anyone have a different solution for this silicone removal?

Bob
Tucson

75truck wrote:Taking apart a new to me 429 motor and as I removed the head bolts I noticed that some of them were installed with silicone on the threads.

Thinking that when this goes back together that torquing the heads with silicone in them would not be so good.

My solution is to take an old head bolt and cut 4 vertical slots in the threads - thread the bolt into the head bolt holes to clean the dried silicone.

Anyone have a different solution for this silicone removal?

Bob
Tucson

Brake Clean and a compressed air pistol will work just fine.

+1 Barkecleaner and compressed air. Works fast and like a charm.

Gas curls that stuff up fast too.

All of the above and clean the threads with a tap.

My need to be innovative brought me to this.  I actually got the idea from Oreilly Auto Parts. - they have a rental tool set that has thread chasers
and I noticed the vertical slits in the thread chaser to clean the threads.  So I just modified an extra head bolt to do the trick.  Used a Dremel cutoff blade to cut the slits.

Thanks guys and the brake clean worked with it also.

Bob
Tucson