m20 "refresh" and head gasket questions

[Varinn]

I've got an 87 m20b25 that I'm doing a minor rework of. The engine is on the stand, and I'm doing
Block gasket kit
Head gasket kit
Head reman (resurface, valve grind/guides etc, adjust lash)
Timing belt w/ tensioner
Water pump
Alternator reman.
All new hoses (coolant, fuel, vac)
New ignition components


I'm preparing to send the head out for a resurface and general inspection, is it difficult to remove the rockers so the valves will not poke out the bottom of the head? While it's gone for machining, how do I remove the carbon buildup and general grunge from the block and piston surfaces as well as the other sealing surfaces around the motor without damaging them?

I'm totally stuck on how to clean the outside of the block to prep it for some silver paint (to make finding future leaks easy to spot). It's fairly rusty, and covered in grime from a leaky front crank seal and valve cover gasket. I've had people suggest assembling the motor and hitting it with a pressure washer and some degreasing chemicals then covering it with engine enamel. I'm worried about this because even stuffing rags in all the ports I could potentially get water into the combustion chambers or other not-good areas and have surface rust form.

The intake manifold, timing covers, valve cover, and any other little parts that I can think of are getting powder coated, while the block and pan are getting sprayed with enamel.

[acolella76]

It shouldn't be difficult to remove the rocker shafts. If it is, your head may be warped.

To clean the mating surfaces I used some scotch brite cleaning pads and brake cleaner/degreaser... worked pretty well. Just make sure you clean out the piston bores before turning the motor, some debris could get in there and mess things up.

To clean the block use some degreaser, hot water, and soap. May not get it absolutely perfect unless you're tedious, but it's good enough for government labor.

[Varinn]

The head is cleaned, and prepped to go on the car but i still need to clean the block. I used a medium surface prep disc on a die grinder to clean the mating surfaces and will likely do the same for the block. I got some degreaser and a wire brush for the outer surfaces, waiting for a nice enough day off that I can pressure wash the bitch then hit it with an airgun to dry it. Lets hope it works! Any suggestions on removing the carbon from the pistons? I know some people like to leave it because "it bumps compression" but i'd rather have clean chambers over .01 higher comp.