How bad is this?

[dougie30]

I was cleaning my engine block of the head gasket residue with some break cleaner and a razor blade, and not paying attention I accidentally took a flake of metal off with the razor.....

It was right where the head gasket meets the cylinder hole.

I don't have pics right now but it was a very thin flake of metal, please tell me I didn't just mess everything up :(

[whodwho]

You won't be taking metal off a cast iron block with a razor blade ;)

[future rs]

even if it's an aluminum block you will be fine. I doubt you would be able to take enough off with a razor blade to cause harm.

[FLG]

You won't be taking metal off a cast iron block with a razor blade ;)

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[dougie30]

I definitely took a small flake right off of the surface of the block, I will take picks asap but it was pretty thin so I hope i will be fine.

[jeffnhiscars]

Those Bic blades are something, arent they

[bastianshaw]

I definitely took a small flake right off of the surface of the block, I will take picks asap but it was pretty thin so I hope i will be fine.

I believe you but its not a big deal unless its right in the cylinder wall/lip, worse case scenario you get another m20 block for 100

[SeatTime]

It wouldn't take much to upset a firing ring seal. Lay your new gasket on the block where the nick is. Look for the sealing feature of the gasket (I think these have a metal inner firing ring in a fiber gasket) and see how much of that metal covers your nick. If there is metal (on the gasket) that seals flat to flat (no nick) in the area you should be ok.

That's really hard to describe with words! Unless you are nicked clean across the metal ring area of the gasket, you probably have nothing to worry about. Unless you're boosting this thing...

[dougie30]

Its more of a scratch then a flake, but here are some pics

[Cabriolet]

you're fine. you need to clean the block a lot lot more. and that scratch will come out as u do that.

[Exodus_2pt0]

You should hit that with an angled die-grinder and non-abrasive cleaning pad anyway.

[dnguyen1963]

You worry about that?

[dougie30]

Well I spent about a hour or two scrapping with a razor.. Not much progress so I bought a fine bristled brass wire wheel, and that help out alot

[FLG]

Make sure you seriously clean the cylinders out with compressed air

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[Cabriolet]

Well I spent about a hour or two scrapping with a razor.. Not much progress so I bought a fine bristled brass wire wheel, and that help out alot

use green scotchbright pads and a block of wood.