Cleaning engine block

[SejRamkas]

I've got an m54 330 all aluminum block laying around and I want to use it for a coffee table. I need to clean it and since it will be a piece of furniture I want this thing sparkling. What are my best options?

I've hit it with oven cleaner and elbow grease that did a decent job but it's certainly not clean enough.

I've got a sandblast cabinet at work. This would be the best option I'm sure, but I'm afraid this would take off the shiny machined surfaces where they are machined. Correct?

We also have a cleaning tank we use to clean aluminum channel before powder coating. Only issue is the parts come out a bit brown looking and I certainly don't want that for my shiny silver aluminum block.

Lastly, what are my options/cost to send it to someone to clean?

[Mr mike 27]

Have a machine shop clean it

[jazigk]

Blasting almost any medium at it will take the shine off it. Look into vapour blasting. It's the only thing I've ever seen that brings aluminium back to a OEM finish as if it were hot off the production line. Quite incredible to see a whole driveline vapour blasted and fitted under a old car!

[SejRamkas]

I got a shop to quote cleaning it in a tank for $50 or less. Will cleaning it in a solution be enough to remove all the grease, old gasket, and rust spots or will it require additional post bath cleaning? Will it discolor the block at all? I ask because we have a wash tank at work that we clean aluminum parts in and it puts a tarnished brown tint to them. Granted they are aluminum extrusions (6063) and not aluminum castings of a different alloy.

[dbarton62]

Good ol' fashioned gasoline and a stiff brush will clean er up
This block was literally caked from an OFH leak.

Edit, the mount brackets were sandblasted.