zip gun takes everything off quick but a razor works pretty good

 

They make plastic razrblades now so you can use one to clean a head and not scrape it up with a steel blade (steel is tougher than alum but plastic isn't).

 

+1 For the plastic blades, they work very nicely, use brake or carb cleaner on the surface.

 

glue some sand to a piece of paper and have at it

 

I use my air powered right angle with a wizz wheel. It'll strip the crap off and polish the surface of the head up without scratching or leaving gouges.

 

I have a trick that I use with a razor blade. Find some real smooth concrete and put the blade at a 45 degree angle on the pavement and pull towards you while increasing the angle. This will pull the edge up and it won't scratch the surface.

 

no thats if you want to throw it into the trash can

 

use a brass wire wheel on a cordless or corded drill, or use some sandpaper, anywhere from 300 grit and up, just be careful while sanding, don't stick to one spot too long to creat any low spots, work the sandpaper evenly, same as with the wirewheel, nice swirling motion, the wire wheel really works well on the head, busts that carbon right up

 

No sandpaper no wire wheels nothing like that. Plastic razors and some form of solvent.

 

Listen to this guy ^^^ He's right.

Sandpaper& wire wheels of anykind =bad. Come'on guys this is aluminum!!! Headgasket surface needs to be as smooth and as flat as possible, this becomes even more important with a MHG because it cant "compensate" for imperfections on the head and block surfaces.