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I just pulled the V-8 out of my '55 Clipper and was wondering what is the best way to clean 55 years of oil, grease and dirt off of the engine and transmission. I would like to paint it after I overhaul it so I want to get it spotless. Any suggestions?

Best way is to take the block, heads, etc down to nothing and have them hot tanked at a machine shop, the re-assemble. If you're going to do it quick and dirty (like i did) simple green, parts cleaner, brake cleaner, and a steam washer and hope no one notices that you set the environment back 5 years during the project

I rented a steam jenny years ago when I had the whole front clip off the car. It did a very thorough job and didn't take long.
You can buy GUNK in a spray can and thoroughly spray the engine and then wash it off with hot water from a highpower hose.

i took mine to the machine shop...the heads are spotless.

I've found that a spray de-greaser followed with a pressure washer using detergent works well. Just do it over an area that you don't care if it gets VERY DIRTY. I won't report you to the EPA!
One story about high pressure cleaning. A good farmer friend of mine cleaned his Gleaner combine with a pressure washer after harvest one year. He had it spotless! The next harvest season, he had bearing failure after bearing failure. The implement shop said he had cleaned TOO well with the pressure washer and had forced the grease out of the bearings.
Proceed with caution.......

The farm story is sound advice. I don't know how many times I have repaired damage from sandblasting and steam cleaning.

Don't ever sand blast air cleaners, intakes, oil pans, valve covers, etcetera.

I had the nose off a 56 and used my $10 scrapper from NAPA to carefully chip away the stuff. That took about 2 1/2 hrs. The advantage is that the floor can be covered and the dirt swept up with a broom. Of course everybody thought I was crazy. Well, let them think I am crazy.

After that a wire brush, prep sol and rags. These chemical prices are going through the roof and prep sol from a pump bottle is a lot cheaper and safer than expensive aerosols.

Granted this method is not as "anal" as the more destructive methods, but it is better for car. Getting every lick of dirt from under a car doesn't make it run better.

Good luck all.

I use a syphon type pressure washer that goes on an air hose. You have seen them, they sell them at flea markets for a few $$$ bucks. The kind that sucks the water up out of a bottle.

The secret is to use the hottest water you can get out of the tap. This cleans well but does not drive the water in where you don't want it like a pressure washer.

Scrape and wire brush heavy deposits. Blow off with air. Scrub in some diesel fuel, Gunk or your favorite degreaser. Then wash off with the pressure sprayer.

The hot water comes out like steam and most of it disappears in the air after it hits the motor. I lay an old cardboard box under the motor then throw down an old piece of carpet. This catches all the grease and dirt and nearly all the water. You can do this in the garage and not make a big mess.

This is not as aggressive as pressure washing or steam cleaning so you may have to go over it a few times, before you get all the dirt out of every crack and crevice.

I have decided to take cortcomp's advise and strip the engine down and have it hot tanked. I wasn't going to do the bottom end but once I have the heads off it won't take that much more to pull the pistons, crank and cam. That way I can get all that old gunk out of the passages.

You'll be happy...not only will paint stick like a magnet, but you'll know you have fresh everything, the motor should be tight ready to run, AND the cooling passages will be clean as a whistle. Getting rid of the scale and debris helps cooling a lot.