Ok this may be a stupid question.

[brokenujoint]

When a machine shop does any work on your parts, they some times put a corrosion inhibitor on it. its a film that sets on it like a permeable glue. sorta.. anyways how do you get that stuff off when you begin your build up? i want to get my engine super clean before i start assembly and i need to know whats best to get the stuff off.

[Jeep4xb4u]

If your talking about the same stuff that i had on some of my parts, some carb or brake cleaner took care of it. My stuff was thick and almost reminded you of wax but a bit more tacky.

*Edit*
Im assuming your talking about hard parts like crank, rods, and possibly cam.

[brokenujoint]

thats the stuff.....

[5-90]

It's a variation on Cosmoline (which was an even bigger pain in the arse to remove - ask any military armourer...)

Brake cleaner, carburettor cleaner, or lacquer thinner will work. Even hot water should work - just use the hottest water you can stand to put your hands in, and wear gloves if it will help you use hotter water (the hotter water will evapourate faster. Bear in mind that most machine shop lubricants are now water-based, and the parts are steam-cleaned before they're worked on, and you'll see that using water isn't such a bad thing - as long as you don't let it sit on the part!)

Suggest that after you get the coating off, you rub the part with a clean rag dunked in clean engine oil, or spray it down with WD-40 (which is what the stuff was originally developed for anyhow. WD-40 = Water Displacer, formula of 1940.)