Joe,
Another trick after the water is dried out. Take an old head bolt and grind the threads off 2 sides. Then thread it in and out of each hole a couple times to clean the threads in the block. Just remove the cut bolt each time and wipe it off. Be sure to blow the holes out again.

I clean the threads after the water removal because all the pieces of crap stick to the block if it is wet.

Pitt

 

Yup, and they can also handle a good amount of pressure too.

 

Just to add onto this, after grinding the threads away, go over the edges of the cut threads to give it a bit of a chamfer and to remove any metal burrs as you don't want to scratch or damage the threads in the block.

 

To help with the coolant issue, can't you just drain the block via the hex plugs on the sides of the block? And then take the coolant crossover pipe loose and blow it out with compressed air?

I know it wouldn't get all of it out, but I bet it would help a bunch.

 

I dont know why everyone is making this coolant thing out to be such a big deal. Pop the heads off, put towels in the lifter valleys, soak up the coolant with paper towels and whats left blow out with compressed air. On the bolt holes, I put the tip of my air hose in there and wrap a paper towel around it so the air/water gets absorbed in it. After I do that I run a tap down in there to get the GM orange gunk out, blow it out one more time and drop in the bolts/studs.

The deck of the block is where the real time needs to be spent. I use a plastic ice scraper or the squeegy I use for window tinting to get the soft stuff, then a razor blade to get the stubborn chunks. After that I go in with a 3M abrasive pad to clean it up good then wipe it down with mineral spirits. Slap on the headgaskets and heads then the fun starts with TQ'ing.

IMO pulling the motor is easier...