Removal of carbon buildup?

[R6_kid:Me]

What is the usual process from removing carbon buildup from piston faces/valve faces?

Is there any products out there to make the job easier than old fashioned sweat and elbow grease?

[howdamnhard]

You can get caustic chemical (heated) baths which soften up the carbon. You can also glass bead blast it off , just stay clear of the valve sealing faces and make sure you get rid of all traces of it before you refit to engine. Of course engine has to be stripped down before you can do all this.

[boostin]

I take it you have them out of the engine?

If so you can bead blast them, or wire wheel them works well.

Bring them over to me if you are having trouble with em.

[jonbuoy]

Carb cleaner spray and a green scouring pad worked for me, pretty gentle on the surfaces too.

[jellywrestler]

I wouldn't bead blast or wire wheel them, thats going to leave an etched surface perfect so the next lot of carbon has something to key to.
I use scotchbrite pads and meths as it drys off real quick, if its on thick you may be able to chip some off with a stanley knife first but don't scratch the surface as once again the carbon will have something to key onto.

[R6_kid:Me]

The plan is to split the head at some point, probably at 20,000km which is about 2-3 months away. I don't intend to remove the pistons from the motor, but may do depending on what state they are in when I have the motor apart.

[kwaka_crasher]

The plan is to split the head at some point, probably at 20,000km which is about 2-3 months away. I don't intend to remove the pistons from the motor, but may do depending on what state they are in when I have the motor apart.

In that case, the old fashioned way... engine running at normal operating temperature, held at low-mid rpm, with water very slowly dribbled down each of the intakes one by one for a couple of minutes each... and when I say dribbled I mean dribbled not poured. Take the exhaust off at the lowest point if you can - that saves having to wheelstand up and down the street for ½ and hour afterwards then running & hiding when the po-po turn up... unless you enjoy that sort of thing, of course...

[brockzila]

In that case, the old fashioned way... engine running at normal operating temperature, held at low-mid rpm, with water very slowly dribbled down each of the intakes one by one for a couple of minutes each... and when I say dribbled I mean dribbled not poured. Take the exhaust off at the lowest point if you can - that saves having to wheelstand up and down the street for ½ and hour afterwards then running & hiding when the po-po turn up... unless you enjoy that sort of thing, of course...

am i reading this correct. you are telling him to run water in to a running engine so it can hydrolic and bend his conrods,, valves, ect and F%£K hi s 20,000km motor up.

[kwaka_crasher]

am i reading this correct. you are telling him to run water in to a running engine so it can hydrolic and bend his conrods,, valves, ect and F%£K hi s 20,000km motor up.

No, you're not. Try again. If it's too hard, get a kindergartener to explain it.

You might want to consider also letting the kindergartener post for you - it'd at least look a little more educated.

[Katman]

A far better idea is to use a spray bottle so it's a mist of water that you're spraying in through the carbs.

It's really only a method to try cleaning the valve and seat faces though. It would be unlikely to remove the carbon deposits from the top of the valve head and if it did you'd probably run into greater problems with those same deposits getting stuck on the valve faces.

[CookMySock]

Why not paint stripper or gasket stripper? You would need the valves out, and you would have to wash them really well afterwards.

Steve

[boostin]

Seriously, just do it on a wire wheel. I have cleaned up thousands of valves in my time and never had a problem.

[Katman]

Seriously, just do it on a wire wheel. I have cleaned up thousands of valves in my time and never had a problem.

I'm assuming he was hoping to clean them without removing the head.

If the head is off and the valves removed then using a wire wheel is the easiest method. The valve and seat faces should then be recut before reassembly.

[boostin]

He plans to split the head soon as per post #6. Cutting the seats and refacing the valves would be a good idea too.

The offer is still there if you want to bring the head over Gareth I can sort it out for you.

[The Pastor]

not sure about the valve but for the pistons the gasket stripper stuff is amazing at eating carbon. I think its just a caustic spray? burns like a bitch if you get it on ur hands/arms/legs/face (dont ask how i know) but it makes cleaning so damn easy. (although i think last time we did it we had the cylinders off not sure tho)