Cleaning out the pipes? Egr, Intake and exhaust how to remove carbon?
 

Anyone have any good ideas on how to clean out all the carbon that's built up i can only imagine after 220K miles with egr what kinda crap's built up. Least it didn't plug like the VW TDI's and virtually kill the engine i hope. So is biodiesel or like any fuel additive effective in removing carbon from pistons and other stuff? or maybe some kinda stuff u pour into the intake to loosen some the crude up :rifle: but not over rev the motor? suggestions/ideas?

With the components removed from the engine, I use Easy-Off oven cleaner. Lemon Scent not necessary. You should see it cut through built-up crud surrounding throttle plates. It works VERY quickly and leaves aluminum and brass pieces very bright. Easy-Off is very caustic - wear gloves and a mask/respirator and avoid spraying it on anything you wouldn't want to damage such as a fender - it will eat the paint. That is why I use it only after removing a part to be cleaned. It's good, fast, and, it's cheap. The most effective way to remove what you are talking about without having to soak things for hours.

Nice bit of info. I have cleaned my intake manifold every time I have to replace a glow plug, and the first time it was literally down to about a quarter of the design air passage cross section. I used a gallon of fuel, to no real avail, just a mess. Same with Simple Green. I ended up soaking it for a few days, then sneaking it into the local car wash booth and blasted it out with high pressure, which did the the trick. The next two times the problem was much less severe and I just went straight to the car wash.

In the future it will be Easy-Off and then to the car wash. Jim

Jim, it's one thing to accidentally get the Easy-off on your hands. But really, the fumes are exceedingly potent - not to mention, I have seen the fine, atomized mist that sort of wafts into the surrounding atmosphere. I can't stress enough the need to protect you lungs with this stuff. As effective as it is, I am actually surprised that its intended use in the kitchen does not come with the same sort of caution.

One more comment about turning aluminum bright again. Once the majority of all the gunk has been removed, it would be best to rinse and dry the part. Then, apply an even coating of the Easy Off to the entire piece. If you only spray it in blotchy spots here and there, that is exactly what you will end up with - blotchiness. I spray the Easy Off on a part quite liberally; building up a thick film of it. Then I move it around with an old paint brush so that it has a chance to sort of "equalize" the appearance across the entire part. Also, Easy Off should not be used on anodized aluminum pieces. The anodizing will be removed. For engine pieces though, it is very effective.

When I did my glowplugs a month or so ago, I soaked the intake manifold and some other bits in B99. That cleaned it all right up.

Cheers, John

Easy-Off
 

In days gone by I have sprayed a cold engine with Easy-off, then driven to the car wash & rinsed the engine. Did an amazing job on an old V-8 wagon I had just bought ....

NEVER EVER use Simple Green on anything made of aluminum! There have been documented cases of it eating the metal even after it's been washed off. The US air force has baned it because it eats critical aluminum plane parts and they have has structial falures.

Never clean your wheels with it.

Remove manifold, fill with kerosene and let it sit overnight. Clean out with pipe cleaners. Block EGR with plate and call it good.

Spaekin of cleaning out alloy intake manifolds, anybody ever polished interior surfaces with fine sand-paper to make em glass smooth? I'd leave outside surfaces rough to help heat dissipation but strikes me smoothin out innards would bump performance.

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Just how big are these pipe cleaners you use? like to see the size of the pipe you are smoking, holy moly.

a few years ago I took my intake to work thinking I would use the steam cleaner. good thing I had my rain gear on, I had black crap all over me that blew out of the holes. It got most of it out, I got the rest.

Yesterday I got a manifold off a 78 300SD W116. no EGR on that year. the intake was almost spotless. soon as I clean these up and get around to it, these are going on my 85.

I have another one, maybe I`ll pour some gas into it and light it off & see what happens.

Charlie

The big brush's they sell at super markets.

Like toilet bowl brush straightened out?

Meanwhile I'm still wondering if anybody's ever sanded and polished interior surfaces smooth, thats what I'd do.

Yeah except they were already straight, but the same thing.

Like the brushes to clean baby bottles.

I seen where they use it to wash plane exteriors with it. Any specifics on that? i've used it for probaly 20 years hasn't eat none of my stuff up and i've used it on pro mod engines which had uncoated magnesium and alum. galore