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Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion chamber

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 6:39 pm
by DonW
Hi- have 4 heads on my bench and am wondering the best way to "de-carbon" them. Have soaked in liquid in the past and then scraped (plastic scraper) and water blasted, but it's a chore. Any advice on a quick, painless, and easy way to do this (does anything like that ever exist??)

Lazy old Don

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:13 pm
by gspd
As long as all the loose and protruding chunks are gone, the remainder won't make any functional difference.

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:14 pm
by Major Softie
Any shop that machines heads has some way of getting every bit off. Give them a call. Maybe it will be so cheap as to make it worth farming out.

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:15 pm
by Curt Henry
Simple Green full strength soaked over night will loosen the carbon to where you can wipe it off with a rag and Scotch Brite.

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:33 pm
by dwerbil
Don, bring those heads over to my garage. I've got a cabinet sand blaster. A six pack should
due us during the process. :P

But yeah, like Curt Henry said...I've had good luck with hosing down with Simple Green to scrub clean the next morning.
If you do sand blast them, blast them clean at the local self serve car wash.

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:43 pm
by DonW
Oh yeah, now I remember using a Simple green soak in the past. Seemed a bit harder than just wiping them off after, but I'll get to it.

And, I think I ran through the dishwasher (wife was waaaayyyyy out of town) after the scrub off...

Think it will make things any easier if I heat up the heads or Simple Green first?

Don

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:53 pm
by Major Softie
If you run them through the dishwasher (not a bad idea), DON'T use your dishwasher soap in there with them. It is very corrosive to raw aluminum.

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:11 pm
by dwerbil
Major Softie wrote:If you run them through the dishwasher (not a bad idea), DON'T use your dishwasher soap in there with them. It is very corrosive to raw aluminum.
Hints from Heloise sez nada to any "Lemon Scented" dishwashing soap..."It'll stain the bullcrap out of aluminum wear".
(And I have the heads/pans to prove it.)

Re: Removing the carbon build-up in side the combustion cham

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:49 pm
by George Ryals
http://www.orisonmarketing.com/cleaners ... arbon.html

Somebody on Boxerworks posted this web site sometime in the past, hope it helps again.