Cleaning Intake Runners

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

Does anyone have a recommended procedure (without disassembly & removal) for cleaning the intake runners? Yes I know the best way would be to disassemble it and somehow clean them out but I want to try running some time of cleaner through first.

My questions are:
1) What is the best product out there to use?
2) What is the best procedure to apply in order to get into the short & long runners to clean out?

I guess I know of SeaFoam & I've also heard the GM upper engine cleaner may be the best. Seafoam has a new product also, part # SS-14 which is an aerosol can spray with a long flexible spray nozzle that you are supposed to remove the intake tube & stick the nozzle down thru the throttle body & into the intake & spray while it's running. I was wondering if it would be possible to first remove the side tank on the left side, if you could reach the spray around into the runners. Maybe use a hand vacuum pump to hand pump to open the butterflies to open them up so you can get the spray into the short runners also. Then maybe seal it up & run the rest of the can through throttle body end.
I've never used the GM upper engine cleaner and not even sure how you are supposed to apply it.

The main reason I am wanting to try this is I have a an '89 that I just upgraded with BBB's, SHO Shop snorkel CAI, & 80MM Lincoln MKVIII w/ custom LPM tune. I also have an '95 ATX that basically is stock except for having a complete head valve job done when I had it apart. What's weird is my '95 ATX feels like it pulls hard when the secondaries open compared to my '89. I can't say for sure it actually is, but the "seat of the pants" feel is that my '95 pulls stronger when the secondaries open. When I was installing all the upgrades on my '89 last month I noticed the runners did have a lot of carbon deposits and I wish I would have cleaned them at that time.

I don't know if this will even do any good, but I want to give it a try.

Any thoughts, ideas??

Thanks,

 

[shobote]

Really the only way to clean them out good is by hand; I used a bottle brush. THe LPM tune typically opens the secondaries at a lower rpm, so the kick is not going to be felt as much as when they normally open at a higher rpm. .... been there, done that twice with mail tunes for LPM/80 and finally went back to stock MAF; runs great now.

 

[LOUDSHO92]

The best way is to remove and clean. I have done it without seperating it though.

 

[platoribs]

Marine stripper, water soluable will almost immediately melt the lacquor deposits in the tanks/runners/crosovers/etc... it will also strip any coatings on the exterior if you intend to paint.

Disassembly however is a must in order to really clean it otherwise you won't be doing the job right nor will you feel the difference.

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

OK so how did you do it without separating then LOUDSHO?

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

Ok so let's say I do decide to take it apart.... what is the best procedure & cleaner to use to clean them with? Cuz I don't have anything that can bend & get into the runners.

 

[expy916]

#1 Take to car wash and pressure wash

#2 Buy pressure washer and wash it

 

[LOUDSHO92]

OK so how did you do it without separating then LOUDSHO?

About 8-10 cans of carb cleaner works good. To clean mine I used a combination of a tooth brush, bottle cleaner and towels to clean it out. Letting the carb cleaner soak helps a lot.

 

[hawkeye18]

Oven Cleaner.

Don't let it touch the outside unless you like an intake with bare metal spots.

 

[jonheese]

Also, just FYI, the butterflies are open when no vacuum is applied (eg. when the car is off) and close when vacuum is applied to the actuator. The first post here seemed to imply the opposite.

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

Also, just FYI, the butterflies are open when no vacuum is applied (eg. when the car is off) and close when vacuum is applied to the actuator. The first post here seemed to imply the opposite.

Thanks for that, I think I knew that but wasn't thinking. That actually makes it easier should I attempt to send any cleaner through the runners without completely removing the intake & disassembling.

I realize it may be a waste of time but I think I am going to try that new Seafoam SS-14 product and see what happens. I'm going to pull the side tank off from the left side & see how well I can reach the long flexible spray nozzle around & into each intake runner. I think it's worth a shot for $9 before I have to remove the damn intake again. I'm getting tired of taking that thing off

Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[vortex2450]

If you want to clean your intake just pull it, I've only pulled mine 3 times and now I've got it down to a 5 minute procedure.

Take it all apart, including removing the couplers (be careful old plastic has a tendency to crack) and let them soak in a bath using a strong dish washer detergent. I put them all in a big blue tub and filled with water until everything was submerged and mixed in about 4 cups.

I let mine sit almost 24 hours before taking them out but when I did take them out almost all out the crud had turn into a residue, what didn't wash into the water I just used a combo of a wire brush and degreaser to get the rest.

This worked well for me and didn't cost as much as using an ungodly amount of carb cleaner.

 

[gmail]

they make a gel paint stripper that works very well but will burn your skin...

thats the cheap route...

i recommend using cans of carb cleaner because it is the most effective and the pressure used to get the product out works well to blast off the crud.


cheapest place i found to get carb cleaner is wal mart sad as that is, buy several cans since cleaning these intakes takes a lot.

id like to find a place to buy bulk but not much a market in carb cleaner

 

[NoSlo]

If you want your intake really clean, pull it apart and take the tubes and runners to an automotive machine shop and have them cold-tank them. You'll get back shiny aluminum (and might need to repaint with high-heat clearcoat too).

Note when re-assembling you will probably not get the rubber coupler spacing quite right, you'll probably have to loosen them when you mount the runners to the heads. I was thinking of making a 'head-template', set the intake on a piece of paper, and draw the outline of the intake with a sharpie so you can get the spacing close when re-assembling.

 

[FOMOCOTOSHO]

I've checked with all my machine shops in town and have been told by them all that there is nothing they can do to help me out because the runners are such an odd shape w/ curves they don't have anything that can get into there.

Anyone have any home-made tools they used to get into to scrub & clean the runners? I work in an auto repair shop so I have access to any kind of cleaners & chemicals, I just don't have a way to get down into them.

Thanks.

 

[frosho]

Get some tubing/pipe brushes.



You can find some on mcmaster.com, or check your local hardware store.