cleaning intake while still on car

[stuntstud2]

can i clean the intake and throttle body while it is still on the car? if so what product would be best so i don't hurt the engine?

 

[AutoSHO]

Cleaning it while still on the car will be very ineffective. The only way to get it clean is to remove it from the car and disassemble it. This has two benefits:

- You get the manifold truly clean

- You don't use your engine as a garbage disposal for your intake manifold. You could score the cylinder walls or abrade the valve seats with a bunch of carbon running through.

Removing the intake manifold is fairly easy and the results will be much more satisfying. I highly recommend against trying to run a solvent/cleaner through the intake with the car running. You will not be doing it any favors.

 

[Blue-By-U]

I would pick up a used intake manifold as a spare to clean and polish. 3.0 liter intakes are relatively cheap, around $40 bucks off ebay, the classified section on this forum, or a junkyard. I used about 10 cans of Berryman's B12 to clean the runners and tanks. Once you're happy with the results reassemble the intake, swap the two, and drive off! This is a great time to think about any type of upper 60k service.

<small>[ February 16, 2004, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: Blue-By-U ]</small>