Filthy Intake Ports

[WakaShoMan]

Have a question here. I am cleaning up a spare set of heads, and have noticed that the intake ports are loaded up with the same "intake snot" that you find in the intake manifold. Especially in the secondary port.

There is enuf of the stuff in the ports that it's gotta be constricting flow and power to some degree. doh

I've read in the forum about how to clean out the intake (best method seems to be taking it off and cleaning by hand), and I'm doing the same with these heads at my kitchen sink.

Now for the question:

How do you SAFELY clean the gunk out of a set of heads that are ON THE CAR? If I start taking a toothbrush to those ports, all that gritty snot is gonna fall on top of the valves and get into the combustion chamber, which I'd rather avoid.

I've read about various spray-in-the-intake products here but have read as much bad as good.

 

[sdpatt]

I have successfully used a solvent (intake or carb cleaner) soaked red shop towel and a rubber gloved hand, along with a wooden chopstick to access the farthest regions of the head ports. The crud dissolves into the rag and can be pulled up and out of the ports. I try to never spray solvent directly into the ports since it can enter the cylinder along with the entrained crud.

Here is a photo of a port on my engine at the 269,000 mile valve gap adjustment.

A side view of the upper ends of all the ports at the same service before the valve covers are removed and cleaned.