Intake Sludge

[Turbobum]

So it seems that oil in the intake and black oil sludge caked to the runners is normal.

I've removed the intake while doing the 60K, my question is what's the best way to clean that crap out? Also, how do you clean it out of the runners on the heads with the heads still bolted to the car?

 

[zblackbeast]

Brake cleaner, carb cleaner, simple green, degreaser, oven cleaner...etc the list goes one.. Just grab your favorite cleaner adn go to town.. As for the runners, that might get a little tricky.. It doesnt really matter is chunks of carbon fall into the combustion chamber cause that carp will just become part of the exhaust, but you dont want to puddle the valves with all that chemical crap or the car will start and be quite grumpy... Id grab a rag or tooth brush and just get what you can off of it.. Or you can run some seafoam through it (gas tank and vacuum line) after you get it back together if you haven't done it before you took it apart!

 

[Turbobum]

Is it even worth cleaning if it's going to gunk up shortly again?

 

[TYSHO]

It would've been ideal to spray B12 in the intake while the vehicle was running, it helps break it down and remove the little stuff first. As for the heads, spray some B12 and let it soak a little and whipe it up out with a shop cloth. The heads are easier to clean than the intake runners, which you can spray with B12. I used a baby bottle cleaner to help clean the runners and you will want to cover the entrance with a shop cloth to keep the bristles from flicking dirty B12 fluid on your body and clothes, which will be very hard to remove.

Once you have the intake clean, you can keep up with it by spraying some B12 through the intake every other oil change or whatever you preference is. I do this and build up is not a problem. I use maybe half a bottle of spray with the up keep unless I ignored the cleaning for a little bit, in which I will use a whole bottle.

Edit: If you use anything other than B12, go ahead and buy a box of 12 cans or more because it will not get the job done as quickly as B12 and will not be as clean. And, do not allow these cleaners to come in contact with the outside finish on the intake or valve covers, as it will eat away the finish and have your intake looking like crap!

 

[HotRodKid]

it took how many miles for that much to build up ?

clean it off and free up some horspower. if you dont wantthe crap in the cylinder, do whichever cylinders have the intake valves closed and use compressed air to blow everything back out, then bump the starter to close the rest of the valves and repeat on those cylinders

 

[Mrhappytuzi]

Somebody must be gettin' paid to promote "B12" on teh shoforummzz

 

[TYSHO]

Somebody must be gettin' paid to promote "B12" on teh shoforummzz

Nope, I'm just trying to save a member from wasting time and money. I ran through 3 bottles of GumOut for two runners and it didn't do the job. When I came back with the B12, I could spray the gunk off with the straw hook up. I used the baby bottle cleaner to get the spots that can't be seen or sprayed.

 

[Vnuk1]

*Honey where is the Baby Bottle Cleaner?* *Oh wait I found it, what the **** why is all black and goopy?!* *Did you use the new one to clean your Intake again?! Damn you!!*

 

[jedhead]

Bottle cleaner and Purple cleaner in a large plastic tub is what I used. The best way to minimize the crude build up is extrude honing the intake. I was pleasantly surprised how little crude stuck to my runners after 50K miles when I was installing my cams.

Bob

 

[zach44102]

i had a lot of carbon build around my butterflies. i cleaned the butterflies out with steel whool and didnt mess the runners. probably not a smart thing to do but there was carbon build up in the runners.

 

[zblackbeast]

when i do my engine rebuild and paint and hone the intake.. im going to block off the oil guy from the valve cover to cut down on the sludge..

 

[Turbobum]

B12? Where do I find some of this super sludge cleaner?

I heard diconnecting the PCV is a bad idea for a few reasons.

 

[zblackbeast]

thats not the main vent.. Many people have done it and it causes no problems.. You just let that vent into the atmosphere.. the ********* on at the bottom is the one you keep on...

Also the cleaner can be found at advance and what not.. just ask the guys at thr counter and theyll show you where its at.

 

[frosho]

thats not the main vent.. Many people have done it and it causes no problems.. You just let that vent into the atmosphere.. the ********* on at the bottom is the one you keep on...

Uhh, that sounds backwards to me (but I could be wrong)... Im gonna do some searching, there was a recent thread where this was discussed in detail...

 

[frosho]

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=106640

I "think" the one that connects to the valve cover is where the air goes into the valve cover during normal driving. This air then mixes with the blow-by gases in the crank case and is then vented up through the oil separator in the "V" of the engine and then is drawn into the engine via the big hose on the bottom of the throttle body.

Under spirited driving, where the blow-by is much greater, the flow though the little hose on the valve cover reverses and the additional blow by is sucked into that hole in the throttle body also. It's pretty ingenious if you ask me.

Tom

 

[Turbobum]

Does anyone have any pics of an effective catch can?

 

[zblackbeast]

Ive seen a couple SHO's with the vent on the valve cover... i plan on doing this myself.. there is no vacuum there IIRC just a vent.. and turbobum.. jsut grab one of those little mini air filters the parts store sells..

 

[frosho]

There is vacuum in that hose from the intake, so you'd need to cap the ****** on the intake if you're installing a filter on the VC.

 

[zblackbeast]

well yes.. BUT the vacuum is very very small.. its not even enough to draw seafoam into the intake.. obviously if you remove a hose you will need to cap it off. Im sorry for forgetting to include that!

 

[frosho]

I figured you'd know that, but there are others here that I'm not so sure about...