tony_yang

hey everyone. im replacing my head gasket on a b16 and i want to know whats the best and safest way to clean the carbon build up on my piston head. Thanks.

builthatch

soak them in seafoam overnight and see where that gets you.

i've heard of people using ATF, lacquer thinner...all kinds of stuff.

apexi_rsx

wire wheel on a drill is what i use

-__-

yeah u can just fill the cylinders with Automatic Transmission Fluid and it will aid in taking the build up off. Works well

Zen Chameleon

One thread said oven cleaner then brake cleaner. idk sounds like a winner to me

thumper64

the guy has the motor assembled.
The wire wheel idea may not be best as you could scratch the sealing surface of the block. The finish is important for holding the head gasket in place to keep a good seal.

The oven cleaner is not the most effective with carbon from my experience, plus it's nasty stuff requiring a lot of water to clean it off. Brake cleaner or engine cleaner seems to work a little better, and brake cleaner evaporates easy.

Taping the cylinder walls with blue painters tape and using a stiff bristled brush would probably be a good idea. And maybe a plastic scraper. Just don't use anything metal and gouge your pistons or cylinder walls.

apexi_rsx

use a brass wheel not a steel wheel its alot softer metal and take ur time ive done this several times with no problems. alll u need is a 3" wheel

xide_12

If the engine is still running then you can mist some distilled water into the throttle body or a vacuum line, just enough so the rpms drop alittle for a few seconds. It steam cleans them really good
We did on my brothers engine before we took it apart. the pistons, valves and combustion head were spotless

apexi_rsx

ive heard of this method as well but make sure its small amounts of water. as u said mist or by a teaspoon through a vacuum line

tony_yang

is that going to be safe with the water? its a built b16 turbo motor. i heard that its not safe to run any type of cleaners, cause it could mess up the seals of the turbo and so on.

builthatch

seafoam. it's safe if you follow the directions. and it works to boot.

talonboy1991

Throttle body cleaner or seafoam is what I would use throttle body cleaner is designed to get rid of carbon

TheJGB3

This is what I recommend you use Mopar Combustion Chamber Cleaner $6 at the Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealer parts dept.
part# is 04318001AB

tony_yang

nice!!! i'll give that a try.

thumper64

the water trick would be safe...it's just water. I'd trust that over something mopar any day.

brucepick

I just got the head off my D16Y5 (engine is stock). Pistons are heavily carboned. Already saw the good suggestions here re. cleaning fluids and brushes etc.

Do you scrub-clean the 2 pistons that are at TDC then turn crank to bring up the other two? Timing belt is loose in it's covered space. OK to crank in normal direction with everything else removed?

Mostly I'm trying to avoid sending carbon grit down into the rings. Looks like they're OK and I'm not keen on doing a whole rebuild if I muck them up.

Jackrabbit4

i used carb cleaner an a flat head screw driver (softly though)
and a clean rag

is it ok to touch the cyclinder walls thou. i was told not to
touch them or use any clean rags to brush around it to
catch the running oil that leaked off the pistons after i rotated
the crank..