finally going to assemble and put my B18 back in my car this weekend. i was going to glass bead all the carbon off of my valves, but my machine shop is down for about two weeks, so i was wondering how everybody else cleans their valves at home without using glass beads or anything?

 

Wire wheel will work.Some people prefer it to glass bead.

 

that won't damage the valve at all? is there some sort of a solvent that i can maybe soak the valves in for a night or two that will lift majority of the carbon off?

 

Oven cleaner will work if your not in a hurry.You can't hurt the valves with a typical wire wheel.The stem would be the only part you could hurt,but you should be staying away from the stems with glass bead anyway.Some people slide a piece off rubber line over the stem when they glass bead or wire wheel.

 

well i know not to touch the stems, and i have always put rubber tubing over them before blasting, but my shops blaster is down. i guess i'll let them soak in some concentrated purple for a few hours, then try to tooth brush it all off, and maybe bust out the wire wheel

 

Like I say,many shops use a wire wheel,even when their glass bead cabinet is working.