Cylinder head

[teck_mountain]

Hello all

I've got my cylinder head removed and amazed at the amount of carbon on the valve and the top of the pistons. (I'm talking that crystal type stuff) What would be the best way to remove this?

[pgg]

Screwdriver and sandpaper.

[ratbyk]

Cleaning combustion chambers

I would not recommend the brute force method of screw drivers and sand paper. The sand paper is going to deposit hard granules of sand down around the piston rings and the aluminum ring grooves. The screw driver is going to leave gouges in the aluminum combustion chamber and on top of the piston crown. If you are unlucky you may even mark up the valve seats in the head.
Try a chemical known as gasket remover. It is available from most auto supply stores and comes in an aerosol bomb. Simply spray on and wait 10 minutes or so. After that you should be able to simply wipe away most of these deposits with a course rag. After that I would flush of these parts with water to neutralize the gasket remover chemicals.
Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk
82 FT500 "lilRat"

[pgg]

Screwdriver and FINE sandpaper - CAREFULLY.

[TopCatGr58]

When I did my topend rebuild I put new pistons in! But what about a wire wheel brush on a drill at low speed for the piston tops ensuring that they are at the top of the stroke to prevent much debris from getting around the piston and down into the rings? Also, the only debris should be "carbon" providing you're not grinding too hard against the pistons with the brush to grind aluminum flakes off!!

For my head and valves, I pulled the valves out to lap them, so I put them in a bench vise and took the wire drill brush to them there. Just wrap the valve shaft something to prevent the vise from marking the shaft, and be careful not to put too much pressure against them. The valves are surprisingly easy to bend.!!! I used a dull pocket knife on the carbon on the inside of the head chamber and carefully around the seats!!
T.C.

[graybird78]

carbon deposits

Ihave been told vinegar sooked rag an carbon turns it to mush.

[pgg]

I used a copper wire wheel on a cordless drill for the valves and combustion chamber - it worked O.K. but a scraper and emery paper worked better on the piston crown for me. Ratbyks chemical is a good idea for the chamber and valves but you wouldn't want the stuff running down the side of the piston would you Ratbyk? - wouldn't it destroy the carbon 'seal' above the rings? Or is the stuff more a jelly-like substance rather than a liquid? Might try the vinegar trick next time.