What the fastest way to clean caked on carbon?

[oshanac]

Good link POSPLAYER!

[mark_vaughn]

I just wanted to throw my support behind the water guys. Running at fast idle let some water in a vaccum port, or somehow get it through the carbs. Instant steam clean inside the chamber.

Ever see an engine with a leaky head gasket and coolant gets in the cylinders? They are always spotless!! Same thing.

Save yourself the work and expense. Just use some tap water.

[posplayr]

I just wanted to throw my support behind the water guys. Running at fast idle let some water in a vaccum port, or somehow get it through the carbs. Instant steam clean inside the chamber.

Ever see an engine with a leaky head gasket and coolant gets in the cylinders? They are always spotless!! Same thing.

Save yourself the work and expense. Just use some tap water.

Sounds like this should be a standard maintenance item at say every 10K miles? Any dangers? Is this just a mist I assume what RPM?

[mark_vaughn]

Sounds like this should be a standard maintenance item at say every 10K miles? Any dangers? Is this just a mist I assume what RPM?

Disclaimer: Most of my experience is with car engines. I see no reason why the same principals would not apply to motorcycle engines except that they are typically smaller displacement.

I doubt it would be needed that often on a bike properly tuned using good gas. This is something you do to the neglected barn find.

The way I have used it in the past is to SLOWLY pour water in the carb or sip water through a vaccum tube, maybe a tea spoon at a time. On the horizontal carbs a squirt gun would probably make the job easier. You need to run the engine at high enough RPM that it doesn't die by itself, try it at idle first. Water doesnt burn so it will run terrible. It needs to be warmed up already so it is hot enough to vaporize the water.

Dangers? If you dump a cup of water in the engine it will hydrolock and destroy your engine. A little goes a long way here. You may want to change the oil shortly afterwards or ride it long enough to boil the water out of the sump, some water will get past your rings.

This is the same principal that SeaFoam uses, except you don't get quite as much of the smoke and smell. For those of you who beleive in SeaFoam, I am not saying this is a replacement for it... For the rest of us this is a replacement for SeaFoam.

[posplayr]

Dangers? If you dump a cup of water in the engine it will hydrolock and destroy your engine.

So I should roll the garden hose back up?

[mark_vaughn]

So I should roll the garden hose back up?

Everything in moderation.

[oshanac]

POsplayer-that's freaking hillarious!

Mark-I had a buddy hydrolock his motor from an air intake too low in his car. Thank you for making a mention about the dangers.

Now, since it seems you are playing with fire on this-wouldn't it be best to just use a spray bottle on all the carbs? I mean, we know a cup it too much, but how many oz's is safe? I don't think anyone wants to bet THEIR bike on that one. Would spraying only the spray bottle in a warmed up bike be o.k. guys? Thanks

[mark_vaughn]

Now, since it seems you are playing with fire on this-wouldn't it be best to just use a spray bottle on all the carbs? I mean, we know a cup it too much, but how many oz's is safe? I don't think anyone wants to bet THEIR bike on that one. Would spraying only the spray bottle in a warmed up bike be o.k. guys? Thanks

I dont think you could hydrolock an engine with a squirt gun if you tried.

[kilog55]

dont forget about the super soakers.....


ill use seafoam i like it

[Spyder]

Acetone will eat ANYTHING off of aluminum. Gaskets, seals, grease, sludge, burnt crusty carbon, anything... will not harm the aluminum...

[tkent02]

The other thing to consider is that the carbon hurts nothing, there is no reason to remove it unless you have detonation issues.
I only do it when I'm about to take an engine apart to save myself a little work..

[razor02097]

A solution 3 years in the making

[Spot1000Kat]

Caning the bike hard does it too..

[Badooka]

Sea foam is the liquid version of Chuck Norris!

[Weeksz]

So i've been using seafoam and have gotten all of the carbon off my pistons, but what about the exhaust ports? I've already spent about 500 dollars on this rebuild and i'm running out of funds.

I have everything to get her back together but I'm wonder if it is that essential to clean these ports?

I've seen a few methods (on cars mostly) where they use a drill and chuck some scotch brite pads to loosen the carbon from inside the ports.. Anyone ever try this?

But then again, is it totally necessary to clean the inside of the intake and exhaust ports?

(81' GS750L and I have no idea how many miles-tach said 8,000 when i got it but there is no way.)