Carbon removal (pistons)

[Vinnie]

What is the preferred way to remove to remove carbon from the tops of pistons?

Thanks guys

[Capt.Insane-o]

power tune.

[Vinnie]

Thanks, where is it available? I havent seen it.

Thanks

[Capt.Insane-o]

any dealer, BRP calls it engine tuner, West Marine, etc...

[Vinnie]

I got ya. I forgot I used that to decarbonize during the season. I went to the garage and found a can of Johnson Evinrude Engine tuner.. I nremember you have to get the motor warmed up prior to using it. Does it work well cold? (never used it on a cold motor)

Thanks again,,

[Forkin' Crazy]

It will work cold, but as any chemical, it works faster when warm. BTW you can get Engine Tuner in a gallon from BRP.

[Jay Smith]

Pistons out of motor I use a ceramic grade glass in my bead blaster. In the motor power tune or sea foam..

Jay

[mariah2]

For out of the motor I made a jig to hole the pistons upside down by the rod and only dipped them to the bottom ring groove in carb cleaner and let them sit for a several days last winter. It was snowing outside and cold in the shop and I think it would have worked better at regular room temperature but it made them look brand new. A heat source to warm the chemical would have helped a lot too but the fumes are killer.

[imq707s]

I have used seafoam, and it works great. Take a 1 gallon fuel can, mix up a 40:1 fuel mix...and dump in an entire can of seafoam. Full the fuel line off of the main boat tank, and run the motor off of the small 1-gallon saefoam mix. Fire the motor up the hose, and let it idle and run for awhile until you go though that gallon of fuel. It will smoke like hell, but it will decarbon the motor and pistons. I've done it several times, works like a champ! I'm sure my neighbors hate it though :)

[Jason Johnson]

I think the Yamaha RING FREE works too?

[Dave Strong]

Pistons out of motor I use a ceramic grade glass in my bead blaster. In the motor power tune or sea foam..

Jay

For sure some oils leave some real hardass carbon on pistons, when I did my Bridgeport I tried OMC Carbon Guard ( was told that Sea Foam made it for OMC? ) Had a new pail of carb cleaner with an agitator, would not soften it.
Knew the original owner he ran it 32:1 on Merc Race oil since day one, I ran a few dose's of Carbon Guard through it before I tore it down. Maybe his math was bad, never put any decarbon chems through it?? I know he drove it like a pussy most the time.
Wish I had Jays blaster then.
Never seen any thing like it.


Dave

[Vinnie]

Forgive me for being a boob for NOT saying the pistions are OUT of the motor! Sorry for not being clear!!

[John.Vaught]

My father and I brought a 40 Johnson back from the dead, dad used the Berrymans Chem Dip he dipped the carbs and then we put the pistons in there one at a time because the rings were stuck in the grooves.

Don't leave them in there too long and they use to make a 5 gallon can version.

[Superbender]

In my beed blaster is crushed walnut shells/pistons are taped off at the skirts with masking tape,then I stick them in an ultra sonic machine before final cleaning,

[Euroski]

Anyone have any before and after pictures of the pistons.

[Forkin' Crazy]

Forgive me for being a boob for NOT saying the pistions are OUT of the motor! Sorry for not being clear!!

Haha! No big deal!! Well you can still do it by chemical or mechanical... Your choice. Last time I had some to clean I used a glass bead blaster. :)

[John.Vaught]

My pops was afraid of damaging the pistons ring grooves in our case if that helps.

[jerry1865]

many of the methods mentioned are really good, just want to add one more. soda blasting, its just baking soda and once it is shot it just goes to powder.

it does a great job and is more gentle than the glass beads or the walnut shells. clean-up after is as simple as a rinse and blow dry.

[Mr. Demeanor]

We always used a fine mist of water sprayed into the carb throat with the idle bumped up. Just like a motor with a blwon head gasket, the piston/combustion chamber gets very very clean. Works better than any chemical I have tried including seafoam. On 4 strokes we always changed the oil after or went for a good long run to evaporate off any water that got pushed past the rings. I have been told that windshield washer fluid work very very well also with the same method. Makes sense as Seafoam is largely alcohol like windshield washer fluid.

[Dave Strong]

We always used a fine mist of water sprayed into the carb throat with the idle bumped up. Just like a motor with a blwon head gasket, the piston/combustion chamber gets very very clean. Works better than any chemical I have tried including seafoam. On 4 strokes we always changed the oil after or went for a good long run to evaporate off any water that got pushed past the rings. I have been told that windshield washer fluid work very very well also with the same method. Makes sense as Seafoam is largely alcohol like windshield washer fluid.

Never a big fan of the water deal, got to soften the stuff up a bit first. 1st time I seen guy do the water thing a big chunk come off and then the knocking started, apprentice showing me how smart he was thought he was going to have a heartattack when it started knocking.
I used to use 1/2 GM Cleans and 1/2 atf smoked like a bitch but seemed work best.
Use Chevrons Techron now days few oz every other fill, real good for injectors as well.

Brings back a memory of when I was 1st yr apprentice, Service Mgr says old man so and so is here crying his car is running crappy take it up to the freeway and hammer it through the gears a couple times. Old fart only went back and forth to the supermarket and never reved it over 2500rpm. Go out and there it is 69 Super Bee, 440 6 pack with 4.10s and a 4sp, back when wrenching was fun.


Dave

[Jay Smith]

Water through a needle bearing motor ? Me thinks me wouldn't have a warm and fuzzy one on that idea...

Jay

[Dave Strong]

Water through a needle bearing motor ? Me thinks me wouldn't have a warm and fuzzy one on that idea...

Jay

Just making more work for ya Jay.:D

How the eyes doing?

Dave:)

[Bruster]

Soak in Sea Foam is about as cheap and easy as it gets. Takes a couple days. The soda blast is pretty cheap too. Somewhere there is a UTube that shows how to make the Sanford model for about $2 if you have enough air compressor.

[HStream1]

Pistons still in motor Sea Foam or Mercury Quickleen. Out of motor I use #8 glass bead then a good cleaning with a chemical bath.

Here's a after picture using the water method :eek:



http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/jbcincnc/Piston-1.jpg?t=1289065998

[Jay Smith]

oops.........

The eye that had surgery is GREAT ( 20-20 ) the other SUX.. After the holidays Dr. Yeu is getting another job ( right eye ) ..

Thanks for asking, happy holidays !

[HStream1]

Soak in Sea Foam is about as cheap and easy as it gets. Takes a couple days. The soda blast is pretty cheap too. Somewhere there is a UTube that shows how to make the Sanford model for about $2 if you have enough air compressor.



This one works pretty good. A buddy of mine did one.

http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

[Bruster]

Way to much water.....




Here's a after picture using the water method :eek:



http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/jbcincnc/Piston-1.jpg?t=1289065998

[Bruster]

That's it!


This one works pretty good. A buddy of mine did one.

http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

[Dave Strong]

Way to much water.....

No told him if your using water spray it in, don't pour it in.


Dave

[pcrussell50]

along those same lines, i just use lacquer thinner to decarbon the piston tops on my race car motors. give 'em a good soak then wire brush the tops. it's probably easier your way with the jig though. i'll have to look into that.

for my outboards and other 2-strokes, i use seafoam. i do what ian does in post number 9, but before that, i also wet down the piston top with seafoam and let it sit overnight, so the carbon turns into a soft jelly or something. it burns off real easy the next day once it's softened up.

-peter

[Robby321]

Seafoam "Deep Creep"..(NAPA)..spray can. Warm, high idle, good soak through the carbs....(yep, gonna get smokey!) Let it sit..(they say 5 minutes) fire it again,...(put a old white towel down where the exhaust water comes out, you'll see the black crap removed). THEN, I pull the plugs, soak the P-Tops/bores.(to get to the rings), and like said, sit over night. Fire it again, clean the plugs, out and under load, and bring fresh plugs. Never didn't lose at least one plug, carbon fouled, blowing more out. Works for me..