Heavy Carbon Deposits

[jasongind]

I just out the 1.8 roller rockers in on friday. I noticed heavy carbon deposits in the upper and lower intake and some sludge in the valve covers. I cleaned as much carbon from the upper intake as possible with some MAF cleaner and the sludge from the valve covers. What can I do to clean the rest out of the upper and lower intakes and prevent this. I have dont the Sea Foam twice in the last year and it smoked like everyone said it would. So I doubt that stuff really works. Although I'm sure I'll get someone saying that it really works and it did clean carbon off, there is just so much in there still. I doubt it. Oh, and there are 120,100 miles on it, 4x4, extra cab.

 

[OMFG nick]

seafoam will only clean the top end if put in with your oil.

 

[Rearanger]

I noticed heavy carbon deposits in the upper and lower intake and some sludge in the valve covers.

I bet it's from engine oil being sucked up through PCV valve. I found a lot of carbon on my upper intake as well and traced it to PCV. I sprayed down the throttle body and sucked Sea Foam through a vacuum hose connection to intake. I'm still trying to figure out a catch can for the PCV.

 

[jasongind]

seafoam will only clean the top end if put in with your oil.

Each time I did the Sea Foam I did the vaccum line, oil (then changed), and fuel tank. I jsut dont think it a miracle product like people claim.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

ATF is a good cleaner for the gunk inside the valve covers and oil journals add a cup just prior to oil changes will break up the sludge as it is high detergent. Alot of it is because of the oil you are using I personally wont use pennzoil products for that reason but that is just a personal thing. Dont run it very long or at high rpms just get it good and warm to distribute the detergent. And change the PCV with regular tuneups or every other oil change and clean or change the breather filter also. Too much blowby is either rings or valve guide seals.

 

[jasongind]

Hate to tell ya, but the best result is to remove the plenum and clean it really good. MAF cleaner is only good on the sensor, not carbon and big build ups like that. Get a good intake / carb cleaner and spray inside the ports, throttle plate area and use a rag and wipe it down. Use a tooth brush to scrub around the throttle plate and top end area.

I recently did this twice, on my 94 because I needed another plenum. Got the one from the junkyard cleaned inside and repainted the whole thing black. I did my friend's 91 3L's valve covers and I did that to the plenum and lower intake. Previous owner had never changed any gaskets and the inside of the motor is a mechanics nightmare, therefore the plenum had 19 yrs of grease, sludge, etc inside of it. The plenum had about a 1/2" of carbon and sludge on it, I scrubbed that that thing and it came out clean. One other thing leave it upside down for a bit with some spray in there so it can soak in on the area's you can't reach. When put back together take that 3L on a quick race course to clean everything out.

I never liked seafoam for multiple reasons, you want that plenum clean take off and elbow grease it until it looks good.

Thanks for the info. Did you notice a difference at all when you had it all cleaned out?

The 3L's are carbons bombs just waiting to happen, that's the reason you don't under rev or drive like a slow person. You keep them to where they are good to go, it will keep the carbon from building up.

Yeah I dont under rev it very often, if at all. But I got it at 103,000 miles so who knows what the prev owner did with it.