Best Way to clean Carbon Build-up

[Doctormario777]

I'm putting a new intake manifold on my 2.8l ranger, but the replacement part is completely clogged with carbon. I'm just wondering what the best way to get it clean is going to be, since it's in a place where I can't immediately get to it all.

 

[PanamaExpat]

Patience, diesel, baby bottle brush, and baby bottle brush in a drill.

 

[adsm08]

If you have it off already I'd soak it in diesel fuel or ATF.

 

[Doctormario777]

If you have it off already I'd soak it in diesel fuel or ATF.

It is already off. What's ATF?

 

[Doctormario777]

Auto Trans Fluid?

 

[adsm08]

Yeah. Auto trans fluid. It has lots of good cleaners in it.

 

[Doctormario777]

So would you recommend just a soak in ATF?

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, get some tranny fluid warm (150* or so) and soak it in that. It should break up a lot of the carbon, but you will still have to scrub it.

 

[wildbill23c]

Yeah, get some tranny fluid warm (150* or so) and soak it in that. It should break up a lot of the carbon, but you will still have to scrub it.

It works good about a cap full in the carburetor will help clean the carb a little bit too. ATF works to clean a lot of stuff as I've found out over the years. Get the cheapest stuff though for these jobs, don't wanna be spending $15 on a quart of tranny fluid for these applications LOL.

 

[Doctormario777]

It works good about a cap full in the carburetor will help clean the carb a little bit too. ATF works to clean a lot of stuff as I've found out over the years. Get the cheapest stuff though for these jobs, don't wanna be spending $15 on a quart of tranny fluid for these applications LOL.

Yea... I may be better off with diesel if I want to get enough to cover it completely.

 

[wildbill23c]

Yea... I may be better off with diesel if I want to get enough to cover it completely.

The diesel fuel would be a lot cheaper LOL. You may still have to do some scrubbing either way, but the diesel fuel or ATF would help loosen all the carbon up to make it a lot easier, just make sure you get all of whatever you use off before installation and start up if not you are gonna be smokin' up the neighborhood until it all burns off LOL.

 

[Doctormario777]

The diesel fuel would be a lot cheaper LOL. You may still have to do some scrubbing either way, but the diesel fuel or ATF would help loosen all the carbon up to make it a lot easier, just make sure you get all of whatever you use off before installation and start up if not you are gonna be smokin' up the neighborhood until it all burns off LOL.

There are two ports that are actually COMPLETELY clogged with soot. AND, one of the valve cover bolts is broken off in it... and to think I actually paid money for this thing...

I'm considering taking it to a shop just because I haven't had ANY luck with bolt removal in the past... I'd wind up using my dremel and gouging it out lol

 

[wildbill23c]

There are two ports that are actually COMPLETELY clogged with soot. AND, one of the valve cover bolts is broken off in it... and to think I actually paid money for this thing...

I'm considering taking it to a shop just because I haven't had ANY luck with bolt removal in the past... I'd wind up using my dremel and gouging it out lol

The bolt removal will be tricky, I know on my 88 Ford F-250 the shop broke a bolt off in the manifold on it, they broke their bolt extractor off in there as well trying to remove it, so it just had a slight exhaust leak since then, never hurt its performance or reliability so I never bothered taking it any further.

 

[PanamaExpat]

On the valve cover bolt. Is there enough you can heat it up and get on it with the vice grips?

I never have had much luck with bolt extractors either. I generally end up getting whatever it is mounted up under the drill press and bore out the bolt and re-thread. So far that has literally solved my broken bolt issues.

Notice I said drill press and not hand held drill.... Helps to have the motor out and on a stand if you wish to do this. Your manifold however should be pretty easy to get under the drill press. Make sure you are at a true straight on bore (and firmly clamped down) when you do it though and GO SLOW... Getting in a hurry is asking for trouble.

 

[RonD]

Local muffler shops can remove broken bolts, they do it all day long, often cheaper than a engine repair shop, $20 cash goes along way for what will probably take them 10 minutes.


The intake is aluminum so "mag wheel" cleaner can work quite well and is safe for aluminum but wear gloves.
Also a lot can be done at those hot pressure spray car wash places, couple of quarters can save you a lot of scrubbing time