Some goodys found during valve cleaning

[norcalcasey]

Last weekend I decided to finally bite the bullet and take apart my engine bay in order to clean my valves. Nothing wrong with the car, just decided that after seeing all the before/after pics on cars with 40-50k miles that it was definitely time to spend some time on my car that has over 80k with no OCC or EGR delete. They were DISGUSTING especially my 1 and 4 cylinders (from left to right). No pics, sorry, but they looked similar to the valves on the attached picture.

This was my first time taking off the IC, so I thought i would check my plugs. WOW. Glad I did. Plugs 2 and 3 were completely covered in oil. Pulled the valve cover and the inner piece of the gasket had a ripple in it. Replaced it. I pulled the rest and they were completely fouled (no oil though). Probably have never been replaced since new. Replaced with the NGK Iridiums found on the Dummy Sticky. Wanted to get ITV22's but couldnt find them locally and needed to get the car back together.

Amazing difference in ye ole butt dyno. Car idles smoother, pulls harder. Took the whole weekend with waiting for the b12 to eat up the valve gunk, but definitely worth it if you have time.


for those who dont read, those pictures are not mine, just similar examples.

[ms6forthewin]

Go get a occ so it wont gunk up as fast again

[chimmike]

Nice work, but no need for step-colder plugs with your current mods.

[norcalcasey]

ap and test pipe in the mail, step colder for those right?

[Mase]

Wow...this is gross LOL

I have had an occ and egr delete kit sitting in my garage for like two months...just too lazy to install them.

[BrianB6]

Originally Posted by norcalcasey ap and test pipe in the mail, step colder for those right?

yes once you go ap

[Stretcher]

So how did you go about cleaning the valves? Sprayed with B12, let sit all weekend, and then how did you remove the gunk?
eric

[norcalcasey]

There are a few threads on the details, i believe daddy chinkus made them (search valve cleaning 2).

summary: remove a ton of stuff to get to the valves, turn crank pulley to TDC, spray with b12 and scrub with gun cleaning kit. Vacuum out gunk.

there is another method that includes walnut blasting too

[Stretcher]

Good info. I read the threads but could only remember the walnut blasting, and as i can't do that one, the gun cleaning variant sounds much more possible. Thanks for the tip casey!
eric

[Matx]

walnut blasting works the best

[Lex]

Seems a lot of perhaps cheap oil got in that intake manifold. Yuck.

[lilred]

I'm sure my 37k pu already has gunk I have to clean it while I install tigs

tapafuck

[tddvrrn]

Originally Posted by Stretcher Good info. I read the threads but could only remember the walnut blasting, and as i can't do that one, the gun cleaning variant sounds much more possible. Thanks for the tip casey! eric

hey, i did it with b12 and a gun cleaning kit. a drill helps too, to get the brushes going. search around, there is a thread where someone mentions a special cleaner mazda sells that is like a nuclear bomb for this carbon. apparently it works better than anything else. see if you can find it.

when i do my valves again, i will use it. the b12 was ok, just time consuming.

[b3nnno]

ugh man yours looked horrible. mine did too, but not that bad (60k).

b12 and brushes takes way tooooo long. idk how low it took you, but it took me about 20 hours total, including tear down, soaking, brushing, and reassembly.

definitely worth it to do walnut media blasting next time and buy/rent an air compressor.

do OCC and EGR delete to cut down on buildup.

[itsstock02]

Mazda zoom zoom cleaner!

ZOOM POWER ENGINE CL (0000-77-A86) - $20.88 - 000077A86

[tddvrrn]

Originally Posted by b3nnno ugh man yours looked horrible. mine did too, but not that bad (60k). b12 and brushes takes way tooooo long. idk how low it took you, but it took me about 20 hours total, including tear down, soaking, brushing, and reassembly. definitely worth it to do walnut media blasting next time and buy/rent an air compressor. do OCC and EGR delete to cut down on buildup.

not sure how long it took. i tore it down and began the cleaning in one day, but had to finish the next, since i ran out of b12..

imma try the zoom zoom cleaner ^ (thanks!) next. the tech on here who recommended it said letting it soak for an hour turned ALL of the carbon to a soft gloppy mess that could be vacuumed out. walnut media seems like a great idea, but the financial layout to do it was much more than for the gun brushes and b12.

would much rather do the walnut media, though. but i'd also rather be fucking latetia casta and i'm not, so imma have fun fucking the wife that i do have..

[norcalcasey]

I let them soak overnight in my garage and was amazed at how much of a difference that made. I let the b12 soak overnight, then came back in the morning with new brushes to get at the remaining ~50% gunk left from previous day scrubbing, and the valves were spotless. I was amazed. Not everyone has a full weekend to do it though, so if you have a compressor and a harbor freight nearby, do that instead.

[b3nnno]

Originally Posted by norcalcasey I let them soak overnight in my garage and was amazed at how much of a difference that made. I let the b12 soak overnight, then came back in the morning with new brushes to get at the remaining ~50% gunk left from previous day scrubbing, and the valves were spotless. I was amazed. Not everyone has a full weekend to do it though, so if you have a compressor and a harbor freight nearby, do that instead.

+1 soakin the TDC valves in B12/Zoom-zoom cleaner/denatured alchy overnight. helps out immensely.

my carbon was removable & gooey but very sticky, held onto whatever it could grab on to. a long thing spoon might've helped now that i think about it.