I'm cleaning my valves...what a PITA!

[attomica]

2013 with 65k miles. I'm using the compressed air with walnut blast media method.

It's the first time for me and none of the discussions I've read here about the process indicate what a colossal pain in the ass it truly is. I can't imagine how you guys are getting it done in a couple hours. I legitimately may have passed on getting an MS3 if I'd had a true understanding of this shit that some say is supposed to be done every 40K.

For those who haven't yet gone through it...sorry.

[Jonb82]

What are you having trouble with


Sent while probably pooping

[attomica]

Nothing specific. It's just a level of disassembly and difficulty I've not yet encountered with this car and the discussions I've read suggest it's an easier job than it really is. I'm standing there, looking at half of the under-hood contents on my garage floor, wondering why Mazda would design an engine that needs such a huge breakdown to service it. Then, after taking everything apart, the actual cleaning is a bitch, and this is from someone who has all the tools and mechanical aptitude.

[Jonb82]

There's ways worse. Ok at Audi Rs's. Have to remove the engine to fix a timing chain. Some GM cars have starters in the middle of the engine


Sent while probably pooping

Originally Posted by Jonb82 There's always worse. Ok at Audi Rs's. Have to remove the engine to fix a timing chain. Some GM cars have starters in the middle of the engine Sent while probably pooping

Sent while probably pooping

[Pu Manchu]

everything always seems easier when you read a how-to on the internet or watch a video on youtube, i know that for sure.

better off swapping to a new motor and throwing an egr delete and catch can on it immediately.

[Djohns]

Run meth. Done.

[turbskies]

Originally Posted by Djohns Run meth. Done.

Will that clean the valves?

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[VoodooJef]

Or you could just not bother. Not like it`s a catastrophic detriment. I had 112K on mine and made well over 400whp on valves that had never been cleaned. Of course I had them cleaned when the motor was disassembled for the rebuild but it ran just fine prior.


**and no, methanol won`t actively clean the valves. It`ll keep them clean but won`t make them clean.

[5doorsoffury]

Originally Posted by attomica It's just a level of disassembly and difficulty I've not yet encountered with this car and the discussions I've read suggest it's an easier job than it really is.

You should do a downpipe. Valve cleaning was straight forward disassembly.

[tmillner]

Originally Posted by attomica Nothing specific. It's just a level of disassembly and difficulty I've not yet encountered with this car and the discussions I've read suggest it's an easier job than it really is. I'm standing there, looking at half of the under-hood contents on my garage floor, wondering why Mazda would design an engine that needs such a huge breakdown to service it. Then, after taking everything apart, the actual cleaning is a bitch, and this is from someone who has all the tools and mechanical aptitude.

First time I did it I would agree, and I do this stuff for a living. Now I could have everything disassembled in minutes. With regards to cleaning, I let that shit, b12 or whatever it is called, soak overnight on the valves, stuff came off way easier.

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[attomica]

I've just resigned myself to dealing with it. I have a second car, so that helps. If it were my daily driver, I'd be pretty heated. I'm deleting the EGR and installing an OCC while I'm doing this. Will those make a difference? Will they extend the interval at which the valves need to be cleaned?

And how do you soak all the valves overnight when one set remains open?

[tmillner]

I just said fuck it and filled each runner up. Egr and occ will help

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[anavrinIV]

Originally Posted by attomica I've just resigned myself to dealing with it. I have a second car, so that helps. If it were my daily driver, I'd be pretty heated. I'm deleting the EGR and installing an OCC while I'm doing this. Will those make a difference? Will they extend the interval at which the valves need to be cleaned? And how do you soak all the valves overnight when one set remains open?

If you're using a proper blaster there's no need to soak. The actual cleaning takes about 20 minutes with the right tools. Disassembly and reassembly is about an hour on a stock car. Not sure what's causing this to take multiple days....

[tmillner]

I used the right blaster, and soaking it overnight then blasting had the valves sparkling

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[attomica]

I'm using the media gun, walnut media, and the methods described in the many threads I've looked at, but I guess I'm still not doing it right. I've had to use a combo of walnut blasting, scrubbing with shotgun cleaning brushes and denatured alcohol, and picking with dental picks to get them thoroughly clean. I still have two of the eight to do. Jesus!