Topic: What's your favorite carbon cutter?

[Scott S]

 Will be pulling the head on the CB500 project soon. What's your current favorite carbon cutting solution? I want to clean the valves, combustion chambers, piston tops, etc., while I'm in there.

 I once had a small bottle of something that would melt it right off. I could literally wipe it away with a rag. Small "5 hour energy drink" style bottle that I found at Autozone or somewhere. I can't find it now and can't even remember the name.

 And haven't I seen people chuck up the valves in a drill and spin them against a brass brush or something?

[Deltarider]

Over here we use Coca-Cola for all the nasty chores, like removing urinary stone in toilets.

[WideAWAKE]

I use a soda blaster. With xl grit.

Works like a charm. I have a cheap one from HF.

Won’t damage your head, gasket surfaces or valves.

Rinse it off with water and if for some reason there is still a little trace left it won’t burn your motor as it’s water soluble, unlike glass beads which all it takes is 1 to wreck havoc on a piston.

It does make a huge mess if you don’t have the space to do it and the soda will kill your grass.


*I’ve seen a liquid product called “piston kleen” used but you gotta submerge it. It did work though.

[PeWe]

Inner cleaning?
Piston tops had some hard carbon in need of wire wheel on drilling machine, conical.

Tried to use brass and steel brushes manually as much as possible.
Motorex Drive chain cleaner is a good help. Before, while doing it and afterwards.

Carbonised head, manual brushes and drive chain cleaner. When used drilling machine I avoided valves, since they had no hard stuff.

Brushes for Dremel worn out very quick and fell into pieces not good to get in engine or holes in head.

One head needed to get ex valves removed and brush ports free from carbonised oil.
I avoided the valve seats sealing surfaces.
Very important to protect all holes, oil holes for oil to head most important. No blocked oil flow.
Harder work on chambers might need protection on head surface.
 
An old head gasket attached on head work fine as protection.

I reshaped a CB750 head's chambers with sanding wheels once using an 836 head gasket as a guide and protection for gasket surface.
Head milled after that.
An old stock gasket if chambers are smaller.

Old used head gaskets good to save for future work.

[70CB750]

I used scratchpads by 3M but the chemical sounds great.  If you ever remember the name


But I also remember gallon cans of carbon cleaner - nasty stuff that really worked and it´s not available anymore.  Chances are that chemical is no longer sold. 

[WideAWAKE]

I used scratchpads by 3M but the chemical sounds great.  If you ever remember the name


But I also remember gallon cans of carbon cleaner - nasty stuff that really worked and it´s not available anymore.  Chances are that chemical is no longer sold.

Chemdip - they still make it but it’s not the same. Definitely had a few key ingredients swapped out.

[grcamna2]

I used scratchpads by 3M but the chemical sounds great.  If you ever remember the name


But I also remember gallon cans of carbon cleaner - nasty stuff that really worked and it´s not available anymore.  Chances are that chemical is no longer sold.

Chemdip - they still make it but it’s not the same. Definitely had a few key ingredients swapped out.

I've heard of that one in the past;automotive mechanics spoke about it.

[Scott S]

 I have a 25+ year old gallon can of the Chem-Dip carb cleaner. That Stuff will still curl your nose hairs and stay on your skin for days.

[grcamna2]

I have a 25+ year old gallon can of the Chem-Dip carb cleaner. That Stuff will still curl your nose hairs and stay on your skin for days.

I'm surprised it hasn't evaporated by now;you must keep a tight lid on it Scott