Topic: How to clean the carbon from the combustion chamber (without taking the head off

[Buber]

So. I do have (still, arrggghhh) a little pinging under load on low revs. I eliminated the following: Timig - i went for a ride with impulser cover off and a screwdriver in a hand  and despite changing it every possible direction, pinging was still there.
Lean condition - i turned in the pilot screws (since its low revws), and no change still.
So I'm left (i think) only with carbon deposit. Now, I've read many posts about Seafoam and similar things, usually folks were raving about it. And since I'm now in the States for a week, I ordered a six-pack, and soon I will have it! (you just CAN"T buy the stuff in Europe).
And here is the question - how to administer it to most efficiently clean the carbon? how to put it into the carbs, to get the maximum effect?
Or are they other ways of cleaning (apart of obvious head dissasembly, but for the moment I would prefer not to do that - i have no problem with the head so far)?

If any of you had something similar - please share your experiences.

Thanks a milion!

[Jugghead]

watch this video, it is very informative.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6187290865726229173

[johnny-from-bel]

I use Marly C2i with very good results.

[Buber]

Thanks Johnny! But which shops have it? And do you just pour it to the fuel, or somehow into the carbs directly?

[SOHC steve]

If you are buying any of these products in the USA and planning on taking them back to Europe with you,just be careful how plan on shipping them back...if you were planning on carrying them back with you on a flight you may be in for a big dissapointment,they will probably be calssified as dangerous goods and prohibited for carriage...There is no doubt ways to ship it back,but it may get expensive and may well be worth looking into prior to buying it.Its probably not as good,but squirting some water into the carb air intake while running does tend to loosen some deposits,together with a good run afterwards.Cheers

[BobbyR]

Well the oldest and tried and true method we can use is the water cure. It is very simple. You simply spray water into the carb throats and the resulting steam blows the carbon out. On my 78K I used the vacum guage holes and sprayed it in there. Do not pour it in, spray it in with a spay bottle this way you will not get hydro lock which is not that easy to do. One cylinder at a time and give it a few shots in each one.   

[johnny-from-bel]

Thanks Johnny! But which shops have it? And do you just pour it to the fuel, or somehow into the carbs directly?

Here in Belgium any auto-shop caries them. Just pour the indicated amount in the fuel

[Jay B]

The best stuff I've found is Ring Free from Yamaha marine. Meant to de-carbon two stroke outboards. It's a little spendy, about $12 a pint. Their "shock treatment" calls for a pint per 6 gallons of gas. Oilhead BMW's tend to carbon up periodically, and you can see the top of the piston through the spark plug hole. I've had my piston totally gunked over, after a tankfull of Ring Free I could see the machining marks on top. BTW, if you have much carbon in there, the bike will blow white smoke, and lots of it for a while. Should be available from any Yamaha Marine dealer. HTH

[johnny-from-bel]

Well the oldest and tried and true method we can use is the water cure. It is very simple. You simply spray water into the carb throats and the resulting steam blows the carbon out. On my 78K I used the vacum guage holes and sprayed it in there. Do not pour it in, spray it in with a spay bottle this way you will not get hydro lock which is not that easy to do. One cylinder at a time and give it a few shots in each one.   

That is a neat trick, I must try that.

[tbone]

Well the oldest and tried and true method we can use is the water cure. It is very simple. You simply spray water into the carb throats and the resulting steam blows the carbon out. On my 78K I used the vacum guage holes and sprayed it in there. Do not pour it in, spray it in with a spay bottle this way you will not get hydro lock which is not that easy to do. One cylinder at a time and give it a few shots in each one.   

I've always used a bug/insecticide sprayer set on a very fine mist. Just keep the R's up while watering.

We did this once to an old Coupe DeVille that wouldn't pass emissions and darn if it didn't pass after it was cleaned out!

[BobbyR]

Yeah it is a really old trick my Grandfather used back in the 1900s. Before that they would feed a fine chain into the sparkplug hole to break up the carbon. I don't think I would do that, but the water cure made a comeback in the 1970's when the emissions stuff was gunking everything up. Spray away!

[Buber]

seafoam is on its way  i will just play stoopid on the airport..... still, i got chain, sprockets and sparks (iridium) for half price that this in Poland 

[jaguar]

there is a product called "power tune"  its sold at most boat stores.  its a mercury(engines) product.  ive used it on a few motors with good luck

[mark]

there is a product called "power tune"  its sold at most boat stores.  its a mercury(engines) product.  ive used it on a few motors with good luck

I was going to put in a plug for Power Tune as well..

.. until I read the instructions..

.. run engine at full throttle for 5 minutes after treatment!

That could get exciting.

How far away is the Autobahn?


Happy trails.

[FunJimmy]

Back in the early days of high output turbo performance, water injection was very effective at curing detonation.

If you ever tore down a well used water injected engine you found the combustion chambers and pistons looking like new.

Water cleans, but you might be surprised at how much it takes to clean a well carboned engine.

[dusterdude]

yep,water injection is the hot lick.

[BobbyR]

Here is a link that gives some instruction on the water cure. I does take a bit of water to do the job, but it is cheap and safe. http://www.hotrodder.com/kwkride/tech.html