Topic: Effectively cleaning soot, carbon etc. questions

[greenjeans]

'72 CB750

I want to get this thing running for the summer before tearing into it this winter.
Anyway, is there any effective way to remove some of the build up / soot off the tops of the pistons, valve train / guides with out taking the engine out ?     I've heard of misting a tiny bit of water into each carb intake (1 at a time) while the engine is running to blast the soot off the pistons.....do I have this right ?  Does it really work ?

Acetone / ATF fluid mix....maybe a bit in the spark plug holes ?  before an oil change.
Or, is there an additive that I could add before an oil change that effectively cleans things up, but might not affect the clutch etc.   Engine isn't stuck (never has been) but has been sitting for at least 3 years (thankfully inside) so I'm sure the rings might be a bit sticky...

I have my carbs soaking as I type, and hope to have those back together this evening, so at least they will be clean and ready to go.  Air filter is good, plugs are fresh...Have plenty of oil ready for a change w/ fresh filter.

I'm almost sure that my lazyness will not be rewarded, but I have learned so much off this site, that I'm sure there are a bunch more tricks of the trade to be learned.

[dusterdude]

misting water and/or atf will do the trick

[HondaMan]

Running BG44K in the gas works well, too. It also dissolves the crud into tinier pieces, so they don't get stuck in the exhaust pipe baffles. The water method works in the piston crown and inner valve faces, but not on the exhaust side or the intake tract (or intake valve face), because these engines just don't get hot enough, in my experience.

Put about 1/4 can of BG44k in a tank of gas, run it through, then run a tank with. Repeat this process until the BG44K is gone. This stuff cleans better than your own hands inside the engine! Cleans the carbs comletely, too. Even cleans out the exhaust baffles in the pipes.

And, it's expensive! $27 per can, here.

[greenjeans]

BG44K.....never heard of it.  Will try and track some down.  Local parts store, or is it more of a speciality item ?

[dusterdude]

kinda specialty,a lot of garages carry it and a lot of car and truck dealers carry it too.not something you will find at advance and autozone.

[Tower]

An equivalent product that also works very well is SeaFoam Auto Marine motor treatment.  Either as a mist inoto the carbs or poured in the gas tank.  Produces cloads of smoke if misting, but works like magic.  Not cheap - about CAD $20/can.

[my78k]

Hey Tower, where'd ya pick it up around here?

Dennis

[JLeather]

Seafoam can be had everywhere.  PeoBoys, autozone, etc.  It works ok.  The old-school way to do it was to dump 1/3 of it slowly into a car carb.  Then dump 1/3 in fast so the motor choked out.  The last 1/3 went into the tank, and when you started it back up after being choked out it smoked like a sonoffa b**** for like 10 minutes.  White smoke, not black, and it smells like a kerosene heater.

Anyway, if you get the engine good and warmed up and you use a squirt bottle of water to mist into the carbs while revvign it that cleans piston tops real well.  Literally steam-cleans the pistons while it's running.  Never tried the ATF/Acetone mix myself, but that does make a fantastic penetrating oil even if it don't clean pistons.

[my78k]

Yeah I asked as up here north of the border I haven't had much luck tracking it down...I do have it on my shopping list for when I am down in Florida though....I leave in about 20hours!! Woo hoo...I need a little spring break!

Dennis

[Tower]

I picked up my SeaFoam at Burlington Cycle, a Honda dealer, but ask most any cycle shop and they'll order it for you.

[greenjeans]

Forgot all about seafoam....I know my local autoparts store has it.
Thanks fellas.  Hope to have her fired up tomorrow.  Will report back.

JLeather...when you say pour 1/3 into the carbs...what method - or, how are you doing that.  Filling the bowls ?  or just straight into the fuel lines ?


**On another note:  I left my carbs soaking in Simple Green overnight.  While it did get rid of the varnish and mess that was in there, it left the bowls almost a black color...any easy way to remedy that ?  Maybe I'll have to polish them now.

[JLeather]

That was for a car, where the carb is vertical.  On the bike I'd put a little in a spray bottle (one that you won't need for anything else ever again) and mist it into the open throats of the carbs (you gotta be revving the engine).  Then I'd dump some in the tank and go for a good hot ride.

[Canada]

NAPA carries Seafoam for us Canucks!

[Tom in Newcastle......Ontario]

I got some at Car Quest (Oshawa/Whitby)

[HondaMan]

NAPA carries the BG product line, and the BG44K.

[my78k]

tjjkc....Oshawa/Whitby you say? hmmm...I just moved from the 'Shwa and now live in Whitby...you in the neighbourhood?

Dennis

[BobbyR]

I ran a mixture of 90% Seafoam and 10% gas through my carbs. You attach a fuel line to the carbs and start it in some gasoline, then you add the seafoam and keep raising the level until the bike barley idles, crank up the idle screw so it will run  and just keep adding the seafoam and gas. All kinda smoke came out of the exhausts. I am not sure all of the parts it cleaned. I changed the oil before I took it out riding. I did this with a fan on the motor since I ran it for 30 minutes. The motor ran smoother.