Topic: Carbon on valves

[Scott S]

 When I had the carbs/manifolds off the other day, I took a look inside the intake ports. The intake valves looked pretty grungy. Plenty of carbon, soot, what have you....

 I'm running some Seafoam in the gas, but is there an effective method of cleaning the valves without actually pulling the head and doing a valve job, etc.?

[haggeo]

can't imagine how they could be cleaned properly without being pulled, just did that myself.

[05c50]

There are products called "combustion chamber cleaners" out there. It is a spray foam that you spray into the carbs while its running and then let it sit for about an hour. After it's soaked a while, you take it out on the road and  beat the crap out of it and all the carbon blows out the pipes. WARNING!!! It makes large clouds of smelly smoke while you are spraying it and when you run it. It works pretty well unless the carbon is real hard and thick. Just like shampoo.......repeat as necessary.

..........Paul

[Scott S]

 I thought about squirting something on them while the manifolds were off but I wasn't sure what to try.

 It might be hard to spray something through the carbs with the stock air box on there.

 Maybe I'll keep using Seafoam and take her to red line a few times. 

[grumpy]

just get it fully warmed up and take it up to red a few times.

[fmctm1sw]

I think there were some posts a year or so ago about spraying a mist of water into it and steaming it.

[Deltarider]

Use a modern gasoline like BP's Ultimate or Shell's V-Power.

[KRONUS0100]

if you use water.....you have to have the rpms pretty high to avoid bogging the motor while spraying the mist....and the motor needs to be hot before you start the water treatment

[Scott S]

 How would you do the water trick with a stock airbox? I'm assuming you use a mister of some sort....

[Tintop]

just get it fully warmed up and take it up to red a few times.

Ah, the old 'Italian tuneup'.

Friend had shop servicing high end exoctics.  Guy would bring his 365 Daytona in once a month running like crap.  Seems he drove around Toronto in 3rd gear @ 30mph all the time.  Lots of carbon!  1st time they pulled heads the whole bit - $1K tuneup!  About the 3rd time they just put in fresh plugs, took it out to the 401, and redlined it in 1st / 2nd out to the airport and back.  Run like a top!  Still charged him the $1K.

[Gordon]

How would you do the water trick with a stock airbox? I'm assuming you use a mister of some sort....

Remove the vacuum port plugs one at a time, connect a tube with your carb synchronizer adapter, and dip the end of the tube in a cup of water while you rev the engine.

[Scott S]

How would you do the water trick with a stock airbox? I'm assuming you use a mister of some sort....

Remove the vacuum port plugs one at a time, connect a tube with your carb synchronizer adapter, and dip the end of the tube in a cup of water while you rev the engine.

 Brilliant. I thought about using the vacuum ports, but I was wondering if there was a way to spray something in through them. Your idea makes so much more sense.
  How long should you leave it in the water? How much should it suck up?

[grumpy]

Remove the vacuum port plugs one at a time, connect a tube with your carb synchronizer adapter, and dip the end of the tube in a cup of water while you rev the engine.

I thought of that when I Seafoamed the top end but I didn't want to get any residual crap in the synch hose that could possibly mess up a synch reading.
So I used one of those little squeze/spray bottles that nasal spray comes in.

[Gordon]

You don't have to use a hose from your synchronizer.  Just get some extra from the hardware store.  It's good to have around for lots of other things, anyway, like bleeding the brakes.  

Also, I'd prefer to use a tube rather than squirting water straight into the vacuum port because with the port open to air the fuel mixture in that cylinder is way too lean and isn't burning well at all.  With a hose it's only sucking in water, and when it's not you can pinch it off so it's not getting extra air.