Topic: piston cleaning

[illrational]

What's the best way to so it?can I soak it in carb cleaner and what's the specs on the pistons.I measured two at 58.5 mm rAch

[underachiever]

If I remember correctly, acetone did a fine job on mine. Probably with carb cleaner as well. I believe some people have good luck with an acetone/atf? mix (maybe??) for unsticking seized motors which have sat for a while (as opposed to seized motors which have self destructed during use).

Stock 550 pistons 58.5mm x50.6 stroke at Pi x r² x h x 4 = 544cc

[WarwickE36]

People will chime in about flash rust and corrosion etc, but a solution of lots of DAWN dish detergent and water is what we were taught at school for cleaning pistons.  Soak it overnight at least.  As soon as it comes out of the soapy water brush it clean with a plastic bristle brush, and blow it dry with shop air or a hair dryer.  Then mist it with oil or wipe it down with oil and put it in a plastic bag until assembly.  It works awesome.

[MCRider]

Ahem   

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=79458.0

[rklystron]

The best way I have found is an Ultrasonic cleaner using water and simple green. Also works wonders on Carbs as well.

[CoachDoc]

The best way I have found is an Ultrasonic cleaner using water and simple green. Also works wonders on Carbs as well.

I couldn't agree more about Simple Green and ultrasonic cleaning. Worked amazingly well on my carbs, and relatively fast.

[illrational]

what kind of ultrasonic cleaner..would love to be able to throw my head in the cleaner

[illrational]

ok i feel stupid because i looked for a soda balster bottle at harbor freight...thansk MCRider but how did you get them so clean?

[luap]

if you dont have a ultra sonic cleaner I do half water half simple green an put themon a camping stove. soon as you get them hot the old build up falls off

[CoachDoc]

what kind of ultrasonic cleaner..would love to be able to throw my head in the cleaner

I'm a veterinarian, so I just "borrow" the ultrasonic cleaner we use on surgical instruments. Helps to be your own boss. It's compact, so  I had to do 2 carbs at a time with the carb rack on end, and then turn it over to do the other 2, but it worked super well with the Simple Green. Obviously smaller parts are no problem.
 Harbor Freight does sell them for far less than you'd pay to have the carbs cleaned by someone else. Check them out.

[MCRider]

ok i feel stupid because i looked for a soda balster bottle at harbor freight...thansk MCRider but how did you get them so clean?

Well the soda blaster, along with a compressor, sprays...soda (25lb bag at harbor Freight, like gritty baking soda) which is benign, eco frindly, and the blast will remove anything on a piston down to the aluminum. Do it in the driveway (no neighbors, it does make a cloud). Rinse with water, clean air spray.

[dave500]

dont forget to run a tiny drill bit through the oil holes within the oil ring groove,,these will be full of crud and need more than just air blown through them.

[illrational]

I appreciate your help fellas

[Trevor from Warragul]

I put pistons in a glass jar & fill with paint stripper.  Leave for a day or two & the carbon just comes straight off!

[dave500]

youll get away with it,but stripper will alter any precision surface in alloy,like the gudeon(wrist)pin area and the piston skirt surface itself,try and dip just the sooty crowns in anything as savage as stripper,read the instructions,,most say not for use on aluminium,,itll clean them alright though!use a jewelers screw driver and clean the ring grooves without gouging them,i use a little sand blaster for the crown and underside,get all them oil holes clean!

clean the skirts with worn out wet and dry.

[m in sc]

for the 2-strokes i use lacquer thinner. peels the carbon right off. and they get way nastier than any 4-stroke piston normally does.

[illrational]

I was worries about using something that would compromise the pistons

[MCRider]

I was worries about using something that would compromise the pistons

That's why i like the soda. totally benign.

[illrational]

The ultrasonic cleaner and the sand with blaster is about same price at harbor freight so I'm going to go ultrasonic

[MCRider]

The ultrasonic cleaner and the sand with blaster is about same price at harbor freight so I'm going to go ultrasonic

Soda, not sand,    but you need a compressor with the blaster as well. So the ultrasonic sounds interesting.

[illrational]

All the ultrasonic results I've seen have been exceptional

[m in sc]

I was worries about using something that would compromise the pistons

trferring to laquer thinner?? no, wont compromise it. anything too acidic or basic can possibly damage it, thats it.

also the chem dip carb cleaner works fantastic. On really nasty crap i also have an l&r medical ultrasonic i clean stuff in, and use 2/3 carb dip, 1/3 wd/40. great for carbs also.

[bjatwood]

I've cleaned aluminum parts with spray on Oven Cleaner before. Takes the crap right off of it.

[illrational]

I have the chemically dip carbon cleaner but thought that might be too hard on it..;.man forget spending a extra 30 dollars if I can just use that

[m in sc]

yeah, you can use that, its fine. the pistons aren't paper mach'e 

shoot, a few mos ago i was milling holes in pistons for another project... 

[illrational]

I let soak for about half hour took out toothbrush scrubbed put back in for hour scrub again and still not clean

[m in sc]

let soak overnight.

[illrational]

I did..... a world of difference

[mycb750k6]

So I've found (and verified) that simple green is not a friend of aluminum. If you leave a piston in simple green overnight, as I did, you may have a black piston in the morning which will not come off. Look up simple green and aluminum. Even "Simple Green" says on their web site ten minutes should be the max with aluminum without causing corrosion - http://www.simplegreen.com/solutions_faqs.php?search_query=aluminum ) .Soda blasting is great. Wish I had one (or a place to use it). I use vinegar in HF ultrasonic which is mildly acidic which works great on carb bodies as well. You can soak the aluminum in vinegar in the UC overnight without problem. Vinegar is a mild acid. SG is a base.

[rklystron]

Great information on Simple green. Thanks for posting that. I will look at other alternatives even though I have not had a problem as of yet.

[rklystron]

From their website: Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.