CRC Intake Valve Cleaner Use In A Turbo

[Virtus_Probi]

I realize this isn't quite about a fuel additive, but I still thought this was the best place to put this post. I tried a search and found nothing pertaining to my particular question. I have been thinking about using this in my GDI turbo due to concerns about carbon buildup and was watching a CRC YouTube video about applying it through the air intake past the MAF sensor. A performance shop from FL posted a comment for the video claiming that they had observed turbo damage from particles striking vanes during cleaning as well as scoring in the cylinders from the same hard particles. CRC replied and asked to shop to contact them, but did not refute the assertions.

Does these sound like valid concerns to the experts here? I had envisioned the carbon being washed off as more of a solution, but have no idea what the reality of the situation would be.

 

[JHZR2]

I was under the impression that walnut media blasting was considered a proper technique for high performnce engines from various manufacturers? As the blasting would likely get some past the valves and out the exhaust (striking the vanes), I cant see how this would be the case???

 

[yvon_la]

If its made of stainless use alumn(sorry for spelling)your better half or mother ok maybe your grand mother probably got alumn around the house

 

[KingCake]

Ford and other makers explicitly say not to use induction cleaners because they will ruin the turbos. Fine in n/a cars.

 

[Trav]

Walnut shell media blasting is the correct way to do the job. The walnut shell media is also used for cleaning turbocharger themselves. This is done one cylinder at a time with both valves closed and the other intake ports covered.
Most of the time you can fiddle the adapters for use on other engines. Walnut shell media is a much softer material than carbon and harmless to the turbo.

http://www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part=B1...CFdBZhgodc18PLA

 

[Kawiguy454]

Carbon is definitely hard and if it exits into the turbine blades it could pit them? But wouldn't a properly tuned car not have problems with carbon buildup. And if you do fog the motor with that stuff are you gonna pin the throttle till the turbine goes to full speed?

Cant tell you how many "Tuner" cars I have seen with black sooty rear bumper and a Formula1 wing on the back.

 

[KingCake]

Originally Posted By: Kawiguy454
Carbon is definitely hard and if it exits into the turbine blades it could pit them? But wouldn't a properly tuned car not have problems with carbon buildup. And if you do fog the motor with that stuff are you gonna pin the throttle till the turbine goes to full speed?

Cant tell you how many "Tuner" cars I have seen with black sooty rear bumper and a Formula1 wing on the back.


Direct injection is gonna make deposits no matter what.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi


Does these sound like valid concerns to the experts here? I had envisioned the carbon being washed off as more of a solution, but have no idea what the reality of the situation would be.



The concerns are valid, and I would avoid using this method.
Because the possibility does exist that you could do damage if it dislodges any hard carbon particles.

Like others said the proper solution is to use walnut shell blasting.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel

The concerns are valid, and I would avoid using this method.
Because the possibility does exist that you could do damage if it dislodges any hard carbon particles.

Like others said the proper solution is to use walnut shell blasting.


Yeah, I'm starting to feel this way, too.
I know that Subaru started using an carbon cleaner on cars that were failing the leakdown test this is part of their present predetonation (LSPI?) recall, but I don't know if that is applied while the car is running or how much the engine is disassembled (I do see there is a special tool used to apply the cleaner).
I'm approaching 45k miles with my DIT engine and I assume there must be some carbon there...my leakdown tests were OK, so I'd assume I don't have a horrible problem. The CRC cleaner seemed like an easy tool to help reduce carbon buildup that I could apply myself, but it's really not sounding like a good idea right now.
Thanks to all for the opinions.

BTW, am I right that walnut shell blasting would be done by a dealer or other pro shop?
Does anybody do that at home? Sounds like quite the process to me.

 

[Trav]

I wouldn't call it a DIY job for the average person but it can be done at home with the blaster and an air compressor capable of powering it.
The job does require a bit of a tear down of the top end.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Trav
I wouldn't call it a DIY job for the average person but it can be done at home with the blaster and an air compressor capable of powering it.
The job does require a bit of a tear down of the top end.


If I had thought about it at the time, I'd imagine the dealer could have done some kind of top engine clean while they had my car apart to pull the plugs (not a trivial job on a Subaru boxer) and do the leakdown test. I don't know if that dealer is set up for the walnut shell blasting...

 

[Trav]

I think we are talking about two different things. I am talking about blasting the rear of the valves that requires pulling the intake.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Trav
I think we are talking about two different things. I am talking about blasting the rear of the valves that requires pulling the intake.


Sorry, I talked about two things in my post and did not space them to make it clear. Partway through the present recall on recent FXTs and WRXs, Subarus started to specify some kind of chemical top engine clean on cars that were failing the leakdown test. If I had brought my car in after I heard about this, I might have asked the dealer to do this for my car no matter what (its leakdown results were fine).

Then, I was wondering if that dealer had the equipment to do the walnut shell blasting...I don't think I've ever heard of somebody having that done at a Subaru dealer.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Trav
I think we are talking about two different things. I am talking about blasting the rear of the valves that requires pulling the intake.


Is the media (shells) then vacuumed out of the ports, or are the heads then removed and it is blown out?