Walnut Blaster for GDI Intake Valve Cleaning

[The Critic]

I finally need to buy a walnut blaster for intake valve cleaning on GDI engines. A relative’s Audi 2.0t could benefit from a cleaning (due to mileage) so this may be the final motivating factor.

It seems like there are only two options on the market: the Harbor Freight options (and various iterations of it) or the BMW factory service tool.

BMW one: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine...pNMvy2PbOmslHWbAPoFQnJKF30B569JYaApXLEALw_wcB

Ideally I would like to spend around $500 for a mid-priced option plus adapters as-needed, not $1k+. But I am not seeing any other options. Is anyone aware of any other units I should consider?

 

[Trav]

Make one using a HF small blaster and a shop vac. The results are the same and cost less than $50, sure you have to cobble a few bits together but a grand to this this job isn't happening here, I can think of a hundred other things I rather spend a grand on.

 

[atikovi]

I used a Harbor Freight version with a VW adapter. Total under $100 and only used once so far.

 

[JHZR2]

Are you really going to get enough use out of a niche item like this to justify? I get the need for walnut blasting, but I wouldn’t be keen on having it done. What does it cost to do a service like that at a dealer?

Subscribed. Interested to understand if purchase of a tool like this is worth it…

 

[Quattro Pete]

Are you really going to get enough use out of a niche item like this to justify? I get the need for walnut blasting, but I wouldn’t be keen on having it done. What does it cost to do a service like that at a dealer?

My local Audi dealer wants $1.5k for this service.

 

[DuckRyder]

FWIW If you do decide to go with he BMW one google the part number, you can do significantly better than ECS price.

 

[oilcandave]

...cannot one just buy walnut media for ones sandblaster? I got a GDI and a blasterr...

 

[atikovi]

Found mine.

 

[spackard]

 

[Trav]

Found mine.

View attachment 81440

That is all you need, it does as good a job and is as easy to use as any high $$$ setup. I am all for buy high quality tools and equipment but I dont like pissing big money away on something like this either.

 

[The Critic]

Thanks for the feedback. I was advised that the HF unit has an issue with clogging and it wasn't pleasurable to use. I am splitting the cost of the unit with a few people, so I am not entirely opposed to spending more if it improves the user experience.

However, I came across this video where zip-ties (in a drill) was used to clean the intake valves. If you compare the photo at 2:33 versus the original photo at 0:37, the improvement from scraping and using the zip-ties (in a drill) is pretty darn impressive. Most of the carbon was cleaned away. Perhaps a walnut blast may not be necessary?

 

[Jack Watts]

IVD accumulation is not a linear process, given that they attach better to other deposits than they do the valves. The valves look OK at 2:33, but there are enough deposits to which new deposits can adhere that I'd say there's a substantive difference between 2:33 and after blasting. When you consider that most of the work is in removing the IM, I'd say to blast them.

I've done it twice, both times on VAG products. I used a home-brew set up similar to the video above, but used tape around the shop vac attachment and also put a rubber grommet on the hole I drilled, to keep it as clean as possible. It worked perfectly for me.

 

[benjy]

thats why i dont own any DI engines + being 73 YO with 2 lo mile vehicles + driving less than ever i prolly will NOT buy a vehicle unless someone on a cell phone hits + totals mine!!

 

[The Critic]

It finally arrived. Was on backorder from Germany, supposedly. TKR makes the machine.

@Trav, have you heard of them?

 

[Trav]

I have heard of them, small manufacturer, they make mostly industrial special machines. Nice machine if you make good use of it.

 

[Sparky16]

Nice looking machine . . . I do have two vehicles with DI engine . . .

 

[The Critic]

Nice looking machine . . . I do have two vehicles with DI engine . . .

Every Euro tech I talked to said it was easily worth 6x the cost of the HF setup.

Dealer charges well over $1k for a walnut blast so buying this tool was still cheaper than sending the job to the dealer.

 

[Sparky16]

I was going to drive to So Cal . . .

 

[Trav]

Every Euro tech I talked to said it was easily worth 6x the cost of the HF setup.

Dealer charges well over $1k for a walnut blast so buying this tool was still cheaper than sending the job to the dealer.

The HF setup is a simple siphon unit and okay for occasional use. The unit you got is much better if you are going to do enough work to make it worthwhile. I do a lot less work that I used to so for me it doesnt make much sense, in my case it would sadly be just another nice tool for my wife to peddle on craigslist for 10c on the dollar when I am gone. LOL

 

[JHZR2]

Every Euro tech I talked to said it was easily worth 6x the cost of the HF setup.

Dealer charges well over $1k for a walnut blast so buying this tool was still cheaper than sending the job to the dealer.

Except you have to store that monster someplace!