Super easy intake/valve cleaning DIY

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

saaber1

Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
1,877
Location
Pacnw
Did this valve clean yesterday. It is the easiest thing in the world! Thanks a million to dsire on vwvortex for posting this! This is for a VW/audi 2.0 liter FSI engine but could be easily adapted to others. Brilliant!

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4181184&uid=19827&dir=1&postid=54180170#54180170

I sucked in fluid for about 1 second, let engine continue to idle a bit, and then revved and held at 2000 rpm until all white smoke stopped. Then repeated until out of fluid. I changed the oil after letting it run awhile after that. This is a super easy way to deal with valve/intake deposits plus you can do it really easily right before you change the oil.

Cost:

1) hose - 1/4" ID x 1/2" ODiameter x 24" $1.99 at autozone

2) Basketball needles $1.99 for 3

3) 1 bottle lubro-moly valve cleaner (ventil sauber) $6.38 at IPD volvo parts place, or here:

http://www.worldimpex.com/parts/lubromoly-valve-clean_60865.html
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Cleaners ingested via manifold vacuum is a technique that has been around for many decades.


And?

1) The title of this subforum says post tips for maintenance. That is what this is. And people on BITOG have specifically asked what is the procedure to clean valves on other threads.

2) I did not say that cleaning the intake with solvents is novel, only the method shown is novel, and how easy it is.

3) According to the post by RS-RL1, buildup on the intake valves on direct injection engines can occur in as little as 800 miles. Also here is a photo of the valves of a car with 22k miles. Thus it appears it is very important for owners of DI vehicles to know how to easily clean the valves themselves.

valve2pn3.gif
 
I don't know anything about FP60 plus but if it is a fuel additive it wouldn't help because the fuel never reaches the valves on direct injection engines (with the exception of some newer direct injection engines where the fuel charge does reach at least some of the valves). It probably would help with buildup of deposits on the fuel injectors though. As the RS-RL1 thread below discusses, the oil itself (in the pcv system) may be the only agent to "clean" the valves. This is ironic because the oil in the PCV system is also the source of the deposition!

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1379277&fpart=1
 
Using a basketball needle is something I, and several other BITOG members have used to restrict the flow when using water through a vacuum line. Works well.
 
This is something i DEF am gunna try! I have a 95 plymouth neon..would i insert the basketball needle into my cars intake air temp sensor port? If not, where would the needle be inserted? PCV valve maybe?
 
Not familiar with the Neon engine but you want to find an access as close as possible to the intake manifold. The temp sensor just happens to be in the perfect spot for the vw 2.0 engine but another spot may be more appropriate for the neon. Just make sure it is "downstream" of the Mass air flow sensor. Guys on a neon forum might know the best spot.
 
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Using a basketball needle is something I, and several other BITOG members have used to restrict the flow when using water through a vacuum line. Works well.


Doesn't it seem like the best ideas have already been done by someone before, it's just that not everyone knows about it? I certainly didn't know about this one. It's a great idea and incredibly simple.
 
Depending on the intake manifold geometry and intake point, quite often, most of the cleaner fluid will be sucked into the nearest and closest intake runner.

This is especially true in a 4 cylinder engine where the intake point is usually quite near the throttle body, and the furthest runner never seems to get any cleaner. I am not sure which is actually better, evenly crudded up valves, or half clean ones, half dirty ones?
 
Ah ok i see, that car used was a VW...
My neon, has a MAP sensor, which is to too far from the Air temp sensor, going into the block. I have done the seafoam thing, via brake booster line, and slwoly poured via the throttle body.
 
Originally Posted By: chrome
Depending on the intake manifold geometry and intake point, quite often, most of the cleaner fluid will be sucked into the nearest and closest intake runner.

This is especially true in a 4 cylinder engine where the intake point is usually quite near the throttle body, and the furthest runner never seems to get any cleaner. I am not sure which is actually better, evenly crudded up valves, or half clean ones, half dirty ones?


Yes, dsire from vortex whose method is linked above reports that the method shown primarily cleans the valves for cylinders #2 and #3. Those are the two that show most of the gunk buildup from pcv. The photo I posted above from vwtechhouston on vortex is from #3 cylinder I think, #2 looked similar. He states that cylinder 4 can be targeted through a different vacuum port on the manifold and still looking for a good spot to treat cylinder #1.

It would be best to have a solution that treats all valves equally and rabidrabbit1983 from vortex reports that the system shown below connects before the throttle body and "mists" the product in at the throttle body instead of sucking in a liquid.

cat.jpg


However I wonder if similar results couldn't be obtained by simply spraying air intake cleaner in at the throttle body.

ybdll.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Torino
Saaber1---Do you have any before and after photos/data?? Best regards. John--Las Vegas.


John, I would love to find a mechanic with a flexible borescope/videoscope that could take some before and after photos without any disassembly. That way various methods could be tested and you could see the results. I don't know anyone that has the scope but rabidrabbit1983 does and I believe he is looking into it. Would be cool to see!

Also on the VW 2.0 FSI anyway, you can easily log the misfires by cylinder and dsire has seen dramatic improvement via his method posted above. Before and after photos would be ideal.
 
Originally Posted By: saaber1
However I wonder if similar results couldn't be obtained by simply spraying air intake cleaner in at the throttle body.


with that design it's a lot harder. on my car the throttle body opening is in front, and all the intake ports can be seen with the throttle blades open. the LT1 5.7 has a short runner design too, so it's easier to shoot down the throttle body and direct the stream straight into the ports. other motors like that one, i don't know how you could it.
 
I like some light oil mixed in. When the carbon gets soaked, it breaks off the metal vs trying to completely disslove it. I do the intake cleaning after a piston soak.
 
The intake valve deposits are certainly at least partially from PCV vapors. Valve overlap may allow deposits to form on the intake valves as well. I'd guess that the cases of huge build-up is mostly from PCV vapors.

It is great to see that people have developed good cleaning methods. It is sad to see that VW engineers have allowed this problem to happen.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top