backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

[dotcentral]

Any good, safe ways to do it?

A friend suggested letting it soak in a plastic tub full of kerosene. Means buying a tub w/a lid at home depot, several bucks worth of kerosene, sitting in the back yard and hoping a neighbor kid doesn't get noisy, then disposing of the waste. How volatile is kerosene? Is this an bad accident waiting to happen?

[Scott Liggett]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

I just did a backyard cleaning on my RPM intake. It was fairly clean even after being on the car for ten years.
I used Simple Green to get the grease off of it, then sprayed it with Eagle One's Mag Cleaner. This is type designed for uncoated aluminum rims. It is pretty volatile stuff because it's made from four types of acid so be really careful spraying it and remove anything that you don't want ruined off the intake. Use an old tooth brush to get in the small areas. Best of all you don't have gallons of chemicals to try to get rid of when you're done.

Here's the pics of the results.

This is what it looked like right off the car and soaked with Simple Green.


The end results after the Mag Cleaner tooth brush scrub. This only took about 40 minutes total.


Here's the stuff I used.

[Two Lane Blacktop]

internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Backyard methods internal cleaning of an intake manifold?

For backyard internal cleaning:


2 cycles of Brake cleaner --> dried/blown out w/compressed air

--or if no compressed air,

2 cycles Foamy Gunk --> w/hi-pressure water rinse --> dried/blown out w/hair drier

-------------------------------------------------------------------OR

How about a neighborhood quarter car-wash? --

Use their tire cleaner mix first, then hit it with high-pressure soap, followed
by a high-pressure rinse, dry it out at home, then coat w/WD-40 until used.

All done in a few momentos for a few pesos!

[DanStokes]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

I sure like what Reb did, and plan to copy it on my PES manifold for the six. It's actually pretty clean, but it's kind of dark instead of the light aluminum color. Any idea of what clear wheel paint would do to keep it shiny? On the six, it sits right next to the exhaust, so heat might be an issue.

Dan

[smallblockjay]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Don't soak in kerosene. It will soak into the aluminum and discolor it.

The pics of the intake using Simple Green and wheel cleaner seem to speak for themselves. That is outstanding.

I've done it a few ways that turned out great. I got my Air Gap used and very dirty. I used very fine media (like baking soda) to sand blast the out side. Yes, you have to be very careful to wash the inside of the intake out to make sure you get all the media out so it doesn't go in the cylinders and kill your walls and rings.

Foaming oven cleaner or even regular oven cleaner works great. The fumes are VERY bad. I do it at the quarter car wash. Spray it good with oven cleaner and let it sit for maybe 5-10 minutes, then sparay it with the high pressure rinse. Oven cleaner is the best degreaser you can use, but the fumes are bad. It will strip a dirty chassis to metal. Costs a little, at near $5 per can, but it will strip a lot of gunk.

[Freiburger]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Oven cleaner is good, Castrol Super Clean is better.

[smallblockjay]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Oven cleaner is good, Castrol Super Clean is better.

Never tried that. I will be taking your word and trying that next time. 8)

[Freiburger]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Don't get it on your hands or paint. Nasty stuff.

[smallblockjay]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Reminds me of the time I tried wearing latex gloves to wash parts in gasoline. The gloves didn't hold up very well, come to find out. ;D

[Dans 83]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Castrol Super Clean rocks!!! I can't find it in the gallon jugs anywhere anymore It only comes in the spray bottles around here.

[TC]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

Oven cleaner is good, Castrol Super Clean is better.

And Zep Purple is even better than that. ;)

[fabricatordave]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

superclean rocks !oven cleaner is great for carbon/egr crap inside a manifold

[Mr.WFO]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

i'm a wire brush kind of guy.

[Eric68]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

I've also used the Eagle 1 mag cleaner on intakes with good results.

You have to get the hang of the time though -- watch it closely while soaking and spray it off real good with lots of water when you are done. 10-15 minute soak times seem to work, I usually repeat 2x.

[orbit]

Re: backyard methods for internal cleaning an intake manifold?

And Zep Purple is even better than that. ;)

I'll second the Zep Purple. It's best to get it in the gallon bottle from your favorite home improvement warehouse and mix it in the strength one desires. I use old spray bottles from bathroom cleaners for that purpose.

On a side note, what's the best way to clean the guts on a slightly internally rusty cast iron intake?