The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop there is always a bright side.....

....to taking the head off of my engine for the third time, i'm building speed putting it back on, just did it in under 20 minutes by myself. i don't know why i felt compelled to say this, must be from getting hit in the head by the hood once too many times

Practice makes perfect!!

...and those threads are nice & clean !

Im right along with you. My buddys got a 87 camaro,we can drop in his engine and have it driving in 30-45 minutes.Why because we've done it 9 times coming up on 10.

materman,

Practice makes perfect. Is there a reason you wanted/needed to do this three times?

This could get expensive - are you using a new head gasket each time?

i really didn't want to do it three times, but i have to keep cleaning the piston heads because the motor would try to start and knock loose chunks of carbon the size of quarters. i didn't replace the gasket yet because the original is still all one piece, i know i need to but budget doesn't allow right now.

Indy

I wonder if the coolant running into the cylinders might wash off the carbon.

Where is this carbon coming from that you keep cleaning up? And how long between head pulling do you run it before you have to clean it again?

Are you just cleaning the tops of the pistons each time, or have you cleaned the head too and the carbon keeps coming back?

i believe the carbon is coming from the head, i cleaned it this last time so i'll see if it will "reproduce" the carbon. the engine doesn't run, but every time i turn it over to try to start it, the carbon dislodges and gets all over the pistons. i think it is because the engine has over 230,000 miles on it and probably needs rebuilt if not taken down and thoroughly cleaned, but i want to hear it run first.

Thoroughly clean that head.

k, i think i did this time, but there is only one way to tell.

There's a lot simpler and more effective way to decarbonize an engine. Get it up to running temperature, set the RPM to 1500-1800, and squirt several ounces of water into the intake with something like a Windex sprayer. The steam created when the water hits the cylinders will blast the carbon loose and blow it out the tailpipe.
Jerry

I've pulled that trick a few times. Works pretty well.

From what I gather his is dropping enough carbon at a time to keep the engine from turning over.

exactly

alright, its now cool enough to go work on the truck, all i have to do is put the manifolds and carb back on and see if it runs. wish me luck.

Mater, I think the only place you will find carbon in large "chunks" which you would not see and remove in a glance type head inspection will be found on the back of the inlet valve head and in the inlet port just before the seat.
I have had to deal with this during valve seat work often after the adoption of PCV and before fuel injection.
These deposits can turn loose chunks as big as will pass through the open valve and when they do in a running engine it will pound and knock like the end is near--sometimes clearing up after running a while.
Enough problem to have GM provide a canned product called(I think)"Top engine Cleaner"-- poured through the cark of a hot, running engine, which is then cut off and allowed to soak a while. On restart it MAY shed some of this stuff but usually a teardown for removal is in order.
This product is good to remove burned on oil/carbon from motorcycle pipes and other things.
The hard heavy carbon deposit is underneath the inlet valve head requiring valve removal to clean out properly.

hmmmmmmm, i'll have to look into that. thanks!!!