gross intake manifold

[Michael Cummings]

My intake manifold is filled with a layer of black goey shit on the inside.  I remember reading about this topic awhile ago, but couldn't find it on the search.  I know its just buildup from being a 13/14 year old car, the intake manifold has never been off before.

I'm just wondering what the best way is to clean the inside of it, I cant remember.

[Ivan Skare]

Get some carb cleaner from your local walmart. Haha. It works! I used it on my old Honda manifold and it got it all out. Just let it sit in there for a while then take a pressure washer to it.

[Andrew Steele]

... take a pressure washer to it.

I'd hope you would do this w/ the intake mani OFF the car ...

[Jess Atendido]

get one of those sprays that disolves carbon deposit

[Mike Schmid]

With the mani off the car I sprayed it ful of carb cleaner, let it sit, hosed it out and did that a few times.  Got most of it out.  It's just my spare mani anyways but to finish cleaning it up I think I'm going to use the parts washer and fill it up, plug the ports and shake it, drain and repeat.  Worked on my IC.  Pressure washer with some biodegradable soap of some sort should work good too.

[Michael Cummings]

Yes andrew I was talking about cleaning the inside of it out, not the outside, so it would be off the car.

So carb cleaner and hose it out? I thought a rememered someone saying they let it sit in an alcohol bath or something .  What about gas?

Just dont know if carb cleaner is strong enough, its pretty thick crap.  I'll try it out though thanx for the input.

[Martin Raska]

The cause is very likely a combination of valve stem seals, crankcase ventalation, and exhaust gas reciurculation.  Biggest thing being worn out valve stem seals, at least it was for me.  And I took some engine gunk or something and sprayed it in and hosed it out with it off the car.  I did it several times, letting it soak for a while each time.  Carb cleaner and enginer cleaner is very strong stuff.

[Michael Cummings]

The car wasn't very well taken care of before i got it.  And recently have new pcv valve, done the crankcase breather, and had the head rebuilt.  So I should be good once I get it all cleaned out, looks like carb cleaner it is then.

[Dan Harshey]

i'd try engine cleaner mike, that stuff is crazy it cleans grease and oil like you wouldn't believe, i have some Gunk brand engine bright or whatever its called and couldn't believe how well it cleaned.

[Jesse Veitch]

any type of degreasing agent will work fine... rim cleaner, carb cleaner, whatever... as long as it's not acid base (some rime cleaners are) a garden hose might not do it for ya though, blast it out at a car wash stall with the pressure washer, but don't let them catch you doing it  :wink:

[Mike Meron]

proper solution os to either buy a magnus intake with NO EGR and use that, or get your OEM one extrude honed then add a egr blockoff plate. that will keep the sludge from ever returning as well as removing the pcv system from the car.
as for aircare if the engine is good it will pass without egr.

[Michael Cummings]

yea egr block off plate has been done.  extrude honed and/or magnus is too much $$$ for a broke ass such as myself.

I was going to eliminate the pcv and have it breath into the same catch can as the other crankcase breather, but then someone was telling me that it was a bad idea, i cant remember the reasoning behind that.

[John Hartman]

use a good toothbrush or brass bristle brush with the carb cleaner

[Martin Raska]

I was going to eliminate the pcv and have it breath into the same catch can as the other crankcase breather, but then someone was telling me that it was a bad idea, i cant remember the reasoning behind that.

I think you running an leak (unaccounted for airflow) in the system by just having an open crankcase breather like you are now is a worse idea.  The reasoning behind the pcv elimination being a "bad idea" is because you will loose the vacuum to kind of suck things out of the crankcase.  I think it has merit, some say no, but I will agree with them that with modern oils and the oil change intervals most use it should not be of concern whatsoeer.

[Kimyee Lai]

To me routing the crank case vent back into the intake made idling a lot nicer...I don't really appreciate smelling BBG.  I do have an oil separator in line, so at least it's not getting oil into my turbo.  I think the other issue with not having the preturbo connection to the crankcase vent is also high crank case pressures.  Oil seals typically don't like that...