LocostBuilders - powered by XMB

Cleaning piston heads

Hellfire - 24/10/13 at 04:59 PM

With the cylinder head off the engine and piston heads exposed, what's the best way of cleaning the heads without taking them out? Thinking of using silicone sealant to seal the gap around the head of the piston and pulling it off once the pistons have been cleaned. Any other method without removing the piston?

Similarly, what's the best substance & method of cleaning the area around the valves?

Phil

[Edited on 24-10-13 by Hellfire]

carpmart - 24/10/13 at 05:31 PM

Each piston in turn at TDC, cover the ones your not cleaning, can be done in pairs on a 4 cylinder engine, and an airline to blow off/ out after.

redturner - 24/10/13 at 05:33 PM

Whatever you do, don't put silicone sealer down the bores. Piston at TDC, a thin smear of motor grease around the groove and use either a stick of lead shaped like a chisel or a scraper made from ally. The carbon should not be hard if the engine has been running properly and normally wipes off.....

prawnabie - 24/10/13 at 05:44 PM

A small brass wire brush in a drill has always worked for me.

Hellfire - 24/10/13 at 06:46 PM

Don't have an airline, so just wondering how to stop the dust and other stuff from getting down the side.....

Phil

redturner - 24/10/13 at 07:01 PM

Just put a thin smear of grease around the edge to fill the gap and only scrape up to about 2mm from the bore.....

ashg - 25/10/13 at 07:36 AM

Just LEAVE IT! Won't make a blind bit of difference in my experience.

Hellfire - 25/10/13 at 07:44 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ashg
Just LEAVE IT! Won't make a blind bit of difference in my experience.

Might just do that rather than risk getting any contaminants down the side of the piston. What about cleaning the cylinder head area around the valves?

Phil

robinj66 - 25/10/13 at 10:45 AM

wire brush in a drill (as per prawnabie)

ianm67 - 25/10/13 at 10:57 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ashg
Just LEAVE IT! Won't make a blind bit of difference in my experience.

^^ This... ^^

adithorp - 25/10/13 at 11:49 AM

I was tought to not clean the piston if in situ'. The risk of getting debris down the gap between piston and bore outweighs any advantage from cleaning.

If you must them grease around the gap and don't scrape right to it.

Hellfire - 26/10/13 at 10:21 AM

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll leave the pistons alone and just clean the area around the valves with a drill and wire brush. Here's a couple of picture of the area in question

Phil

Cylinder head 1

Cylinder Head 2

owelly - 26/10/13 at 01:18 PM

+1 for not touching the piston crown. Leave as it is and enjoy the extra compression.