How to clean carbon from pistons?

[Blown&Injected]

Got the pistons soaking in lacquer thinner. Still needed to use a brass wire brush to get the crud off the top edge.

Only did one like this. It seemed to work OK but I don't want to do something bad to the pistons.

Thanks

 

[turbo nasty]

If your are nervous take em to a machine shop/rebuild place and they have vats for cleaning the stuff. Should be just a few bucks and will do a superb job.

 

[ijames]

Transmission fluid always worked about the best for me, just soak them as long as you can. A mix of trans fluid and lacquer thinner might be good as well. I always wondered how one of those home steam cleaners would work, given how well pouring water down the intake or using water injection keeps the chambers clean.

 

[n20junkie]

go to the suto store and get some chem tool chem dip, soak for an hour or so and they will be perfectly clean, wo't hurt the metal either, that stuff is great for anything with carbon on it.
Grant

 

[buickboy]

I used a stand mounted rotary wire brush. Fast and very effective with no damage. Just use common sense.
Mitch

 

[n20junkie]

most wire brushes are of the ferrous metal type, when used on non-ferrous piston tiny fragments of steel are imbedded in the piston an cause dissimilar metal corosion and will develope stress risers in the corrosion affected areas, might not seem all that important, but you never want to cause a situation that could possibly cause a piston failure, the FAA has recomended and mandated in some applications for years thatt you use only chemical or non-metallic cleaning brushes on alloyed non-ferous parts, just a thought.
Grant

 

[Cheeseburger]

I used a drill with a round wire brush on the end of it, worked fine just do not get too aggressive with it.

 

[Blown&Injected]

Thanks everybody!

 

[strikeeagle]

Why, methanol injection, of course...

 

[gteatr6]

I used purple power from adavance auto parts. It comes in gallon jugs. Just pour some in a spray bottle and watch the carbon come off. I used a tooth brush to help it along. Makes the pistons look brand new.

 

[stealth908]

i used castrol super cleaner. comes in a purple gallon jug. it works terrific. don't leave pistons in there for more than 3-4 hours. it left a line around the edge of the piston skirt that i couldn't get off. might not be a problem, but it doesn't need to be there.

also, chem-tool works wonders. it is more expensive than the castrol stuff, but i think it cleans a little better. it's safe for most materials. you won't have to worry about it eating away at your parts.

 

[n20junkie]

super clean is awsome, we use it to clen helicopters and so on, i recomend n more than 20 min of soak time though, if you leave it in there too long it will eat at the pistons really bad, and make these bumps all over it which is the effect of the super strong base ( super clean ) eating the aluminum, we messed up a few good helicopter parts be leaving them in the solution too long.
Grant

 

[turbo nasty]

As i stated before if you go to a machine shop most or should I say the good ones actually have a vat for aluminum and another for steel. My friend that worked at one found out the hard way and ruined a set of alum in the wrong vat.