piston top cleaning

This is what I do. The best way to use the "spray" combustion chamber cleaner" is to;
1) heat up the engine to full operational temperature.
2) remove the spark plugs while hot.
3) Set pistons "about" half way between TDC and BDC.
4) Spray in the cleaner until it comes out the hole.
5) replace the spark plugs immediately.
6) wait until the engine cools down, or till next morning.
7) go for a VERY BRISK ride for about half an hour.
repeat step 1-7, 3-4 times.
Now you have a clean engine
9) use the Lucas in every tank.
10) step 1-7 may or may not be required about every 10,000 mi dependent on how much oil you burn. This is what my pistons looked like after more than 24,000 miles after doing steps 1-8.

My Kawi manual warns not to clean the piston tops installed in the engine because it forces the carbon crud down into the walls and into the rings.

bountyhunter wrote:

My Kawi manual warns not to clean the piston tops installed in the engine because it forces the carbon crud down into the walls and into the rings.

Same in FSM for '77~'79KZ1000 --- Bold Print.

Good Fortune!

First of all they are talking about "physical or manual" cleaning, and the chamber cleaner dissolves the crud and varnish on top. The chamber cleaner is no different than using the cleaners on a regular basis in your gas. The chamber cleaner is also intended for use to "clean out" your rings.

Maybe it's OK, I am reluctant to use dissolving cleaners that send crud into places I can't see or scrub because I don't know how much gunk hung up there.

that's totally up to you. This is what they are designed for and they work. I have been using them for years and they work great and I have never had a problem or a stuck ring. to each his own I guess.

Here is one by and for Yamaha

BTW, guys: I looked up the MSDS sheet on that stuff and it's main ingredients are naptha, xylene and benzene. Benzene is one of the most toxic substances around, ao don't breathe the vapors or let it sit on your skin.

I am always looking for solvents that can cut burned carbon to use cleaning revolver cylinders but I pass on benzene compounds.:ohmy:

like it has been said, water works real good for this.
ever change a blown head gasket on a car?
it steam cleans that cylinder.

if the head is off, just brush the shit off after spraying with intake air cleaner and shop vac out the chunks.

then change the oil which you were going to do anyway.

if you use this stuff in the way i outlined above, your exposure to this stuff will be virtually non existent.

doing my piston tops as we speak, pretty easy

this is the before side

this is the after
I used these tools
1. Valvoline Carbs Cleaner (its the most toxic)

2. a brass wire brush

3. homemade suction adapter for shop vac

spray small amounts of carb cleaner into brush and scrub, carbon breaks down to liquid and is sucked off.
of course this is if no head on motor.

Carb cleaner (and non chlorinated brake cleaner) are mostly acetone which isn't nearly as toxic as benzene.

www.health-report.co.uk/benzene-toxic-chemical.htm

I use brake cleaner by the ton for gun cleaning. I used to be a car painter and I washed my hands in the stuff. Dries out your skin, but unless you sniff the stuff to get high, the risks are pretty low.

When I cleaned my piston tops I packed a paper towel "ring" around the cylinder wall gap and used a cut off popsicle stick to scrape the top of the piston. Then vacuumed the crud off. I sprayed some acetone on a shop rag to buff the tops. Was very easy and nothing ran down the sides.

Can remember growing up in the early back woods years when the "parts washer" for most everything was a metal bucket half full of gasoline. :laugh:

Good Fortune!