What are some good things to clean out my engine?

[The Communist]

Like, to clean the insides of it to make it produces less toxic emissions, etc. Basically to restore it to near pristine order.

Like, are these carb cleaners and fuel injector cleaners, do they really work?

:/

 

[ECU5.0]

im not sure where you can get it but find some Amsoil powerfoam. we used to sell it at work and it would lower emissions on cars by like 200-300 hydrocarbons. the stuff works great.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

I'm guessing that you mean the "pour in" products? If that's so, I'd say to an extent. The only really effective way to do it though, whould be to take it to the dealer and have the CO2/Cleaner process done.

 

[Brads Coupe]

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[dreddstang]

Simple Green. It is the only thing I use for my engine, wheels, or otherwise. It will not strip the clearcoat from your engine parts and works VERY well. Not terribly expensive, either. Just go to the local auto parts store, Wal-Mart, ect.

*Edit* hmmm, proabably should have read this better first, huh?

 

[Mike86Stang]

Best thing I have used is regular ole' ATF... dump a quart in prior to your oil change let it run long enough to get hot 15mins ussually. The rest is all the same. Remember ATF is very high in detergent

 

[stangin it]

If you have alot of miles on the engine just leave it alone. You dont want to loosen all that crap and wash it around your motor. All its going to do is cause a problem. I took my engine out at 113K and it was very very clean no sludge or anything. If you did your oil changes on time it kept it clean.

 

[Gravel]

I agree with stangin it, be careful on high mileage engines..

What I use for the crankcase is Delo 15w40, run it for about 1500 miles and change the oil. Its high detergent but won't "wash" your cylinder walls..

What I use for the upper end is GM's top end cleaner, it works really well if you can just drop a small vacuum line into the cleaner and let it run at about 2000 rpm. Sucks it straight out of the can and all you see out the back end is smoke...

 

[The Communist]

im not sure where you can get it but find some Amsoil powerfoam. we used to sell it at work and it would lower emissions on cars by like 200-300 hydrocarbons. the stuff works great.

Ok. I will have to look this up.

 

[The Communist]

If you have alot of miles on the engine just leave it alone. You dont want to loosen all that crap and wash it around your motor. All its going to do is cause a problem. I took my engine out at 113K and it was very very clean no sludge or anything. If you did your oil changes on time it kept it clean.

My engine is at 140k, and when I got it I changed the oil and it was black.

driftin4 what is this top end cleaner? Sounds like something you let the engine intake into the combustion chambers to clean them.

 

[ECU5.0]

he amsoil stuff is like that, but its an aerosol. you spray like a quarter of the can into the throttle body to clean out the junk in the intake and whatnot and than you turn the car on and have someone sit in it and give it just enough gas to keep it running and spray the rest of the can in. we used to use half a can and it would work like a charm. make sure you are outside because it will smoke worse than a hooptie ride with no piston rings

 

[Aryan15]

Cleaning

Pull the screen filter out of the PCV valve and clean it with solvent. It helps with smog and cranckcase ventilation.

 

[The Communist]

Excellent. Thank you.

 

[Sam8950]

Just steam clean it. So, how do you steam clean an internal combustion engine without completely disassembling it one might ask? Just remove the air filter canister and slowly pour a couple quarts of water down the carb while gently reving. Crazy? Not something I would do, especially with and EFI motor, but I've seen people do it and a swear by it. All I know is, all that steam coming out the back is kind of cool.

 

[90mustangGT]

You don't want to just pour in water, you don't want to hydroloc it. On an EFI engine, your best off with a spraybottle of water. The cold water hits the hot combustion chamber carbon and the carbon shatters and comes out the exaust. I'm doing this tomorow, along with some BG Intake cleaner for the TB and all.

 

[Ray III]

yeah I have read about the water going through the engine stripping carbon buildup, but no real world idea of how that would turn out...

Probably the most effective way to clean out the engine internals is... drain out the oil and fill it up with diesel fuel... run at idle for a few minutes... drain out... repeat as desired. Now I know I am going to catch hell for that idea but it has been done and it does work as you are running a fluid through the engine that is a strong solvent in comparison to oil and sludge, but has a lubricating property as well. Diesel fuel is an extremely thin lubricant so you do NOT want to rev or load your engine on the stuff of course!