How To Clean Aluminum Pistons

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1 2011-07-20 09:07 AM

Mulry
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Topic: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

I picked up an engine for the SIMCA project that is in better than expected condition. The guy was completely dumping it, said that he'd had it sitting on his wife's laundry room floor for the last 4 years but now they're moving across the country and there's "no way in hell" that she's letting that half-disassembled "piece of junk" go with them. So it was a steal of a deal.

The motor is cleaner than I expected it to be, except for the tops of the pistons and the combustion chamber on the heads. Bearing in mind that these are aluminum heads (so are the pistons, of course), what's the best way to clean all the carbon and crud off of them? Chemtool B-12?

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.

2 Reply by m610 2011-07-20 09:27 AM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Acetone worked OK for us in cleaning our pistons, but they weren't too bad to begin with.

3 Reply by zebrabeefj40 2011-07-20 10:58 AM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Why are you removing the extra compression from yer motor? Compression=powah!

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4 Reply by EriktheAwful 2011-07-20 02:16 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Can of carb cleaner and a brass-bristle brush.

5 Reply by Troy 2011-07-20 09:43 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

We soak pistons in carb cleaner. Like the 1-5 gallon buckets of it. An overnight soak usually makes the carbon fall right off.

"Can of carb cleaner and a brass-bristle brush." Is good too.

Troy

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6 Reply by crazymike 2011-07-20 10:30 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

carb cleaner CAN be bad for Aluminum. Drop them in a bucket of diesel overnight, then put them in the dishwasher. you might want to exchange the latter part of that suggestion for the garage sink with hot-water and some dishwashing detergent.

7 Reply by Mulry 2011-07-21 09:01 AM

Mulry
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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

My wife is a freaking saint for putting up with all my Lemony crap. Right now there's a SIMCA in the driveway, a donor chassis for the SIMCA, and a 91 panther that I picked up just for the motor for some misbegotten future swap. I parked a free Miata tub in my neighbor's driveway next door because they are out of the country for the summer (Canadian snowbirds) and offered and my driveway is full up of other crap. The Miata might get the 302 one of these days. Not to mention the two /6 motors, probably 4 used Toyota C52 transmissions, and who knows how many other abandoned or spare MR2 parts that are out in the driveway right now. Oh, and the junk SIMCA motor and rear transaxle/suspension.

My wife comes from a family where her dad, saint that he is as well, has almost certainly never done more maintenance on his car than to put air in the tires.

If I were to commandeer the dishwasher as a parts cleaner, I think that might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

That said, she's going to be out of town on Saturday and Sunday. What's the best way to clean a dishwasher that's been used as a parts cleaner so that there are no lingering effects from said parts washing?

Yeah, I guess I just have to keep pushing until I see if it breaks...

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.

8 Reply by dculberson 2011-07-21 09:11 AM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

A bit of simple green and run through on a hot cycle, I bet it would clean up nice. Simple green really keeps the grease suspended in the water.

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9 Reply by YesIFit 2011-07-21 10:17 AM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Mulry wrote:

My wife is a freaking saint for putting up with all my Lemony crap. Right now there's a SIMCA in the driveway, a donor chassis for the SIMCA, and a 91 panther that I picked up just for the motor for some misbegotten future swap. I parked a free Miata tub in my neighbor's driveway next door because they are out of the country for the summer (Canadian snowbirds) and offered and my driveway is full up of other crap. The Miata might get the 302 one of these days. Not to mention the two /6 motors, probably 4 used Toyota C52 transmissions, and who knows how many other abandoned or spare MR2 parts that are out in the driveway right now. Oh, and the junk SIMCA motor and rear transaxle/suspension.

My wife comes from a family where her dad, saint that he is as well, has almost certainly never done more maintenance on his car than to put air in the tires.

If I were to commandeer the dishwasher as a parts cleaner, I think that might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

That said, she's going to be out of town on Saturday and Sunday. What's the best way to clean a dishwasher that's been used as a parts cleaner so that there are no lingering effects from said parts washing?

Yeah, I guess I just have to keep pushing until I see if it breaks...

Don't forget the set of wheels in the dining room ...

Summer's Eve Racing - '09 Yee-Haw; '10 Gator-O-Rama, NorDal Hooptie, Yee-Haw; '11 Gator-O-Rama, NorDal Hooptie (Winner, Class A!)
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10 Reply by gunn 2011-07-21 10:25 AM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Mulry wrote:

My wife is a freaking saint for putting up with all my Lemony crap. Right now there's a SIMCA in the driveway, a donor chassis for the SIMCA, and a 91 panther that I picked up just for the motor for some misbegotten future swap. I parked a free Miata tub in my neighbor's driveway next door because they are out of the country for the summer (Canadian snowbirds) and offered and my driveway is full up of other crap. The Miata might get the 302 one of these days. Not to mention the two /6 motors, probably 4 used Toyota C52 transmissions, and who knows how many other abandoned or spare MR2 parts that are out in the driveway right now. Oh, and the junk SIMCA motor and rear transaxle/suspension.

My wife comes from a family where her dad, saint that he is as well, has almost certainly never done more maintenance on his car than to put air in the tires.

If I were to commandeer the dishwasher as a parts cleaner, I think that might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

That said, she's going to be out of town on Saturday and Sunday. What's the best way to clean a dishwasher that's been used as a parts cleaner so that there are no lingering effects from said parts washing?

Yeah, I guess I just have to keep pushing until I see if it breaks...

That's why it helps to have a dishwasher at the office and understanding (bribable) office manager.
Worked on several gun projects I had
-g

PS. I also recommend the pots & pans cycle + simple green (or just the standard soap). THen run it again and pop it open halfway through and do a sniff test. Better you to find it than your wife.

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11 Reply by Mulry 2011-07-21 10:31 AM

Mulry
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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

YesIFit wrote:

Don't forget the set of wheels in the dining room ...

I told you those were Todd's and I was just holding them for him. He took them back yesterday.

But as it regards the wife's sainthood, fair point. At least she knew they weren't staying around for long.

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.

12 Reply by mackwagon 2011-07-23 04:40 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Superclean is a great cleaner for cutting grease and oil, and it does work on carbon build up, but you have to soak the parts for a while. And it eats aluminum, so that's not so good.

Jasco Paint stripper works really good on head gasket and other gasket residue, and also works pretty good for built up grease. haven't really used it on carbon deposits, but its strong stuff, I'm sure it will break it up. Its pretty Aluminum friendly from me experience, I usually follow it up with a scrubbing of Super clean and then soapy water.

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13 Reply by EriktheAwful 2011-07-23 05:32 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Be careful with Simple Green. It will etch aluminum.

We soak pistons in carb cleaner. Like the 1-5 gallon buckets of it. An overnight soak usually makes the carbon fall right off.

My bucket of carb cleaner wouldn't get the carbon off my valves, I used a can of carb cleaner and brass brush on them.

14 Reply by Mulry 2011-07-23 07:20 PM

Mulry
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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

The overnight stay in a bucket of diesel fuel did a really good job of loosening up the carbon, followed with a brass brush and that got everything cleaned up. Thanks for all the advice.

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.

15 Reply by crazymike 2011-07-23 11:46 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

~nods~ the diesel really surprised me when I learned about it. Dishwasher cleans out with TSP and then Simple green, and then leave the country on Lotto winnings and a witness protection plan...

16 Reply by IgnoranteWest 2011-07-26 08:38 AM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Mulry's wife is awesome. I sold him that 91 panther. She took one look at the clapped out hooptie & said with a smile, hey thats nicer than most other cars you bring here. Their kids are precious too.

ALLEGEDLY!

-Dave
Scuderia Ignorante // Modena / Dearborn / Aichi Prefecture / West Texas

17 Reply by Mulry 2011-07-26 08:43 AM

Mulry
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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Thanks Dave. She didn't accept the offer of the Crown Vic as her "new" car and I had to buy her a new-used Accord the next weekend anyway.

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.

18 Reply by pennintj 2011-07-26 11:23 AM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

dculberson wrote:

A bit of simple green and run through on a hot cycle, I bet it would clean up nice. Simple green really keeps the grease suspended in the water.

Simple Green is corrosive to Aluminum.

The answer is: You don't clean the dishwasher after you've run parts through it. Most of them are plastic tubs, which love to soak up grease & oil. You can do it, but odds are depending on the amount of crud you'll end up buying a new dishwasher in about two weeks.

Do what I do instead: Curb Score a Dishwasher, and a Stove while you're at it.

*Most* dishwashers are kicked to the curb the second they get something stuck in the pump. I scored a GE Metal Tub Washer (recommended price when new was like $2k) and figured at the least I could use the tub itself as a parts washing tank, just add aquarium pump.

After I pulled the pump off, I found the piece of plastic chopstick that had been preventing it from working. 20 minutes later, working dishwasher.

Stove? Heat curing enamel parts and ghetto powdercoating.

-=Tom

-=HFC Tom

19 Reply by FJ40Jim 2011-07-26 12:29 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

The stovetop is also useful when combined with the biggest porcelain-enamel roasting pot you can find.

Put some serious soap (citrus power, purple power, etc) and water in the big roasting pot, drop the funkiest parts into it (the timing gears from a detroit diesel) and let it simmer on the stovetop for an hour or two. Agitate w/ a stiff brush, or a stick, whatever, and it will be clean sooner or later. The stank is pretty serious, so this has to be done outside or in the garage w/ doors open. Poor man's hot-tank machine.

Jim C.
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20 Reply by Evil Genius 2011-07-26 01:15 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

I use a slave and a brass wire brush... simple Slaves are hard to come by, but with promises of racing glory and buckets of beer one can be found.

-John

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21 Reply by mechimike 2011-07-26 01:17 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

When the D/W in my house died, I moved it out to my shop (after replacing it with a newer, nicer one in the house). Turns out it was just the timer and soap dispenser that was gone- so I simply have switches mounted for the various cycles- fill, wash, drain- and it works great. I have no water supply in my shop, so a 5 gallon bucket gets used as the water supply, and I keep some purple power in it. Did a helluva job on an old volvo cylinder head that was so gummed up with crap I thought it was a goner. I did have to do final rinse-off with a garden hose, though, to get all the cleaner out.

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22 Reply by EriktheAwful 2011-07-26 06:17 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Stove? Heat curing enamel parts and ghetto powdercoating.

My wife's wanting a new oven and I've been eyeing the current one with this in mind.

23 Reply by FJ40Jim 2011-09-29 03:22 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Since carbs are made of aluminum, a product that is expressly labeled for cleaning carbs should be fine w/ aluminum.

A good chemical cleaner for squirting into a running engine is dihydrogen oxide. It's also harmless to the environment, but be careful- a small amount in the lungs can be fatal.

Jim C.
If God meant for us to race, we'd all have baggy Nomex skin.
08TMS.09NL.10GM, SP, NL.11SP, NL.12SP, VIR, NL.13GM, NJ.14NJ, VIR, WGI.15AB.16GM.17NCM.18GM.19...

24 Reply by mike944 2011-09-29 08:21 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

Kerosene or diesel fue, some heavy rubber gloves, and nylon brush, or scothbrite pad.

Worked great for us

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25 Reply by dsycks 2011-09-29 08:32 PM

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Re: Best chemical for cleaning pistons, heads?

FJ40Jim wrote:

Since carbs are made of aluminum, a product that is expressly labeled for cleaning carbs should be fine w/ aluminum.

A good chemical cleaner for squirting into a running engine is dihydrogen oxide. It's also harmless to the environment, but be careful- a small amount in the lungs can be fatal.

This from a man who keeps chemicals in his shop that will more effectively dispose of bodies than a dozen hungry pigs.

Daniel Sycks

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