tt9714

I pulled the cam tower and head on my car to replace various seals and the headgasket. I also plan to get the head refurbished while it is out (overall cleanup, new valve guides, new valve seals, regrind valve seats).

With the head off I noticed a fair amount of carbon buildup on the top of the pistons. I would like to get some of this out of the engine since I'm sure that it is not helping anything. The good news is that the cylinder walls look like they are in good shape even after 145k miles!

Any recommendations on how to safely clean up the tops of the pistons while still in the car? I'm also cautious about dropping pieces of carbon into the surrounding cooling jacket or oil pan.

Levish

how about the italian tune up

should work wonders

Jgordon

I'd say high revs, and maybe a bottle of techron.

tt9714

So the thought is to leave the carbon on the pistons during reassembly, then try to burn it off through the "Italian tuneup" (which I'm assuming is some 'spirited driving.')?

Perry 951

Posting attemptt #5!

With the piston at TDC, use some Scotchbrite Pads and some oil. This will break up the gunk without scratching the pistons. Use a shop vac with a small attachment to suck out the gunk from the rings, then roll it over to lower the piston and wipe away the rest of the goo. Coat the walls with oil after cleaning.

jabbadeznuts

Get some Techron additive. It works well...