Page 2 of 3

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:37 pm
by aspir3
toc wrote:How clean was it? How much truth is there to carbon build up that the intake cleaner could remove?


My car had around 5000km when I pulled my throttle body apart.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:40 pm
by aspir3
burfadel wrote: Wouldnt it be the other way around? The engine wouldnt run if it wasnt getting air.


I'm only going from memory, but yes it will run as it cant shut off air as it is not a perfect seal. It is metal on metal, so it only restricts the air, not stop it.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:47 pm
by toc
Correct, it restricts air, there's a molydenum layer in the body that also helps seal.
I suspect it'll run rough, but that's temporary.
It'll likely trigger a code as well (airflow sensor abnormal).

When I said smokey, I mean smokey, it will be a cloud of smoke out of the exhaust and stinking up the neighbourhood for around 4 houses or so (my experience!).

I'd be more keen to do it again if I had a means of getting a view before and after, proving a result.

In my case, I held the throttle body open cause it was cable operated, and ensured I sprayed past the bypass passage, which was easy enough.
In the case of the CJ, you'd have to hold foot to the floor whilst cleaning it.

Oh, and if you give it a heap from the can, it will stall it (yep, done that!).

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:50 pm
by burfadel
aspir3 wrote:[quote:02412d3050=toc] I guess you just put the tube in far enough to pass this.[/quote:02412d3050] Do not do this as the tube may get cut off by the butterfly valve and go through the engine.


Good point. I'll also hold on to the tube when spraying the spark plug tubes just in case the tube decides to come out.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:55 pm
by aspir3
I remember all my friends at trade school purchased carburetor cleaner which was supposed to be put in the fuel tank. We all started up our cars and slowly poured it into our carbies. We totally filled the carpark up with white smoke.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:57 pm
by toc
I think you'll find the throttle body clean (what I recall was it was clean!).

The piston crowns and combustion chamber seem the likely candidates to clean (what does it matter if the intake manifold isn't pristine, it's getting air sucked past it).
So if I were to do it again, I'd go the vacuum line route and in the spark plug holes.

I had a head off a Pulsar once, and the dirty parts of it were the valves, and the piston crowns, the walls were clean, the intake seemed clean to me too... Just food for thought.

Your car is young, it's probably just got minor crap on the crown and on the valves.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:06 pm
by burfadel
It's mainly because I've go the tune in April, I want to make sure the car is in best order for that. If the engine does just engine fault codes, they do automatically clear after a while if things are working properly again right?

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:11 pm
by toc
They should, you wont get a code if you leave throttle body and pipe together when it is running..

If you must spray the throttle body and not get a code..
Try: Take off pipe, turn car to on but not start. Hold down accelerator which should open the throttle, spray. Wait 5 minutes, Put pipe back on and start car. Should be identical.
Then for the rest, go through a vacuum line..

As I said earlier though, probably already clean so no point cleaning.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:21 pm
by burfadel
The can costs $13.99 from Supercheap, I have several dollars of loyalty credits that I need to use so it's not going to cost much if there isn't actually any hassles in using it.

I believe the engine has to be running when sparing the can in the intake as this allows the foam to fully get into the plenum, combustion chamber, and exhaust valves.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:22 pm
by aspir3
burfadel wrote:Its mainly because Ive go the tune in April, I want to make sure the car is in best order for that. If the engine does just engine fault codes, they do automatically clear after a while if things are working properly again right?


If you are going to do this make sure it is soon and not the night before Merlin arrives.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:30 pm
by burfadel
Exactly what I was thinking, which is why I'm looking to do it this weekend.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:36 pm
by toc
burfadel wrote:The can costs $13.99 from Supercheap, I have several dollars of loyalty credits that I need to use so its not going to cost much if there isnt actually any hassles in using it. I believe the engine has to be running when sparing the can in the intake as this allows the foam to fully get into the plenum, combustion chamber, and exhaust valves.


Nope, the vacuum line accomplishes this too (remember, the piston is pulling a vacuum when it draws in, with that can on the end of the vacuum line, she's definitely going to get to where it needs to get to, including in the combustion chamber and down in the plenum (vacuum line after throttle plate).

All you are going to get in addition is just the bit of the throttle body after the plate if you go through the plate, and I assure you, if you took off that, opened it and looked inside, that would look pretty clean. .There's not a lot of scope for that component to get dirty........

The same applies for the intake manifold, a vacuum draws air past it, so - if it was dirty, so what, it won't affect anything when it comes to tuning, and it very likely is still pretty damned clean..

Down stream of that would be the combustion chamber. No arguments for how dirty that can get, it is afterall where the magic happens and the most likely place for baked on crap to get baked on.

I'm merely suggesting that the throttle body is very much going to be the cleanest part of the system and so cleaning it will not be required..

I agree with aspire though, Merlin tuning your car - you'll want it in tip top shape, so this process has the possibility of releasing caked on crap into your oil, or screwing an O2 sensor, etc - low probability though, but definitely something to have had done, and gone before tuning in case a sensor failure or something similar gets in Merlin's way.

If you really do have a nasty piston crown, the crap will have a chance to get to the oil, and thus oil change after the intake clean is ideal.

Edit: removed casual swear.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:41 pm
by aspir3
burfadel wrote:Exactly what I was thinking, which is why Im looking to do it this weekend.


Let us know how it goes and take a video of the smoke after you start it.

Make sure you are patient and do it as per the instruction video. Put it in, wait 5 minutes for it to clean then restart.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 8:02 pm
by burfadel
toc wrote:Nope, the vacuum line accomplishes this too (remember, the piston is pulling a vacuum when it draws in, with that can on the end of the vacuum line, shes definitely going to get to where it needs to get to, including in the combustion chamber and down in the plenum (vacuum line after throttle plate).


Isn't there a few vacuum lines? Which one do you think would be best to use? I just had a very quick look, maybe the one for the brakes? Since the car will be stationary, in park, with the handbrake on I was thinking it would be the most practical. However, this would also throw a check engine light I would presume? Again, would this go off after a while of proper operation? I'm probably overthinking it!

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 8:05 pm
by aspir3
Just do it as suggested on the video. Take off the hose connected to the Tb.