Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

I just picked up my block from TEC this weekend so I'm ready to get the stock pistons and rods cleaned up before they get fitted. The carbon build up around and inside the riglands and on the piston tops is really bad. I've been using a cut and filed ring to clean the grove, but man this is tedious and boring as hell. Is there a solvent I can soak them in to dissolve some of this crap off?

For the guys who have reused stock rods and pistons, how did you clean them?

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

This one is full of crud.

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

This one took me an hour to get this clean. See the grove.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

If you can stand the smell, Berryman makes a 5 gal can of carburetor cleaner that will dissolve the stuff clean as can be.

I'm not sure if you can still buy it though. Get a drop on your clothes, you will smell it even after washing....multiple times.

I just soaked mine in solvent, and used brake clean etc to scrub them by hand. And yep, about an hour each. Parts cleaning brush, schotcbrite, small brass wire brush, etc.

You can get them really clean.

Be careful with that method of cleaning the ring grooves, you don't want to damage them. I used a stainless dental pick.....but then I had time on my hands in the evenings.

Mine were full floaters, so I took the pistons off the rods.






ron

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

Thanks. Those came out nice. What kind of solvent did you use?

A.R. Shale Targa

iTrader: (2)

@ United Rentals we have this new water based solvent tank which is bio-
degradable and really works well; much better than the oldschool oil based
type. I wire wheel clean the tops and the ring land area then scotchbrite pad
the skirt area(if NOT coated). I break an old piston ring and use it to scrape
the ringland area of carbon buildup. I can usually manage a set of 8 piston/
rod assemblies in about 3-4 hours.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

Just paint thinner. Nothing fancy.

Ron

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

Thanks guys. I'll hit the hardware store for a gallon of paint thinner, some scotch-brite, and a wire wheel.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

Personally, I wouldn't wire wheel the ring grooves.....that is what I used the brass wire brush for.

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

adding a brass wire brush to my list...

The_Bishop

iTrader: (10)

Do *not* wire wheel the ring land area, you will destroy the ring's ability to seal, as it seals against the ring land as well.

If you can take some time, I've found that Pine-Sol is good at dissolving oil residue and carbon. It takes a while to get there bit it *will* get the crud off. Picked up a set of valve covers for my pending heads/cam swap and needed to get the crud off (and clear the breather area). Soaked them in pine-sol for about two days and 95% of the crud rinsed right off. Another short soak got the rest off with no damage to the aluminum at all. The parts need to be *completely* submerged.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

Excellent point on the valve cover breather baffles. You can't remove them to clean. And a lot of gunk will hide in there.

Also, thanks for agreeing with not wire wheeling the ring land area. Those dimensions are critical.

Ron

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

Only a one hour soak in pine sol and water shows some promising results. I'll check on them again tomorrow and post pics.

NVR_SPDS

iTrader: (39)

I used oven cleaner on the intercooler of my old lightning, and it worked like a charm.

The_Bishop

iTrader: (10)

Not on pistons. The lye in the oven cleaner will etch the precision machined ring lands and compromise ring seal.

lsx_sn

I used to glass bead them when I worked at a machine shop. Used an old piston ring compressor to wrap around the skirts and pin holes so you did ruin the coating or bores. I'm sure a machine shop could do this for you for $20-30. Afterwards, you could take them home, use a brass brush or scotch brite to get down in the ring lands and the tops of the pistons and shine them back up, then soak em to remove anything left behind, should be good to go. I never would use sand though, it's actually abrasive, I only used glass bead, or walnut shells, some sort of media that wouldn't remove material.

The_Bishop

iTrader: (10)

Glass bead will etch the surface.

Walnut shells is OK to use though.

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

Pine-sol for the Win! I soaked them in a garbage can with 1 bottle of pine-sol and water for 2 days.

Actually the real winner here is elbow grease. No matter what you soak them in, the dry carbon underneath will need to be pic'd or scratched off.

Now for the main caps.

Justhereforinfo

iTrader: (2)

Brass wire brush, pic, scotch brite.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

Main caps will be much easier!
Looks good.
What engine?

Ron