how do you decarbonize a cylinder head???

[tHeKiNgMaN]

well i have just pulled apart my 450 to change crappy valves and springs and cam and piston. Now i have been searching the archives and found that oven cleaner can be used to take off the carbon build-up. Is this a common method or is there a better way to do it. also im wordering if i need my cylinder honned/machined since you can still see the cross etches or whatever you call them. (please post proper terms when replying, Thanks) The only thing is you can see a small amont of vertical etches on either side but you can't feel them when you rub your fingers accross them. My bud is quite confident it will be fine, stating that his was worse when he took it in and was told it was not nessisary. Thanks in advance dudes!!!
<--- soon to be me!!!

[kuritaro9]

i had great results using casrol super clean bio degreaser...a little harsh on skin though...wear some gloves...

[tHeKiNgMaN]

Originally Posted by kuritaro9

i had great results using casrol super clean bio degreaser...a little harsh on skin though...wear some gloves...

casrol or castrol? not that my spellings any better....


i wil try thanks. Iguess i just want to make sure im not wrecking anything. Can i clean all my internal parts with this or should i use gas?

[kuritaro9]

oooops... i meant to type castrol...batt.in my keyboard are about dead...

[alex83]

I'm sure that some kind of degreaser would work, I found that mothers polish will remove carbon like nothing

[reborn_450]

I always believe in a little honing also. Doesn't sound like it needs much, maybe one of those 5 second jobs. Just something to help ceat the rings.

[chris99]

definetly a light honing wont hurt, as for the carbon i use a soft wire wheel takes it right off without removing metal.oh and much quicker too

[Woody_393]

Yep, light hone - 5-10 seconds is all. Just something to roughen it up a tad as the others have said already.

[tHeKiNgMaN]

i have found a place to hone it for like $11cnd so it sounds good to me. I was going to buy one but chickened out after i got this price. Chris99 i you sure wire wheel (i assume dremel tool or pencil grinder) is ok to use? I thought it would scratch.

[chris99]

a grinder will scratch but a wire wheel wont it will just kinda buff the metal shiny but you dont want to use a stiff wheel something soft with thin wire so it doesnt scratch and i try to stay away from the gasket surface where the gasket seals

oh yea dremmel will work with the right tip nothing to abrasive though i think they have small wire wheels for those as well

[tHeKiNgMaN]

Originally Posted by chris99

a grinder will scratch but a wire wheel wont it will just kinda buff the metal shiny but you dont want to use a stiff wheel something soft with thin wire so it doesnt scratch and i try to stay away from the gasket surface where the gasket seals

oh yea dremmel will work with the right tip nothing to abrasive though i think they have small wire wheels for those as well

LOl still scared!!! what about gas can i clean the rest with it?
Example: carb, cam, cylinder head..... all the parts in it

[chris99]

solvent is best to clean parts but i have used gas before it will take a while to get the carbon off with gas though

[tHeKiNgMaN]

Originally Posted by chris99

solvent is best to clean parts but i have used gas before it will take a while to get the carbon off with gas though

all right i will try solvent. I tried the oven cleaner and i think it would work better if i had less carbon also it stain the steel a little so now i have to polish.

[tHeKiNgMaN]

dremel is the way to go i got all the creveses with no prob just have to make sure you use the right one i used the polishing kit and it had the right ones in it.

[chris99]

glad it worked out for you