Gunked up intake

6speedsd · Mar 27, 2013

About to tear the truck down for injectors. I know my intake is full of gunk. Doing the ccv mod while I'm at it, but I want to clean that thing out. We do NOT have a machine shop local, so hot tank is out of the question. If you were to do this yourself, what would you use? I've thought about Oil Eater, or even soaking the whole thing in gas, but we are talking about aluminum so I don't know how good of an idea that is. I'd like to soak it in something for a day or so to break that mess up, but what should I soak it in?

webb06 · Mar 27, 2013

We use a hot water pressure washer and some powerful degreaser soap at our shop to clean them. Might consider taking them to a carwash after letting it soak in soak. I bet dawn soap would be pretty good stuff

G Racing · Mar 27, 2013

If doing one myself I will use a hot tank. You can use purple power, let it soak, use pressure washer then repeat till clean. I have found a local radiator shop that has a vat for aluminum. I drop it off and pick it up the next day and it is spotless. Well worth it for me to have them do it.

e.nickkk · Mar 27, 2013

Orange clean really works good

Powerstroked162 · Mar 27, 2013

I cold tank them first, then I run it through a steam washer at my machinist. Works pretty well for what I need. I would not recommend you take anything oil saturated to a car wash for cleaning. If you live in the boonies, I would try finding a tank or bucket big enough to fit the manifold in or atleast one half. Full it full of mineral spirits, let it soak for an extended period of time, then rinse and repeat until clean. Granted, you won't get it spotless but it should break up a lot of the residual caked on garbage

6speedsd · Mar 28, 2013

Don't live in the boonies. That's why I decided against filling it with gas. Nowhere to dispose of the gas when I'm done.

Would oil eater work? Or is that too harsh for aluminum?

webb06 · Mar 28, 2013

Powerstroked162 said:
I cold tank them first, then I run it through a steam washer at my machinist. Works pretty well for what I need. I would not recommend you take anything oil saturated to a car wash for cleaning. If you live in the boonies, I would try finding a tank or bucket big enough to fit the manifold in or atleast one half. Full it full of mineral spirits, let it soak for an extended period of time, then rinse and repeat until clean. Granted, you won't get it spotless but it should break up a lot of the residual caked on garbage

Just because of the general public seeing it? Or what is your reasoning?

F-250-Owner · Mar 28, 2013

I use muratic acid and let them soak for a few hours, then power wash... they get nice and clean. I need to post some pics up here soon of them.

6speedsd · Mar 28, 2013

F-250-Owner said:
I use muratic acid and let them soak for a few hours, then power wash... they get nice and clean. I need to post some pics up here soon of them.

I don't know anything about that stuff. Is it toxic?

F-250-Owner · Mar 28, 2013

highly... I use 2 gallons in about 15 gallons of water... it will eat anything that isnt plastic... I put 2 in for about 4 hours and then sprayed them out with my pressure washer....

HOOV3R · Mar 28, 2013

I soak mine in a hot tank, then let steve deal with the rest LOL.

F-250-Owner · Mar 28, 2013

HOOV3R said:
I soak mine in a hot tank, then let steve deal with the rest LOL.

Im trying to sell mine, so I cleaned them up for resale...lol

6speedsd · Mar 28, 2013

Yea, I can't use that stuff. Remember I live in a city, in a subdivision. I need something non toxic. Might try Purple Power...seen it mentioned several times. Maybe even a mixture of that and some heavy duty dawn dish soap. See how that works.

F-250-Owner · Mar 28, 2013

soaking time will be key... and a way to move the solution thru the intake..... I bet an old dishwasher off of craigslist would be tits to clean these up.... I think I will add one to my garage

6speedsd · Mar 28, 2013

Well I plan on letting it soak from the time I get it off until I get ready to put it back on. Probably close to a day I'd say.

agent · Mar 29, 2013

i just cleaned mine, soaked it in simple green and hot water over night powerwashed it and used some brake cleaner and powerwashed it again and it came out real clean. long process but i had nothing else better to do because i had just had knee surgery....

Powerstroked162 · Mar 29, 2013

HOOV3R said:
I soak mine in a hot tank, then let steve deal with the rest LOL.

Lol dick

6speedsd · Mar 29, 2013

I keep hearing power washing being the ticket, but there are only so many areas you can get to on that intake. Under the intake elbow and around the intake ports themselves is obvious, but what about the areas between the front and the first port? Hope degreaser does a good enough job that the water passing through will break it loose?