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Cleaning out a set of headers 

 

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 Post subject: Cleaning out a set of headers
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:51 pm 
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whats the best method to clean out all the carbon from inside a set of second hand pacemaker headers? Ive tried carby cleaner, but it just bounced off to no effect. Ive thought about petrol, turps, metho or thinners... but i doubt they are any stronger than the carby cleaner.

The only other thing I can think of is that spray on caustic oven cleaner. That s**t took all the carbon out of my old oven that a chislel would have had no hope removing.

Do you think caustic oven cleaner will damage the metal of the headers?

 

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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:22 am 
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Take them to an engine shop and get them to acid dip them and really clean them up.

Then respray with a colour of your choice :D
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:11 am 
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so if a dip in acid wont hurt them will the caustic cleaner? Dont want any un expected reactions with the metal....

 

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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:37 am 
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??? why clean out the carbon???
its only going to build back up!
and if there is excess from a bad engine? yours will just blow it out anyway.

but i guess you could try petrol and a pipe cleaner?
i dont think oven cleaner will hurt aslong as the they get used soon after cleaning...
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:15 am 
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TROYMAN wrote:
??? why clean out the carbon???
its only going to build back up!
and if there is excess from a bad engine? yours will just blow it out anyway.

but i guess you could try petrol and a pipe cleaner?
i dont think oven cleaner will hurt aslong as the they get used soon after cleaning...


well for one a smooth set of headers on the inside will keep the exhaust gas speed up helping them scavenge from the cyclider
allowing them to work more effectivly

 

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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:36 pm 
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Disco Frank wrote:
TROYMAN wrote:
??? why clean out the carbon???
its only going to build back up!
and if there is excess from a bad engine? yours will just blow it out anyway.

but i guess you could try petrol and a pipe cleaner?
i dont think oven cleaner will hurt aslong as the they get used soon after cleaning...


well for one a smooth set of headers on the inside will keep the exhaust gas speed up helping them scavenge from the cyclider
allowing them to work more effectivly


true.. but after time wouldnt they just end up being covered in carbon again putting them back to where they are now?
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:45 pm 
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Acid dip would be the best bet but what ever you get done to them chemicly you need to make sure that you wash them afterward with the netraliser if it is need. if you don't wash with a neutraliser it can affect the chemical structure of the metal. The absolute best thing you could do is to get them coated with HPC. That stuff does really work.

 

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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:08 pm 
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that blue color on the pacemakers are HPC and should last along time

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:37 am 
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TROYMAN wrote:
??? why clean out the carbon???
its only going to build back up!
and if there is excess from a bad engine? yours will just blow it out anyway.

but i guess you could try petrol and a pipe cleaner?
i dont think oven cleaner will hurt aslong as the they get used soon after cleaning...

true.. but after time wouldnt they just end up being covered in carbon again putting them back to where they are now?



doesnt mean i shouldnt try to have that bit extra for a little while. would rather try and bring them up to near new before putting them on. I wanna feel the rush!

trying to keep it on the cheap side, what would a chem dip be going for? roughly?

the oven cleaner got a fair bit out, so maybe another dose tomoz, then clean the ports with some sandpaper, then wet and dry.

And my car wont blow out any carbon, you have to try to get it off to apreciate how stuck on there it really and truely is. this oven cleaner is caustic and will burn your skin off and only took some of the bigger newer chunks off. the old first layer carbon is rock solid. its baked by the heat. maybe i should just leave it and check in 20 years time to see if its formed any diamonds.... we could all be really rich!

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:47 am 
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if all you want to do is give them a little clean up a heavy duty degreaser, or better caustic soda and running some wet and dry or eveny heavy grade steel wool through them should get the bulk of the carbon out. every little bit helps. The good thing about doing it that way is that the outside paint won't b affected so you can get away with out even repainting them. I did the same last week to my intake manifold, i cleaned all the oil build up out of it so it is clean when it goes back on a fresh motor. won't gain too much but i still did it. As far as a price on acid dipping i used to pay a carton to get my bike frames stripped at the powder coater down the road, the carton is the real aussie currency.

 

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Last edited by xr6eat 50 on Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 1:59 am 
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take them to a sand blaster, thet'll get the bulk of it off and wont chemically damage the metals.

 

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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:30 am 
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Grimketel wrote:
TROYMAN wrote:
??? why clean out the carbon???
its only going to build back up!
and if there is excess from a bad engine? yours will just blow it out anyway.

but i guess you could try petrol and a pipe cleaner?
i dont think oven cleaner will hurt aslong as the they get used soon after cleaning...

true.. but after time wouldnt they just end up being covered in carbon again putting them back to where they are now?



doesnt mean i shouldnt try to have that bit extra for a little while. would rather try and bring them up to near new before putting them on. I wanna feel the rush!

trying to keep it on the cheap side, what would a chem dip be going for? roughly?

the oven cleaner got a fair bit out, so maybe another dose tomoz, then clean the ports with some sandpaper, then wet and dry.

And my car wont blow out any carbon, you have to try to get it off to apreciate how stuck on there it really and truely is. this oven cleaner is caustic and will burn your skin off and only took some of the bigger newer chunks off. the old first layer carbon is rock solid. its baked by the heat. maybe i should just leave it and check in 20 years time to see if its formed any diamonds.... we could all be really rich!


fair enough!
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:41 am 
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i know this doesnt help but..... i honestly wouldnt bother cleaning it. I think i'd have a heart attack if you gained more than 1 hp actually
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:46 am 
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I wouldn't bother cleaning it, but i no what you mean. You want them to be spotless and smooth so you can get the most possible out of the extractors.

 

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