Cleaning INtake vales
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Joined: Oct 2018
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Cleaning INtake vales
So, do we have a consensus here on the best way to go about this? My (new to me) 2013 has 40,000 miles on it. I don't have maintenance records, so I'm trying to take care of as many of the basics as I can, including cleaning the valves if it can be done within reason. Do the spray in cleaners like CRC work? If so, where's the best spot to spray them in? What are the other options? This is my first GDI engine.
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Just drive it and not worry about it. The best way to clean the valves is to remove the intake manifold and then use a walnut blaster to clean the valves. But at 40,000 I wouldn't worry about it. My advice for you is to change the oil every 5k miles using a quality full synthetic and always use top tier fuel and it should be fine.
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I did the "spray, scrub and suck" method. The CRC stuff will dissolve carbon deposits, but it's more effective if you spray it directly in the intake port. Here's what I did.
1) Pull intake manifold off./ Disconnect battery.
2) Remove front intake tubing.
3) With a breaker bar on the harmonic dampener bolt, rotate engine until the cylinder you're working on has both valves closed. You can also do this with the plugs removed and the engine is easier to turn over.
4) Spray CRC DI cleaner in the ports so pools a little. (Check to see if it drains down into the cylinder. If it does, your valves are not closed all the way, or your valve job is very poor.)
5) Use a rifle cleaning brush (a plastic one) to get in there and scrub around the valve.
6) Use a brake bleeder suction device to suck the gunk out.
Repeat steps, 4, 5, 6 for 3-4 times per cylinder depending upon how caked up they are.
Don't forget to rotate the crank for the next cylinder.
I used two cans of CRC for the whole motor. Got it about 90% clean compared to the walnut method. I think the walnut method is a easier, but both are somewhat messy. Results can be seen here in post #936
https://www.f150ecoboost.net/forum/3...es-tsb-94.html
If I had to do it over, i'd probably go the walnut blasting method. You can buy the tool and do it yourself if you have a shop vac.
1) Pull intake manifold off./ Disconnect battery.
2) Remove front intake tubing.
3) With a breaker bar on the harmonic dampener bolt, rotate engine until the cylinder you're working on has both valves closed. You can also do this with the plugs removed and the engine is easier to turn over.
4) Spray CRC DI cleaner in the ports so pools a little. (Check to see if it drains down into the cylinder. If it does, your valves are not closed all the way, or your valve job is very poor.)
5) Use a rifle cleaning brush (a plastic one) to get in there and scrub around the valve.
6) Use a brake bleeder suction device to suck the gunk out.
Repeat steps, 4, 5, 6 for 3-4 times per cylinder depending upon how caked up they are.
Don't forget to rotate the crank for the next cylinder.
I used two cans of CRC for the whole motor. Got it about 90% clean compared to the walnut method. I think the walnut method is a easier, but both are somewhat messy. Results can be seen here in post #936
https://www.f150ecoboost.net/forum/3...es-tsb-94.html
If I had to do it over, i'd probably go the walnut blasting method. You can buy the tool and do it yourself if you have a shop vac.
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From: The Quad Cities - relocated from Montana
IMO, the easiest, and most expensive way is to use an aggressive cleaner like Berrymans B12, one bottle to 20 gallons, and do it religiously every other tank.
The manufacturers say you don't need it, and people who let an engine get carboned/varnished up can't undo neglect, but for regular maintenance it's tops.
It's not cheap - $3+ at Wally World, and with a 36 gallon tank it's 2 cans. At O'reilly's it's pushing $5.00.
My dead father did that for years. On different vehicles, and those engines had whistle clean fuel systems after many years of him abusing them by never really warming them up on short hops.
I pulled the heads off his last van, and the valves, runners, combustion chambers were amazing.
The manufacturers say you don't need it, and people who let an engine get carboned/varnished up can't undo neglect, but for regular maintenance it's tops.
It's not cheap - $3+ at Wally World, and with a 36 gallon tank it's 2 cans. At O'reilly's it's pushing $5.00.
My dead father did that for years. On different vehicles, and those engines had whistle clean fuel systems after many years of him abusing them by never really warming them up on short hops.
I pulled the heads off his last van, and the valves, runners, combustion chambers were amazing.
5 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,290
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From: Calgary, Alberta
Not useful for valves
IMO, the easiest, and most expensive way is to use an aggressive cleaner like Berrymans B12, one bottle to 20 gallons, and do it religiously every other tank.
The manufacturers say you don't need it, and people who let an engine get carboned/varnished up can't undo neglect, but for regular maintenance it's tops.
It's not cheap - $3+ at Wally World, and with a 36 gallon tank it's 2 cans. At O'reilly's it's pushing $5.00.
My dead father did that for years. On different vehicles, and those engines had whistle clean fuel systems after many years of him abusing them by never really warming them up on short hops.
I pulled the heads off his last van, and the valves, runners, combustion chambers were amazing.
The manufacturers say you don't need it, and people who let an engine get carboned/varnished up can't undo neglect, but for regular maintenance it's tops.
It's not cheap - $3+ at Wally World, and with a 36 gallon tank it's 2 cans. At O'reilly's it's pushing $5.00.
My dead father did that for years. On different vehicles, and those engines had whistle clean fuel systems after many years of him abusing them by never really warming them up on short hops.
I pulled the heads off his last van, and the valves, runners, combustion chambers were amazing.
Ford has patents that describe a method of keeping valves open during direct injection cycles that do wash the intake valves to some degree. Don't worry about the valves and just drive it.
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Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 5,053
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From: Arizona
IMO, the easiest, and most expensive way is to use an aggressive cleaner like Berrymans B12, one bottle to 20 gallons, and do it religiously every other tank.
The manufacturers say you don't need it, and people who let an engine get carboned/varnished up can't undo neglect, but for regular maintenance it's tops.
It's not cheap - $3+ at Wally World, and with a 36 gallon tank it's 2 cans. At O'reilly's it's pushing $5.00.
My dead father did that for years. On different vehicles, and those engines had whistle clean fuel systems after many years of him abusing them by never really warming them up on short hops.
I pulled the heads off his last van, and the valves, runners, combustion chambers were amazing.
The manufacturers say you don't need it, and people who let an engine get carboned/varnished up can't undo neglect, but for regular maintenance it's tops.
It's not cheap - $3+ at Wally World, and with a 36 gallon tank it's 2 cans. At O'reilly's it's pushing $5.00.
My dead father did that for years. On different vehicles, and those engines had whistle clean fuel systems after many years of him abusing them by never really warming them up on short hops.
I pulled the heads off his last van, and the valves, runners, combustion chambers were amazing.
For non-turbo engines, it won't hurt but like tcp2 said, DI engines do not spray fuel on the valves anyway so it won't do anything for the valves.