HOW TO: A4 Intake manifold cleaning

harry3

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2010
Location
wisconsin
TDI
2002 jetta tdi auto converted to 5 speed. 2003 tdi jetta 5 speed.
no washers on new intake bolts

I was thankful for this write up it helped me thru the job. What do you do for washers on the intake bolts? I had to grind the theads off the old bolts to get the old washers off. Then I had to ream out the washers to get them over the new bolts. I did not know if I needed the washers or not. I did not see anything about this in either write up. Thanks again for sharing.
 

Ricosuave

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2002
Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
TDI
See signature!
Soak it in diesel over night. Wipe down the outside.

Use a propane torch. And some air. Trust me it work
find some shade. And protect your eyes.

This is a free deal here 600 is crazy. All you need is a gasket set 22 bucks tops
was wondering if soaking the intake in diesel, gas or solvent or ??? indefinitely would do the trick?

I bought a clean one, replaced the dirty one, and now want to have a clean one on the shelf for my other car.

How about oven cleaner sprayed and filled inside with all the ports taped off?
 

mmmchickenboy

Member
Joined
May 11, 2005
Location
Northern Indiana
TDI
None!
was wondering if soaking the intake in diesel, gas or solvent or ??? indefinitely would do the trick?

I bought a clean one, replaced the dirty one, and now want to have a clean one on the shelf for my other car.

How about oven cleaner sprayed and filled inside with all the ports taped off?
My local machine shop charged me $70 to make my intake manifold look like effin new, inside and out (for a different car, but I don't see why the TDI manifold would be any more).
 

Carl2k7

Veteran Member
Joined
May 14, 2010
Location
Middlesbrough
TDI
VW Bora 1.9TDI Audi A4 2.0TDI Sline BMW 530D
when i done this i dipped it in a bucket of caustic then stuck it under a 20 bar steam trap, job done :D

really brings out the shine on it
 

ccs32

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Location
buffalo, ny
TDI
blue '02 Jetta
Thank you for the write up. I just finished the intake manifold cleaning yesterday and certainly noticed an increase in low end power. It can be a damn frustrating swap if you don't have enough beer. I purchased the car from PO that used deep creep a couple of times... I do not think that the deep creep did nearly as good a job as scrubbing the filth from the various crevices in the manifold (I am not sure that I would ever clean the IM with it ON the car). I wanted to get a peak at the IM to set my maintenance book straight.

I had a sticking anti-shudder valve in the winter months... I hope that this cures that problem (although it wasn't THAT bad).

I def recommend a magnet-on-a-stick so you don't have to crouch under the car to retrieve those dropped tools and parts.

Thanks again for the write up.
 

msutdi

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
Madison, MS
TDI
2002 Black Jetta Auto
I would think the redneck propane torch/compressed air method would work pretty effectively with relatively little risk of cracking. This part already sees quite a bit of thermal cyclic stress, a type of stress that aluminum is not too bad at dealing with. It also isn't subjected to much other stress at all (low pressures, etc.). It is a really beefy part with a lot of metal that hardly sees any major stresses besides the heat from the engine block.

A few minutes cooling in ambient air before going to a liquid coolant should allow the heat to dissipate quite a bit, equalize throughout the part, and prevent any worries about cracking.

I'm looking forward to doing this next weekend for the first time. I think ol' bessie needs it bad.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
I like the burn out method. Be sure to use a frayed cable or something similar to brush out the remnants.

I chuck a frayed 3/8" cable that K45 gave me for the purpose in a drill, use it some CW and some CCW going through every passage.

Works great.
 

iantyler

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Location
ny
TDI
2001 5spd Golf 149,000
i'll be doing this tomorrow. what i don't quite get is how to clean the intake ports? how do you close the valves?
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
I put air to the glow plug hole, at about 15 psig. Then I turn the engine clockwise until air blows out the intake port I want to work on. Then I turn it CCW until the air stops, or almost stops. I leave the cylinder pressurized to ensure no debris enters.

For a manual car, I put it in 5th gear, jack up the passenger wheel and turn it forward by hand.

For an auto, I use either a 19mm 12 point tool on the crank nut, or a metalnerd cam spanner wrench. When using the cam spanner I never turn the engine CCW, and never apply more than about 30 ft lbs of force.

If you just want to close the valves, pull off the valve cover and look to ensure the lobe is up for the intake valve in question. The valve order is EI EI IE IE. #1 is next to the timing belt.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
First time seeing this Thread....excellent write-up!

I've used the "burn-out" method as Dan described. It works quite well. However, I'm sure many folks would feel uncomfortable with this method, especially considering the amount of heat/fire necessary to burn it out good (doubt seriously that cracking will be problematic unless you just dump it in ice water). I've actually added diesel fuel to aid with the burn-out (pour in and slosh around and then pour back into a container). The use of a propane torch and very limited amout of compressed air to get it really burning works well! To finish up, I blast it out with a pressure washer (after it cools of course). (Don't quite understand why it would be labeled the redneck burnout...LOL)

Also with the burn method, many folks may have restrictions in their town/city/village/sub-division!

Right now, I have an intake soaking with el-cheapo Awesome! I fabricated a cap that I bolted to the EGR end of the Intake and then pouedr in a 25% mix. It's on the second round of soaking. Of course, I did blast it out pretty good with the pressure washer before I commenced the soak.
 
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Votblindub

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Location
NY
TDI
MK4 Jetta Wagon
Thanks a lot for the write up and photos. This is exactly what I needed. I'll be cleaning mine out soon :)
 

A.J

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Location
NW Ohio
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI
I just did this procedure over the weekend. The write-up helped tons! At first, I thought I might be getting in over my head. Was planning on just doing the EGR, but when I took it off, it was obvious that the intake HAD to be done. It was as bad as any pics I have seen on the posts. I followed directions, took my time and it went very smooth. I was very excited when I got done, started it up, and it didn't blow up on me!

I was however deflated when I took it for a test drive, and no increase in performance as it has been sluggish. I took it to work today and spent the day looking over the forum for possible explanations. All clues led to MAF. So I decided to try the "disconnect MAF and look for changes in performance". Well, when I popped the hood, I noticed that the MAF connector was not hooked back up after intake cleaning! I hooked it up drove away, and it took off like a raped ape! I have my snappy little TDI back now.

When people ask why I love my TDI so much, I tell them they just don't understand! And this forum has saved me many dollars and headaches. Thank you all!
 
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Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
A Note of Caution

Please do not use oven cleaner for the intake manifold. The active ingredient in every oven cleaner I know is sodium hydroxide, aka caustic soda. This stuff eats aluminum.

If you have a question about any cleaner you want to use, just pour/spray some of it on aluminum foil first to test it.
 

cencarnacion

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Location
Houston
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS, 2000 Jetta GLS, 2003 NB, 2003 Jetta GLS
Used Redneck Technique on Youtube

First off, thanks for the write up. The job is a still a PITA regardless. Cleaning the IM was a pain even with a pressure washer. There are surfaces that the pressure washer just cannot get to. I went radical and used the Redneck technique (propane and compressed air). To minimize the chance of cracking, I covered most of the IM with a wet rag. Having removed half the gunk earlier via pressure washer, I swished diesel in the IM for additional "fuel". Important thing is don't let the flames scare you. Wear goggles and welding gloves.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
Covering the outside of the manifold with wet cloths is MORE likely to cause cracking. The cracking force is from large temperature differences across the metal.

I have never seen or heard of one cracking? Can you educate me on this?
 

acron1

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Location
Home:-)
TDI
06 Jetta
I have a 2006 Jetta TDI with about 39k... is this intake manifold cleaning something I should be planing soon or do I have a ways to go? The car feels / drives great and gets ~43 MPG driving mostly around town in suburban northern Westchester N.Y.
 

DeanOusterhout

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Location
Virginia
TDI
2015 Golf TDI, sold the 2000 golf and jetta
I did mine a few years ago and got some Purple cleaner from the local parts store. Dumped the whole thing in the manifold in a plastic bin, and let it sit over night. It bubbled and frothed, and in the AM it was ready to rinse. Clean as a whistle. The only problem was where to dispose of the mess? I honestly don't remember where I did it?

Sounds like the redneck method might be the simplest...
 

Jerry Freeman

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Location
Connecticut
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI
From another thread, here's my contribution:

I checked online and found my nearest VW dealer was open 'til 5:00 Saturday. Drove over there to get the gaskets and found the parts department had closed at 1:00. Drove home and did the job anyway. I would have preferred to have a new metal gasket, as it took some scrubbing with a Scotchbrite pad to get it smooth enough to be sure it wouldn't leak, but it was not a problem.

Here are my comments:

1. Some of the how-to discussions say disconnect the coolant lines from the exhaust cooler and either clamp them or position them high enough so they don't spill coolant. This isn't necessary. Once the exhaust cooler has been untethered from its moorings, there's plenty of flex and length in the coolant lines just to pull it up out of the way and tie it there with string.

2. I chose to use the "redneck" method, with a plumber's torch and compressed air to burn out the residue. After watching several YouTube videos of the procedure, I determined there's no need to put a wet towel on the outside of the manifold while doing this, and in fact, the wet towel can keep the process from working completely.

This turned out to be easy, and fun!

3. It took some experiment to find the best positions for the torch and compressed air. It worked best to keep the torch off to the side enough so the compressed air didn't blow it out, but where it still kept the residue ignited.

It worked best to hold the compressed air nozzle back away from the intake opening a little to get the strongest burn with the least amount of smoke. This was a bit tricky, as the best position for the air also meant there was a plume of flame shooting back towards my hands. I did the job with bare hands and didn't get burned, but it would have been safer with gloves.

4. After the burnout was complete, I blew compressed air on the manifold awhile to start cooling it slowly. Then I misted it very lightly with a fine garden hose spray, let the mist sizzle off the manifold, did it again, etc. until it was cool to the touch. I would not quench a hot manifold by immersing it directly in water.

5. At this point, there was no remaining buildup of residue except a very thin crust in one or two small areas at the engine block ports. I scraped this off with my pocket knife.

6. Then I felt inside the manifold and found it was clean down to the metal surface, but there were tiny sandy granules of black grit that could be rubbed off. I flushed the inside with the garden hose and compressed air and rubbed off as much as I could reach with my fingers, but there was still some remaining, so I tried some chemicals.

7. First I tried BrakeKleen, which dissolved some but not all of the grit. Carburetor cleaner might have been better, but I didn't have any.

Then I tried filling the manifold with oven cleaner, sloshing it around and letting it soak a few minutes. By orienting the openings so they were above most of the body of the manifold, I was able to get the manifold full, with the oven cleaner in contact with pretty much all the inside surface. After leaving it to work awhile, I washed it out with the garden hose.

This worked really well, leaving shiny metal in much of the inside, and black but otherwise clean and grit-free metal in the areas towards the four openings that connect to the engine block.

8. Then I cleaned out the EGR/anti-shudder valve body. This was easy with a pocket knife and attention to detail to get all the surfaces cleared down to metal, blowing out any loose crumbs with compressed air.

After putting everything back together, I took a test drive and found there was a noticeable improvement in response through the power curve. Especially, at about 3400 rpm, it would continue to accelerate in third gear up a hill I use for testing, whereas before I cleaned the manifold, it would level off unless I shifted.

This manifold wasn't very dirty. There was hardly any residue inside the body of the manifold or near the ports to the engine block. There was some buildup at the EGR end of the manifold, but still a large opening, nothing like some of the pictures that have been posted.

Even though this car was running really well, I had decided to clean the manifold based on its mileage (154K). After seeing how little residue there was, I thought there might not be any noticeable effect from cleaning, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Best wishes,
Jerry
 
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derewaj

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Location
Southwest Michigan
TDI
2002 Jetta 5 speed, 2002 Jetta was auto - now 5-speed
Gasket kit?

Great write up! I plan on doing mine soon (after looking into the EGR the other day :eek:).

Does anybody sell a gasket kit for this procedure? Or maybe one of you members has a list of gaskets to get together before getting started? :confused:

Thanks!!
 

DOKE-tdi

Active member
Joined
Sep 1, 2011
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 1999 Jetta TDI
I was wondering the same thing about replacing gaskets.
Should they be replaced as part of the intake cleaning procedure?
Thanks,
Dave
 

DOKE-tdi

Active member
Joined
Sep 1, 2011
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 1999 Jetta TDI
Gasket Kit

I noticed that Deafbug purchased a gasket kit from World Impex.
Any other places have a kit for doing the intake cleaning?

Thanks,
Dave
 
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