The right way to clean a ALH TDI intake manifold?

Padrino

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Location
Western US
TDI
2002 / Golf 1.9 TDI 5-speed
In this case chaps. someone to call my local Fire brigade this weekend. I am going for it :D
 

Frans

TDIClub Enthusiast, Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Location
Netherlands
TDI
Golf MK2 TDI
Get it industrial cleaned at 90Celcius at an engine workshop or something like that. And for any residues get it sandblasted, after that the manifold is new again.
 

MikeS_18

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Location
Bow, NH
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, '13 Passat SE, '64 Ford Econoline
Is it best to remove it from the car first?

;)
 

TDIJetta99

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
TDI
03... Faster than yours =]
LOL, I had the local guy here hot tank a manifold, and it didn't do it... It cleaned most of it but it still needed to be cleaned.. Can't really get all the inner surfaces with a sand blaster either unless you have a BIG sand blaster that has an outlet big enough to cover the inlet (2")..
 

Aridzonan

Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Location
Cave Creek, AZ USA
TDI
2001 GOLF
Other Things To Do After Intake Manifold Cleaning?

Used the Red Neck intake cleaning method with great success. Question, what else should I do to my TDI after this procedure to clean other built up residue?

Thanks,
JQ
 

flee

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Location
Chatsworth, CA
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS wagon
Aridzonan, did you try cleaning the intake ports? They will have a continuation of the same residue as the intake mani.
Just be very careful to not let any crap fall into the CC.
This is a pretty involved procedure and takes either timing each intake valve so it is closed while you suck out the stuff or pulling the glow plugs out and rigging a compressed air supply to pressurize each cyl while you suck out the stuff.
Or both!

The rest of the intake path will only have oil residue past the CCV.

Good luck.
 

tyler_01_TDi

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Location
VT
TDI
13 Sportwagen. Previously 01 Golf
Cleaning the ports with a pressure washer??

I am going to be cleaning the intake system in my car in the coming days and I have been trying to think of an effective way to clean the ports in the head. My idea was to work on one port at a time, rotating the engine so all of the valves were closed on the port being cleaned. I would then pressurize the cylinder of the port to be cleaned through the glow plug hole (hollowed out glow plug with an air fitting welded to it) and block off the ports not being cleaned. The next part is where things get a little interesting... Once everything above was done, I was thinking about attaching a plate at a 45 degree angle on the end of a pressure washer to direct the spray at a right angle and using it to blast out all of the grime in the port.

As a precaution, once the pressure washing is done, I would remove all of the glow plugs and crank the engine to make sure there was no water in the cylinders, reassemble everything, run the engine for a few minutes, let it sit for the night (let any water in the oil separate) and then change the oil just in case water got by the piston rings.

Now that I wrote all of this down it seems kind of complicated but I have never done this before and cleaning the ports out by hand in the space between the engine and the firewall seams like a pain - does this sound like a good idea ???
 

flee

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Location
Chatsworth, CA
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS wagon
I wonder if you can't get almost as much done with brushes+compressed air and a shop-vac?
Even with a pressure washer there is bound to be some residue left behind...
 

Tuco21

Active member
Joined
Jun 14, 2011
Location
Utah
TDI
Bits and pieces
I used the redneck cleaning method and noticed that all of the gooey stickey chunks burned to a fine ash. This made me think that maybe if some of the residue fell into the cc it would easily just burn out.

Has anyone experienced any engine problems from this stuff falling into their engine? While pulling the manifold someone must have broken some loose and had it fall in past a valve.

I am not advocating just letting it fall into the cylinder but I am guessing that it is not such a big deal if some does.

Matt.
 

Jettascuba

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2009
Location
South Africa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta
Having cleaned it manually, solvents, hard labour a few times, the last time I used fire:

1) Put it down flat
2) Put some turpentine in the intakes
3) Gas flame, let it burn until turps is gone
4) Compressed air
5) Shake, tap, repeat process few times
6) Wire brush to get it nice looking again

I find this is the least messy method, no gooey stuff to work with
 

Art van Law

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Location
PVD, RI
TDI
2013 JSW
how often?

To those who have gone through this cleaning ritual more than one time:

How many miles will elapse prior to needing to repeat? (Yes, I know there are many variables such as fuels' sulphur content, EGR delete/lack thereof, driving style.)
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
If you notice, the guy in the Utube video is smarter than the average bear... he hits the manifold with a laser temperature gauge when he's putting the fire to it...

Don't believe for a second you can't melt the manifold with STRAIGHT AIR. If you don't have a laser temperature gauge, the other way you can tell the manifold is getting too hod is when you smell a sweet odor. This smell is the only other sign that I know you can tell the manifold is ABOUT TO MELT!

Otherwise, when in doubt, stop and let it cool.

We have always cleaned manifolds by first, clawing out as much as we can with a bent screwdriver. Then we pressure wash. Finally, burn out with an oxy-acetylene torch with an air nozzle. We can have it cleaned out and ready to go back on the vehicle in about 1/2 hr.

How often does it need to be done? My own A4 has 200,000+ miles and has NEVER been cleaned, nor does it need to be. Drive the engine right and it doesn't need to be cleaned. Some people think they need to run the engine in low rpm's to get great fuel economy. What they are doing is called Lugging, and it's hard on the engine. If the engine is run at the proper rpm range, the intake cleaning becomes less- to no-issue. You'll still get great fuel economy, without wrecking your engine.
 
Last edited:

jimbote

Certified Volkswagen Nut
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Location
spiral arm, milky way (aka central NC)
TDI
Tacoma 4x4 converted to TDI
I am going to be cleaning the intake system in my car in the coming days and I have been trying to think of an effective way to clean the ports in the head. My idea was to work on one port at a time, rotating the engine so all of the valves were closed on the port being cleaned. I would then pressurize the cylinder of the port to be cleaned through the glow plug hole (hollowed out glow plug with an air fitting welded to it) and block off the ports not being cleaned. The next part is where things get a little interesting... Once everything above was done, I was thinking about attaching a plate at a 45 degree angle on the end of a pressure washer to direct the spray at a right angle and using it to blast out all of the grime in the port.

As a precaution, once the pressure washing is done, I would remove all of the glow plugs and crank the engine to make sure there was no water in the cylinders, reassemble everything, run the engine for a few minutes, let it sit for the night (let any water in the oil separate) and then change the oil just in case water got by the piston rings.

Now that I wrote all of this down it seems kind of complicated but I have never done this before and cleaning the ports out by hand in the space between the engine and the firewall seams like a pain - does this sound like a good idea ???
pull the cam and put the VC and the vac pump back on and seal the sprocket end of the head....scrape out as much as you can first then use purple power a garden hose and a small brush...worked for me!
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2011
Location
Northcentral Maryland
TDI
2000 Jetta
Compressed air to the intake ports after a good scraping is all that is really needed. Pressure washer? with 2000 psi of water, you will force some past closed valves for sure. Not something I would do.

I just bought (back in December) a 2000 Jetta with 212k+ miles and pulled my intake for nothing. Apparently when the timing belt was change at 208k miles, they cleaned the intake too. The large opening had very slight soot/oily build up but was, for the most part clean. I can now believe the service records and notes to this car. :eek:
 

TDIswanted

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2012
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
2002 Jetta 180K, 2003 Golf 335K, 2003 GMC Duramax 240K, 2006 Jetta 218K
I personaly would not use a pressure washer on the car. It would for sure get into the engine and cause wear. Also In response to tuco21. I thought the same thing about a small piece falling into the cylinders and just burning up. After a small peice fell into the cylinder of a car I was working on and held open a valve causing a bent rod, I decided it was not worth chancing it again. This job needs to be done very carefully. You could bend a valve if it holds one open or in my case bend a rod.
 

Jakobicev

Veteran Member
Joined
May 15, 2009
Location
Croatia (Europe)
TDI
Bora ALH 2002
I prefer the harder (?) way,no high temperatures,flames,fire hazard...just some good old manual work :D
I'm no technician or engineer,just a simple car electrician but it's obvious to me that if you mess with metal's and (too high) high temperatures they loose original strength and stuff...before they melt down and loose-alter they shape.




And the result is...

 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
I guess some people would like to make this something it's not... complicated. I'm all for the KISS method (keep it simple...)

You do have to remove the intake before cleaning. Nobody ever suggested washing the intake while on the vehicle.

You don't have to use any strange chemicals. Caustic sodas and degreasers are just messy and slow.

It's ALUMINUM; you aren't going to change the metallurgy or shape. Use a propane torch if you are worried.

This is not a job that should take hours. Personally, I don't have the time to waste.
 

Jettascuba

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2009
Location
South Africa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta
Agree. Use heat and common sense - I use butane, terpentine, a bit of HP air to keep the flames burning. Previously took up to 6 hours or more to clean it, this time, 30min's, too stupid a job to waste time on.
 

jcool

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2009
Location
Richlands NC
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI sedan 6spd manual, 2002 Jetta GLS TDI 5spd manual
I prefer the harder (?) way,no high temperatures,flames,fire hazard...just some good old manual work :D
I'm no technician or engineer,just a simple car electrician but it's obvious to me that if you mess with metal's and (too high) high temperatures they loose original strength and stuff...before they melt down and loose-alter they shape.




And the result is...

That looks great! I am needing to at least check to see if my manifold needs to be clean, was hoping you all could give some other pointers without having to pull it off.... money is tight these days. my 02 just hit 169k and I have no idea if the manifold was ever cleaned, the car is completely stock.
 

Geordi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2002
Location
Somewhere between Heaven and Hell. But it is reall
TDI
14 JSW DSG, 03 Wagon 01M, 400k and IPT performance auto!
MUCH easier and less hazardous method:

I put the intake into a 5 gallon bucket and simply filled it with diesel or biodiesel and leave it alone for 3 days.

Pull the manifold out of the bucket and rinse it out, then reinstall. All clean without even the slightest bit of elbow grease. Dissolves everything. Then, pour the diesel fuel through a coffee filter and burn it in your tank one gallon per tank.
 

TDIJetta99

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
Port Jervis, New York, USA
TDI
03... Faster than yours =]
that works pretty well when they aren't clogged really bad.. I had one in a bucket of B50 for 2 months and still needed to use the pressure washer to clean it out.. I've used fire ever since haha...

Most of the time I'll use a screwdriver first to get the heavy stuff out, then take about 45 seconds with the pressure washer to get some more.. Then lock it in the vice and burn the rest out.. all in all it takes me 30 minutes or so to clean..
 
Top