head carbon

[mech644]

I drive an '00 golf, 5spd, 100k. Bought it with 50k, at 60k cleaned intake from airbox to head. Took everything apart and pressure washed carbon/oil build-up fromall parts, flushed IC until water ran clean. The cylinder head had a fair amount of carbon built up around valves. Removed as much as I dared with a stiff plastic pic with a shop vac sucking on ports all the while. Car is starting to get lazy again, loosing a RPM, so air path needs to be cleaned again.
This time EGR will not be re-installed and installing a Racor CCV filter system.
Anyone have any advice as to how to decarbon intake side of head with removing it?
I've used Seafoam on my gasoline cars with great success, introduce a pint via a vacumn port at idle, let car sit for 15 minutes, re-start and drive gently for a couple of mile, by then all carbon has been burned and blown out exhaust. Works great.
Not sure if I can do this safely on a TDI.

 

[Antsrcool]

I dont think you can because diesels dont have vaccum ports in the intakes. Doesnt that system work by vaccum? In fact they make no vaccum at all that is why they have vaccuum pumps

 

[lglamb]

do a search on seafoam. If I recall, it's not
recommended in diesels.

 

[BugBug]

Also, if a chunk of carbon gets stuck in a valve and keeps it open. You will bend it(the valve).

 

[mech644]

any advice on how to decarbon head without removing it?
At my job we perform turbo "washs" with detergant and then water, this is done per engine manufacturers recomendation.
these are marine diesels in yachts, process is this: after engine has reached operating temp, go to WOT until boat has reached max speed, while at WOT slowly squirt 4 oz of detergant into breather, keep reunning at WOT for 10-15 min, then slowly squirt 8oz of water into breather, turbo is now washed.

 

[Antsrcool]

that sounds dangerous and may result in hydrolock buuuuuut what do i kno? nothing evidently. The head carbon isnt usually a big deal its the intake clogging thats the big deal

 

[KROUT]

It wont hurt anything unless you just dump the water in. If you do it slow it steam cleans everthing.

 

[Antsrcool]

Well thats just neat then

It wont hurt anything unless you just dump the water in. If you do it slow it steam cleans everthing.

 

[KROUT]

Just be carefull to add it super slow.

 

[alphaseinor]

you're opening up a can of worms....

 

[nicklockard]

you're opening up a can of worms....

Worms will definitely cause engine worm-o-lock.

 

[KROUT]

No not the worm lock that would be bad. lol

I dont recomend people doing this but it does work if done right. I would not do it because I dont have any issues that call for it. The down side to doing this on a very clogged head is you loosen up large carbon deposits and bend a valve.

 

[mech644]

Well great, I've got a car with intake valves and ports about %35 restricted and the only %100 safe way to clean them is R/R the head. Thanks to VW for producing a 1/2 engineered intake and CCV system. Typical car company, foist their product on buyers and then deny warranty on issues caused by their incomplete product development.

Krout- how is water going to become gaseous before reaching the intake valves? Agreeded on the steam effect, thats why the engine manaufacturer in question directs us to turbo wash engines that don't reach full boost. on those engines its a carbon buildup in the exhaust tract including drive side of turbo.