Cleaning the inside of the Inlet Manifold...

[Wobba]

Hello again :D

Guess what? I have more questions! Need to pick your brains again lads.

With most stuff off the head, I have noticed an awful lot of gunk coating the inside of the inlet manifold. Now, I guess this is bad, as it reduces smooth flowing air and if bits come off it could cause clogging along the fuelling system etc.

I can clean the ports, but risk dislodging the gunk, and I dont want any left inside there.

Can I clean it out somehow or should I ask the guys doing the headwork to have it cleaned?

Any ideas?

[northy]

buy some gunk, and get a variety of scrubbing brushes from asda....job done.

[MicKPM]

As above... a DIY "Gunk" (Or similar approved engine degreaser) Tank.

Strip it and drop it in over night (making sure it's fully submerged and that it's flooded). Leave it till the morning, pull it out and hey presto!

It'll soon be gunked up again though thanks to the breather system.

[Wobba]

haha, so nothing subtle and delicate then!

Okay lads, cheers again ;)

[schakal]

what the feck is gunk ???

use fuel ffs :P

[Wobba]

I actually have engine bay degreaser, Gunk stuff already. I will take everything off the inlet and give it a thorough dousing. Gunk leaves a residue too tho.

[titcharoony]

whats the best stuff to soak it in? will it get rid of the crud on the outside too? or wud petrol be better

[Wobba]

Gunk is intended for engine bay cleaning, so yes any horrid lumps of oily dirt it would remove. You'll have to give it a good scrub if it's bad as well with a stiff brush to shift some of it.

Mine isn't mucky on the outside though, it's just tarnished.

[titcharoony]

ahh well ive taken off the part and sprayed it to fook with gunk, didnt work. any higher strength stuff?

[stevie_b]

I had mine aqua blasted. I think they use glass beads in a water jet or something. It's taken all the crud off and the tarnish and basically you are just left with smooth, brand-new looking metal (it is not painted):

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j299/2stis/inlet.jpg

Actually I think I am going with ITBs on my engine now, so won't need an inlet manifold anymore - I would be prepared to sell it to recoup some of the money I spent having it done!

[titcharoony]

how much did it cost to have it done?

[stevie_b]

I had a whole loads of bits done so got a bit off for volume, but think the original quote was around 40 odd quid for the intake.

[Wobba]

Just to let you know, if anyone is trying this, thetarnishing and crap on the outside is hard to shift and requires a lot of elbow grease, or sanding down with sandpaper.

The inside, well mine was very heavily caked with grease mixed with dust and the usual crud, though around the ports and throttle body bit I have managed to get it all off with elbow grease, water and gunk. I am happy with that bit, and am now soaking it in gunk, patially submerged as I dont want it getting in the cold start injector bit (seems to leave a film of gunk behind and I dont want it in there).

I will give it a long hose through the manifold soon, either tonight or tomorrow, but it is a very messy job. There was a LOT of solidified crap that came out, I am sure it would be sapping a bit of power, we shall see.