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[sharkysw9]

What is the best way to clean 110k miles of carbon from the pistons without damaging them?

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[timo482]

 Is this the first time the engine has been apart?

[sharkysw9]

Yes, I've change the oil with full synthetic every 4k miles

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[North Star]

Really? Clean them? Get new pistons and rings.

[Ridgerunr]

Doesn't look like a lot of carbon, I've seen much worse. Berryman B12 will clean carbon, powerful stuff. Auto parts carry it. I agree with NorthStar, if you really have 110,000 miles on them, replace and bore cylinders. 

[HUBBARD]

Really? Clean them? Get new pistons and rings.

Yes!  What he said!    Later--HUBBARD

[twinotter]

Pistons actually look really good for 110K!  What prompted the tear down? Loss of power? Oil consumption?
 I'd have the barrels checked for true, and pistons for wear. Its always possible both could be reused, but even honing cylinders for new rings would likely put the specs out too far. If clyinders are good, use .005 over pistons and go!
 I'm always amazed at how well Seafoam works removing carbon and shellac. Check everything thoroughly at room temp, and decide from there.  twinotter

[fastfreddy]

    soak them in water over night   

[SmokeyJoe]

That's hardly any build up at all especially for 110k
I would go new, if it were mine

[CVO2FIXUP]

Slip some rubber hoses over those studs. The threads can damage the Pistons very easily. Then take a wire wheel of a drill and remove the build up. Rag stuffed at the bottom. Cheers.

[HD Street Performance]

Dip in oileater overnight, done

[sharkysw9]

The reason I tore it down was a bad oil leak from the rocker boxes. It still ran great but figured it was a good way to get wifey to let me get the new bike.

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[Dan_Lockwood]

What ever happened to Top Engine Cleaner?

When I was the service manager at a Chevy/Pontiac dealership back in the '70 and '80s, we used a GM product called Top Engine Cleaner.  You got the car/truck running and you started to spray into the carb or TBI and keep the throttle up so it would stay running and then as the end flood out the motor and then let it sit over night.  Start it back up in the morning and blow the carbon out the exhaust.  This was a very good product and worked very well.

I also had a couple old time mechanics that would use ATF or water on a hot motor with a VERY careful flow into the carb/TBI.  This would do about the same thing.

Once you start it back up, run it down the road and fog the local area for mosquitos at the same time. 

It really did remove the carbon on the tops of the pistons as well as on the exhaust valves.

Has anyone tried this process on a bike?

[MrSurly]

We used to use water for this and it worked really well. It would blast the piston tops, combustion chambers and valves quite nicely
When we were  doing just a quickie re-ring job. Anything more involved such as a bore and valve job, it didn't help anything as most of these parts are getting swapped out or at least fully removed for cleaning.


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[fastfreddy]

What ever happened to Top Engine Cleaner?

When I was the service manager at a Chevy/Pontiac dealership back in the '70 and '80s, we used a GM product called Top Engine Cleaner.  You got the car/truck running and you started to spray into the carb or TBI and keep the throttle up so it would stay running and then as the end flood out the motor and then let it sit over night.  Start it back up in the morning and blow the carbon out the exhaust.  This was a very good product and worked very well.

I also had a couple old time mechanics that would use ATF or water on a hot motor with a VERY careful flow into the carb/TBI.  This would do about the same thing.

Once you start it back up, run it down the road and fog the local area for mosquitos at the same time. 

It really did remove the carbon on the tops of the pistons as well as on the exhaust valves.

Has anyone tried this process on a bike?

ya the ol TOP ENGINE CLEANER the stuff would ring your bell if not in a well ventilated shop, use to use it often