Is it possible to keep the car running yourself while pouring in the top end cleaner fluid? Lay a brick on the pedal? Pour slow?

I'd like to do this on my '01 but I don't have anyone to sit in the car and maintain the idle. Hopefully this will fix the pinging.

 

No...If you pour to slowly,you are simply burning it off and sending it out the pipes :yesnod:

 

I disagree completely, at least if you are talking about the liquid form. There is no other way to get it into the engine w/o the engine being running.

I have done this several times before, and there should not be any problems keeping the engine running at idle. I just attached a short piece of hose to the PCV nipple, and sucked the cleaner into the throttle body. I know other guys who have used the power brake vacuum line. Either way will work, just let the vacuum suck the fluid in slowly --- should take a couple of minutes to do an entire can. As soon as all the fluid is in, turn the engine off and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then reconnect the PCV and/or vacuum lines, and start the engine. It will smoke like crazy for about a minute, then clear up. Change the oil and filter afterwards.

You can use GM Top Engine Cleaner, but it's rather expensive. Sea Foam works just as well, and is available at almost any NAPA store. Even plain water works pretty well.

GM Top Engine Cleaner also comes in an aerosol spray version. THis requires that you pull the plugs, and spray the mix directly into the combustion chambers, then let the engine sit overnight. If you're panning a heads/cam install or headers install, might try this approach at the same time.

Hope this helps!

 

Does anybody have any before and after bore photos to demonstrate the effectiveness of the decardbonization procedure?
I remember doing it back in the 70's on my old '64 Vette with no detectible effect. And when I strippped down the motor the carbon was hard enough that even scraping it off was a challenge. Soaking it in chemicals didn't touch it.
I know the carbon built up in today's engines is orders of magnitude less than in a 64, and I suspect the chemicals work differently at high combustion temps, and I know that it does work since people have reported and measured less pinging after the procedure, but it would be nice to actually see the expected results.

 

"I disagree completely, at least if you are talking about the liquid form"

In order for the top engine cleaner to work,you want to flood the engine with the cleaner in the shortest amount of time possible.This will insure that there is cleaner on top of the piston to soak.This can only be done by inducing the cleaner quickly and requires maintaining a raised idle.Once the 2 cans are added,the motor should be promptly shut down leaving cleaner on top of the pistons and a fogging effect in the combustion chambers and intake.This is why the oil should be changed afterward,because contaminates will enter the crankcase.Because carbon is hard as a rock,The engine should set for 24 hours allowing the cleaner to do its job.

Pouring in the cleaner slowly at idle simply burns the cleaner off when added and sends it out the tailpipes,with unburned residue left in the cat convertors were it will burn off upon startup,not allowing cleaner to soak into the carbon on the piston. :cheers:
You want the smoke to be from cleaner being burned in the combustion chamber,not from being cooked in the cats :yesnod:

 

:withC-5 TECH: :yesnod:

 

Can you use the same process to decarb the vettes on other cars?