Cleaning Cylinder Head?

Nick /

Mar 28, 2001 01:54PM

Seeing how spring is quickly approaching, I would like to start working on my 'ped to get it all spiffy. The cylinder head is in desperate need of cleaning. (Lots of carbon build up over the years) According to the repair manual, I should remove the entire engine, but I was wondering if I could just remove the 4 nuts and the intake and simply slide the head off? If so, does it matter where the piston is? Should it be at TDC (Or BDC?)

Thanks

--Nick

BTW: My 'ped is a 1978 Puch Maxi MKII if it matters

carbon

Fred /

Mar 28, 2001 06:26PM

It sounds like you are cleaning the head AND cylinder.

(the head has the spark plug in it... the cylinder has the carb feeding into it)

And yes... You don't need to remove the engine to do this.

And the piston position doesn't matter.

Read the part in the post below called "General Troubleshooting and Tune Up"

about checking the exhaust port for carbon build up.

If you can easily see the piston as it describes... you don't need to remove the cylinder... If you can't... then by all means remove the cylinder and clean the exhaust port.

There will be no carbon anywhere else in the cylinder.

But the head might have some.... I scrape it off with an old butter knife (not a sharp one).

The most important part of this operation is getting the rings back in the correct position when you put it back together... you MUST line the ring ends up with the pins in the piston grooves.

And make sure the base gasket is in good shape.

carbon

Fred /

Mar 28, 2001 06:26PM

It sounds like you are cleaning the head AND cylinder.

(the head has the spark plug in it... the cylinder has the carb feeding into it)

And yes... You don't need to remove the engine to do this.

And the piston position doesn't matter.

Read the part in the post below called "General Troubleshooting and Tune Up"

about checking the exhaust port for carbon build up.

If you can easily see the piston as it describes... you don't need to remove the cylinder... If you can't... then by all means remove the cylinder and clean the exhaust port.

There will be no carbon anywhere else in the cylinder.

But the head might have some.... I scrape it off with an old butter knife (not a sharp one).

The most important part of this operation is getting the rings back in the correct position when you put it back together... you MUST line the ring ends up with the pins in the piston grooves.

And make sure the base gasket is in good shape.

Re: My engine

Rasta /

Mar 28, 2001 07:01PM

I just removed the engine off my 99 kinetic and i was wondering what the best thing is to use to clean off the cylinder walls, piston, etc. Fine grade steel wool sound ok aslong as i make sure there is none left when I put the engine back together.

Ross R

Re: My engine

Fred /

Mar 28, 2001 07:20PM

The cylinder walls should have nothing on them... the rings scrape them clean every pass up and down.

The piston should only have possibly brown deposits of baked on oil (and not usually a whole lot of that).

I don't think you really gain anything by getting the brown spots off...but if you really "feel the need"... then steel wool sounds OK... but like you said... clean it all thoroughly before assembly.

If the cylinder and piston have evidence of seize marks and heavy scuffing... and I don't want to spend the money for a new piston and bore job..... then I will use 320 or 400 grit wet and dry sandpaper and put a light "cross hatch" sanding pattern on the scuffed spots... while wet sanding (with water).

"cross hatch" in the cylinder means side to side (not up and down like the piston travel).

Clean it thouroughly again.

Re: what I use

Jim C. /

Mar 28, 2001 10:02PM

W-4 Diddly and a Scotch-Brite pad.

The WD-40 loosens the carbon and that pot scrubber does the rest. What ever method you use, extreme care must be taken to keep the debris from entering the engine. It's not a hard job, but it must be done with care.

Jim

MOPED ARMY

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