Cleaning Piston gaps while in Bore

Thanks for posting this. I have an Olds with a broken head bolt and I'll be pulling the head to fix it.

 

The general consensus in the industry (the auto makers) is more damage will be done by cleaning pistons than by just leaving them alone.

Once proper running is restored the natural cleaning of the combustion process will take care of whatever is there that does not belong there.

There is simply no way once abrasive debris gets down between the crown and the cylinder wall and into the lands themselves that you are going to get it out and the surface contact of the rings to the lands is every bit as important as the surface contact between the rings and the cylinder walls.

Fix the head, clean the deck, replace the gasket and leave everything else alone.

 

The only thing harder than cleaning all that stuff off the top of the piston is not touching it at all.

 

Making it pretty isn't making it better.

 

Yes.

(Speaking of the human condition....)

 

more carbon means higher compression

 

In addition, thinner oils clean the pistons and lands better than heavier oils.

{Note ths is most definitely NOT telling anyonw to use oils outside the factory recommended weight/grades.}

 

In an engine with substantial piston, ring, and cylinder wear......why would you want to remove that "gunk" ---- that which is providing the best sealing remaining for the piston ?

Clean all that gook out real thoroughly on a worn engine, and then watch as the oil starts to smoke out the tail pipe, and the compression pressure numbers drop

.....best to leave it be.

 

I gotta go with the long gun guy on this one,for sure...
this is kinda horrifying from the perspective of my world-essentially, the damage likely to evolve from this activity, potentially, so far out strips whatever un-measureable "gain" which might be enjoyed, simply doesn't equate to real life worth when MEASURED against the damage likely to ensue...
not in my opinion,
but in my experience...

 

I've done my fair share of engine work with the head off, but where the pistons stay in. The idea of putting something between the piston and wall just strikes me as potentially dangerous and hardly worth it. After all, what do you expect to gain? Whatever is above the first ring, carbon or whatever, is not significant and it seems to me as soon as you clean it out, carbon is going to get right back in there after you run the engine.

Plus, this is the first I've heard of such an idea and I think I know why. It just makes no sense.

 

This may be a little like the Hippocratic oath:

"First, do no harm."

we often use a shop vac,
and compressed air.

Hold the intake of the shop vac near the debris,
and get out all you can.

Using an adapter to get the intake down to near 1/4 inch helps.

Next, "LIGHTLY" blow the air SIDEWAYS to lift ( NOT imbed )
the debris above the rings.

do NOT use brake cleaner or similar the reduce the oil,
since that may just wash the debris deeper
into the ring / land / cylinder wall area.