The engine is made up of various parts that need care and maintenance to continue functioning well. One of these parts is the engine valves. The engine valves help in the passage of fuel so that the car can run smoothly. But with the buildup of carbon on the engine valves can lead to airflow restrictions into the cylinder causing performance issues such as misfiring or hard starting. When there is more carbon on the engine valves, the drivability condition gets even worse. If you want to clean the engine valves alone without removing the manifold or other engine parts, we will help you do so with the following simple steps.
The procedure of cleaning the engine valve
If you have noticed that your engine valves are dirty, but you don’t want to take off the cylinder head and manifold, then you can follow this procedure to clean the engine valves.
Set The Engine Functional
Start by gathering all the tools that you will need to perfectly clean the valves. This includes a carburetor cleaner and liquid engine top cleaner. You can disconnect the PCV hose from the PVC valve so that you can be in the position to slowly pour the cleaner into the hose while the engine is running. Then, run the engine at first idle while feeding the cleaner into the providing the cleaner into the intake manifold.
Apply Spray to Clean Engine Valve
Depending on the product that you’re using, you can either spray the cleaner into the throttle body while the engine is functioning. This procedure normally works within 10 to 20 minutes or more to get rid of the carbon deposits on the valves. It all depends on how dirty the intake valves are and how powerful the cleaning chemical is. To totally get rid of the carbon deposits, you can repeat this procedure as many times as possible until you’re satisfied. Always follow instructions on the cleaner so that you don’t make a mistake.
How to Clean Intake Engine Valves?
Dirty engine valves may increase your overall fuel consumption and can slow down the vehicle’s torque and power. If you have a new vehicle that completed running more than 45,000KM, then it may start gumming up. So if the new intake valves are not cleaned, it will damage the downstream exhaust components. To start the procedure, you need to set the REV & motor at 2500 RPM. Then open the intake part to fill the water into the tank. The functional engine will vaporize the water, and the steam will clean the valves within 5-10 minutes. A small vacuum cleaner or oven cleaner is also effective in removing dirt from the intake engine valves.
Some Common symptoms of dirty Engine valves
- Poor fuel economy
- Excessive smoke emission
- Low engine power
- Difficulty in Engine braking
- The engine won’t start quickly
How to lower carbon deposits on valves
There are several factors that impact how the engine valve gets dirty. And this is not a result of the level of ethanol alcohol in the gasoline or fuel quality. One of the major causes of carbon build-up on engine valves is how often you change your car engine oil. Many motorists cover many miles before changing their engine oil. It is recommended that the engine oil should be changed after every 3,000 to 5 000 miles. But some car owners leave the engine oil to function up to 7 000 plus miles. But if you’re using top-quality synthetic oil, then you can go ahead and change engine oil after 7000 miles.
How Often Should You Clean the Valve?
But even after changing the engine oil as needed, you have to ensure that the engine valves of your car are cleaned regularly too. This is after every 20,000 to 30,000 miles. This will ensure that the carbon formed as a result of vapors and combustion products is removed in time to avoid the condition being worse.
Safety Precaution You Should Follow
- Don’t exceed 3500 RPMs
- Wear gloves and glass before applying cleaner spray
- Don’t apply spray cleaner on the MAF sensor
- Some cleaners are highly flammable. So avoid smoking while spraying the cleaner.
Summary
With the above steps on how to clean an engine valve, you can now go ahead and just clean the valves without removing other engine parts. People are normally afraid of cleaning the valves as they fear damaging the engine. This shouldn’t be the case as this can be done very easily with the help of some tools. Cleaning the engine valves by yourself will enable you to save the cash you could have spent at a service shop or acquiring the services of a professional mechanic.