Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums - Camaro5.com
 
Phastek Performance
Go Back   Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums - Camaro5.com > Engine | Drivetrain | Powertrain Technical Discussions > Camaro V6 LFX Engine, Exhaust, and Bolt-Ons


Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 05-14-2018, 11:14 AM   #1
ChibiBlackSheep

 
ChibiBlackSheep's Avatar
 
Drives: 2012 2SS/RS, 1968 SS
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southeast, PA
Posts: 2,078
Valve Cleaning Tips?

Hey everyone,

Took the time this weekend to take apart the upper part of the engine and attempt to manually clean the valves of my engine when I started to experience a lot of drivability issues. I started following this thread: https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288997 and am using that PDF as reference.

I have everything torn down, but I'm having the HARDEST time trying to clean the valves. I soaked rags and ran them down, bought a bunch of soft brushes and was trying to scrub. Anybody have any tips that has done this? I can't reach what I feel like I want to reach, and anything that I stick in there to try to clean just seems to get caught and I can't see while messing around either.

The plugs were also awful. So I swapped those out in the process. Just want to get everything completely cleaned up before I put it back together, install my Elite clean side separator to go with my catch-can, and hopefully stop having my driving issues that I've been experiencing. (Stutters, stalls, misfires, backfires)
Attached Images
   
__________________
LS3 Crate Engine Swap | CSP Custom Cam 232/240 .615/.615 113 +3 | Stainless Power LT Headers | Z28 Intake | Borla S-Type Exhaust | FTI Triple-Disc Billet 3200 Stall
2012 Camaro 2SS/RS | 1968 Camaro SS | 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | 2021 Spark LS

ChibiBlackSheep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2018, 01:17 PM   #2
xstuntman

 
Drives: 2012 Victory Red LFX
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: west central Texas
Posts: 1,309
Carburetor cleaners are made to remove carbon and varnish. I would use that on the closed valves, vacuum out, then rotate the engine over to do the others. Afterwards I'd run it for a couple minutes and then do an oil change. What your seeing is why I do my own induction cleaning at every oil change.

The other option is to get the gun at Harbor Freight to do the walnut blasting.

How many miles on it?
__________________
2018 SS wheels, red Heritage grille, actual driving lights, ZL1 strut tower brace, GM Performance billet aluminum fuel door, front grille Bowtie delete, painted red rotors and calipers, 1/4 window American Flags, splash guards, AEM dry panel air filter.
xstuntman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2018, 01:50 PM   #3
ChibiBlackSheep

 
ChibiBlackSheep's Avatar
 
Drives: 2012 2SS/RS, 1968 SS
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southeast, PA
Posts: 2,078
How do you do your induction cleaning at every oil change? Spray into TB, brake booster, or disassembly?

And that's the method I'm doing right now. But it still seems to be sticking hard to a couple of the valves no matter what I do. I don't own the air compressor set up to do the walnut blast, so I feel like I would just pay for a shop to do that for me if I felt I needed to hit that route. Though I'm hoping that after I do this clean, having both clean and dirty side catches, I should be good.

Engine has 5 years and 64k on it. Owned it since it's had 33 miles on it.
__________________
LS3 Crate Engine Swap | CSP Custom Cam 232/240 .615/.615 113 +3 | Stainless Power LT Headers | Z28 Intake | Borla S-Type Exhaust | FTI Triple-Disc Billet 3200 Stall
2012 Camaro 2SS/RS | 1968 Camaro SS | 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | 2021 Spark LS

ChibiBlackSheep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2018, 08:02 AM   #4
xstuntman

 
Drives: 2012 Victory Red LFX
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: west central Texas
Posts: 1,309
Check out the CRC upper intake cleaning on YouTube. I've done the Seafoam also and they give you a special hose to run into the throttle body while your running the engine.
__________________
2018 SS wheels, red Heritage grille, actual driving lights, ZL1 strut tower brace, GM Performance billet aluminum fuel door, front grille Bowtie delete, painted red rotors and calipers, 1/4 window American Flags, splash guards, AEM dry panel air filter.
xstuntman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2018, 08:39 AM   #5
ChibiBlackSheep

 
ChibiBlackSheep's Avatar
 
Drives: 2012 2SS/RS, 1968 SS
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southeast, PA
Posts: 2,078
OK that's what I figured. I don't think I want to run the chemical in every oil change, don't want too much crap getting thrown down the cylinder walls that often.
__________________
LS3 Crate Engine Swap | CSP Custom Cam 232/240 .615/.615 113 +3 | Stainless Power LT Headers | Z28 Intake | Borla S-Type Exhaust | FTI Triple-Disc Billet 3200 Stall
2012 Camaro 2SS/RS | 1968 Camaro SS | 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | 2021 Spark LS

ChibiBlackSheep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2018, 11:57 AM   #6
Coleroad
 
Coleroad's Avatar
 
Drives: 13 Camaro
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Colorado
Posts: 315
A year later from last time I took pictures of the intake valves. Took a picture of my spark plug just for comparison sake. First picture was last year, second same valve this year. Spark plug. Picture of the piston crown. No oil catch can, only pennzoil platinum ultra oil, which has the lowest noack.
I'm think if your spark plug has that much carbon. The injectors and combustion chamber are just as bad. That probably is causing as much of your issues as the carbon on the intake valves.
Another note, the one picture elite catch can likes to show where the piston is destroyed from carbon ( they say from chunks coming off from cleaning). This is not the full truth. Yes it's carbon related but not from chunks coming off from cleaning. That picture came from GM themselves. The damage was from carbon buildup in the combustion chamber causing predetonation under high load low rpm's. I get tired of the fear mongering to sell catch cans with no long term pictures to back up the claim. Oil in the can isn't proof the valves and combustion chambers are staying cleaner. That's all they ever want to show. I clean the fixed orifice pcv out every oil change. I get no noticeable oil coming from the clean side, because the pcv system is maintained and working properly. Low noack oil to reduce vapors. Yes the engine isn't sparkling like new but there's not excessive build up to cause a problem. Do with the information as you want. It's your cars and your wallets.
Attached Images
    
Coleroad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2018, 12:11 PM   #7
Coleroad
 
Coleroad's Avatar
 
Drives: 13 Camaro
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Colorado
Posts: 315
If you watch this video you can see that the crc Gdi cleaner doesn't make chunks. It liquifies the carbon. So I would go and give that a shot. In fact if I were doing I would do back to back treatments then change the oil. If I ever notice mine getting worse I'll try it out for sure. https://youtu.be/zdmpI4iUyBs
Coleroad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2018, 02:50 PM   #8
ChibiBlackSheep

 
ChibiBlackSheep's Avatar
 
Drives: 2012 2SS/RS, 1968 SS
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southeast, PA
Posts: 2,078
I already have my new bottle of mobil 1 for the oil change after I get it all put back together.

I'll continue to soak with rags and maybe use a little extra of the crc gdi cleaner.

Thanks for the info

And I already have my catch-can and clean side, I'll keep trying it for prevention. Maybe I'll take apart again next spring (if the car runs strong after all of this) and check everything out to see how it's holding up.
__________________
LS3 Crate Engine Swap | CSP Custom Cam 232/240 .615/.615 113 +3 | Stainless Power LT Headers | Z28 Intake | Borla S-Type Exhaust | FTI Triple-Disc Billet 3200 Stall
2012 Camaro 2SS/RS | 1968 Camaro SS | 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | 2021 Spark LS

ChibiBlackSheep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2018, 07:57 PM   #9
Maki_bOo
 
Drives: Camaro V6 2013 2LT
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Mexico City
Posts: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep View Post
I already have my new bottle of mobil 1 for the oil change after I get it all put back together.

I'll continue to soak with rags and maybe use a little extra of the crc gdi cleaner.

Thanks for the info

And I already have my catch-can and clean side, I'll keep trying it for prevention. Maybe I'll take apart again next spring (if the car runs strong after all of this) and check everything out to see how it's holding up.
How do you install the clean side? I already have the E-2 catch can but I didn't install the clean side because I didn't find instructions for it.
Maki_bOo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 09:32 AM   #10
ChibiBlackSheep

 
ChibiBlackSheep's Avatar
 
Drives: 2012 2SS/RS, 1968 SS
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southeast, PA
Posts: 2,078
Pull the stock tube off, put the cap on the valve cover. Then run the oil cap to your air intake.
Attached Images
 
__________________
LS3 Crate Engine Swap | CSP Custom Cam 232/240 .615/.615 113 +3 | Stainless Power LT Headers | Z28 Intake | Borla S-Type Exhaust | FTI Triple-Disc Billet 3200 Stall
2012 Camaro 2SS/RS | 1968 Camaro SS | 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | 2021 Spark LS

ChibiBlackSheep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 10:03 AM   #11
farm rat
 
farm rat's Avatar
 
Drives: 2011 Vistory Red 1LS
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Missouri
Posts: 487
Glad to see someone else's engine compartment looks like the car is driven besides mine.
__________________
The Original Farm Rat

2011 1LS M6 Victory Red

Sold
1967 Coupe Green and White
1969 SS 396 Hugger Orange
1969 Z/28 All original White with deluxe interior
1970 RS Blue
1978 Coupe Fugly Green
1978 WS-6 Trans-Am Factory 4 speed
1985 IROC-Z Red
farm rat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 10:13 AM   #12
ChibiBlackSheep

 
ChibiBlackSheep's Avatar
 
Drives: 2012 2SS/RS, 1968 SS
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southeast, PA
Posts: 2,078
Quote:
Originally Posted by farm rat View Post
Glad to see someone else's engine compartment looks like the car is driven besides mine.
Yeah, I wipe down my engines as I wash my cars, but this is my daily driver so it does get pretty dusty between details.

Although I did just return the car to stock to prep for getting a v8, so the engine bay is cleaned up now and full of the plastic pieces again.
__________________
LS3 Crate Engine Swap | CSP Custom Cam 232/240 .615/.615 113 +3 | Stainless Power LT Headers | Z28 Intake | Borla S-Type Exhaust | FTI Triple-Disc Billet 3200 Stall
2012 Camaro 2SS/RS | 1968 Camaro SS | 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | 2021 Spark LS

ChibiBlackSheep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 10:43 AM   #13
farm rat
 
farm rat's Avatar
 
Drives: 2011 Vistory Red 1LS
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Missouri
Posts: 487
So, was it your valves that was the issue, or the fuel pump problem you had?
__________________
The Original Farm Rat

2011 1LS M6 Victory Red

Sold
1967 Coupe Green and White
1969 SS 396 Hugger Orange
1969 Z/28 All original White with deluxe interior
1970 RS Blue
1978 Coupe Fugly Green
1978 WS-6 Trans-Am Factory 4 speed
1985 IROC-Z Red
farm rat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 10:45 AM   #14
ChibiBlackSheep

 
ChibiBlackSheep's Avatar
 
Drives: 2012 2SS/RS, 1968 SS
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southeast, PA
Posts: 2,078
In the end it was the fuel pump issue.
__________________
LS3 Crate Engine Swap | CSP Custom Cam 232/240 .615/.615 113 +3 | Stainless Power LT Headers | Z28 Intake | Borla S-Type Exhaust | FTI Triple-Disc Billet 3200 Stall
2012 Camaro 2SS/RS | 1968 Camaro SS | 2020 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury | 2021 Spark LS

ChibiBlackSheep is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:02 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.