Carbon removal from piston

Beware...my experience with Seafoam was with a running engine, pushed hard and fast an not on cold carboned pistons soaking in SF.
Why don't you just CAREFUL scrap the carbon off and call it good?
 
I was just watching an engine rebuild on utube and the guy used purple power. He used it on a rag and it disintegrated the carbon of the pistons.
 
plongson said:
Beware...my experience with Seafoam was with a running engine, pushed hard and fast an not on cold carboned pistons soaking in SF.
Why don't you just CAREFUL scrap the carbon off and call it good?
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Because I'm lazy. The pistons are hemispherical with valve cut outs and radiused edges (not flat top) The carbon layer is very thin and tough.
Scraping works on the flats but not well on the radiused surfaces. Scraping is time consuming and is what I would have done in my highschool days.
 
I've never found a piston yet where Berrymans's didn't significantly soften the carbon. Soak overnight, scrap the carbon, and put the pistons back in if there is more to remove. You can use a stainless steel wire brush in a dremel tool for the crown, if you hate scraping. That should not be used for the ring lands though.
 
Let me start with a warning. I’ve only done this with brass. I clean tarnished ammunition cartridges with a citric acid solution. With brass the proportion is not critical. I use two tablespoons of citric acid (canning supplies) in 3 to 4 quarts of tap water at 140-160 degrees F. Soaking the brass for 5 min softens the carbon deposits in the primer pockets softens the rock hard carbon to the point that a soft nylon brush will remove it.

This is a proven method. I’ve rebuilt about a dozen model airplane engines doing it. A 10% solution of Simple Green in tap water in an ultrasonic cleaner has been very effective at softening the carbon in glow engine piston ring grooves. My favorite abrasive for the follow up for cleaning the groove is well worn red Scotchbrite. It’s much better than new Scotchbrite for the purpose.
 
Bone Head said:
I love it when "snake oil" is proved.
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mofosheee said:
The pistons have been sittin in a can of diesel for daze with zero change to the carbon. Currently and in my narrow minded world, sea foam is in the same category as; UFO's and aliens, voodoo, Sasquatch, virgin births, time travel and those guys who traveled the country in 1800's selling some sort of an elixir..................
WIth nothing to lose but a couple of $$$$ I'm a gonna give seafoam a chance. I'll report back hopefully to eat my words. Thanks everybody!
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yo Bone...............is this the sheet? thanks
 

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