CaliBenzDriver

I always enjoy people with GDI engine that clean their valves with in-tank cleaners and top tier detergent gasoline... miracle grade !

CaliBenzDriver

Yes itchy handed and "CERTIFIED" too...

Thank you for letting us peek over your shoulder while you're fixing that.

Are you going to replace that amazing PCV track while you have the engine top removed?

S-Prihadi

MB Indonesia requested special order of 2 months for the oil separator PCV combo and 2nd coolant plastic pipe towards HVAC heater core, that means it can be 3 months.
So I instead ordered only the vacuum pump O-ring ( 4 days wait ), so that I can remove it to do dry-test-run trying my hands can reach the engine rear block to hvac Plastic pipe #1 and #2 or not ?
So I have to remove 2 fuel pipes and these are re-useable ferrule type not polymer seal like injector.
Because one of the fuel pipe goes to the HP fuel pump , I will then replace the HP fuel pump for fun....as I have the spare unit.

I want to see, if that stupid 170 BAR instead of 200 BAR at throttle opening bigger than 30% is because fuel quantity control valve at HP fuel pump is kinda whacky or it is what it is software/mapping wise .
I will never get the chance to wear out my current HP fuel pump at the rate I do so low mileage a year and therefore now that engine is kinda semi naked, I best use the chance to try out to learn more of the HP fuel pump characteristic.

S-Prihadi

Cylinder 2.
Stage 1 cleaning. BG Air Intake & valve cleaner P/N 260 WOR













Well, GDI cooked carbon is tough. BG can't do its magic for GDI any better than other brand.
Elbow grease, brushing, sweat, my tummy pressed against wheel fender and doing it a few times over is a MUST.

I am trying to use sand-blasting gun but with Baking Soda , let see if I can make it work. I need to modify the air supply fitting first.
It shall be a fun experiment.

I really am enjoying this daily "exercise".........

S-Prihadi

Cylinder 2 - Stage 2.0 cleaning
This carbon seems tougher than cylinder 1, more plenty for sure.









OK, me beginning to get the hang of things now.
Based on engine off, soaking and manual cleaning, STP Carb & Injector cleaner el-cheapo is just as good.
It all comes down to how **** you are wanting to what level of cleanliness.

If I take the car age of 8 years and 36,000KM, these carbon is kinda "old", I guess if I keep it longer it can then become diamond .... LOL

S-Prihadi

One stubborn over-cooked carbon
I think the valve outer perimeter being the hottest, aside from not so easily reached, the oil carbonized so well due to hootest of the heat region and hence carbon there so tough.






If using our eye from 1 foot away to see these valves, they look clean enough. More so if old eyes like mine

Sunnyslope48

I admire your persistence. Wouldn't it be easier to just remove the heads, disassemble them and do all the cleaning, replacing the seals, and lapping the valves? With heads removed, and valves still installed, the ports could be filled with BG cleaner and left to soak for hours if needed, to help remove the carbon.

retna7

https://oem.mann-hummel.com/en/oem-p...t-100-300.html

S-Prihadi

If I have more mileage, I will remove the cy heads, agree.
For now too much hassle to do so for supporting hardware on the end side and front side of the cy head.

retna7

Figured might as well since I already had to take the manifold off to check the knock sensors due to a code that popped up then went away.

M273 engine at 12 years old = ounce of prevention

Replacing a bunch of other parts (fuel filter, injectors, pulleys, thermostat, spark plugs, coolant, transmission fluid, motor mounts, tranny mounts etc.) due to age / service life schedule.

This DIY stuff is a great hobby, with a wonderful community of knowledgeable and generous folks (like S-Prihadi and G-AMG).

No politics, no gender, no culture...just cars.

As far as the E-class, W212 look still does it for me...plan on keeping this car as long as I can - even though deep down I kinda want the W210 AMG

S-Prihadi

Are those two black sensors at the V-Bank the Knock Sensors ?

S-Prihadi

Cylinder 3.
This time I use STP Carb-Injection cleaner , but I use the Scotch Brite and not the bundled up cable-tie.

Except for the valve itself, the intake throat/tunnel is so easy to clean, just spray the cleaner and no need to scrub anything.
So as long as the oil is not cooked, they are soooo easy to remove.






Try 1 / Stage 1

S-Prihadi

retna7

Yup. Two knock sensors.

retna7

Pics inside Cylinder 7 & 8

Carbon flakes

S-Prihadi

Wow, that is a lot of carbon. Direct Injection for combustion chamber and piston is cleaner.
So win some and loose some, DI vs FPI


=================================

I have decided the best tool to use, for me :

The cut size of the scotch-brite pad depends on what I want to scrub.
The 24cm long o-ring picker tool is a good length to work with. Fingers less fatigue.



The rayon tissue like material is the same as wet tissue or baby wipe, that is Rayon.
It absorb liquid very well, and it is strong as such we can push it into crevice and also use it like mini towel. No broken off residue like paper tissue.


So compressed air only used when valves has no oil left, spotless clean work perimeter.

See the video below my prefered work method.
After some practice, I can avoid the sharp tip of the tool from hitting the valve.
Size of scotch-brite pad matters, how we want to flip it into 2 layer, how to push it into valve stem cavity and etc etc.
After a few hours of using this method, I am getting decent with the control of the scotch-brite pad.

retna7

Wouldn't it be easier with the valve closed so the STP can dwell / eat the carbon vs enter the combustion chamber?

I was thinking about trying this method...

S-Prihadi

Intake valves was closed during wet out.
Photo was before I spin crankshaft pulley.
How in the world would the liquid cleaner be pool-ing at the valve throat if its open

S-Prihadi

I would like to add........

Before wetting out/flooding any valves with cleaner, I will boroscope the cylinder with my 180 degrees boroscope.
This is to make sure the intake valves are truly close shut and I want to see if any minor carbon has managed to contaminate at valve to valve seat sealing surface, which will show as very minor
liquid cleaner leak from the valve/s.

I will keep the boroscope running for the 1st 15-20 minutes of each time I flood the valves with cleaner.
So far 1st to 4th cylinder shows no leak....wheeewwww





When all cleaning done, then I will test compression using Pico Scope pressure transducer to properly read all pressure related events in the cylinder/s.

It will look like this : https://www.picoauto.com/library/tra...ession-testing


I have wanted to test compression this Pico Transducer way, but been lazy to do so and been doing only Xentry Relative Compression method the crankshaft RPM based, not starter motor amperage based.

.

S-Prihadi

DONE but outer perimeter I can't clean all.
Those are very thin carbon deposit.


Cylinder 4











=====================


Cylinder 5









========================

Cylinder 6 - Of all cylinders, the most uncomfortable arm movement is when I did cylinder 6.



So, that wraps up the DIY, totally manual cleaning.

S. Madman

Have you considered running methanol occasionally to clean the system?

Left Coast Geek

with a direct injection engine, there's no fuel in the intake manifold, or on top of the valves, so addin gsome methanol to your gas would do nothing.

S-Prihadi

Nope. Maybe CRC Intake Cleaner once in a while, sprayed at the double check valve hole of intake manifold which is now used by oil separator.

S-Prihadi

This version is injected at the output of turbo pipe into intercooler
https://www.weistec.com/water-methan...stem-m276.html
So the back of intake valve will get it.

However I don't want any sudden cooling or anything of this sort into my engine while I do WOT

Left Coast Geek

never mind its illegal anywhere that does smog testing, like in the USA.