How to Clean Carbon Off Pistons

If you have your engine out it is an excellent time to clean the carbon off the pistons and combustion area. Using a mix of acetone and transmission fluid, you can get those pistons looking practically new again!

[@FullSendFabrication]

I have plenty of lightly used trans fluid around here. Now I know why I’ve been saving it haha. This is awesome thank you 🙏🏼

[@mhsab6171]

(Thank you for watching) thank YOU for the effort and time while making this helpful video

[@bodeine454]

My cousin is an auto mechanic and he told me that auto trans fluid and acetone mixed 50/50 is the best penetrate you can use for like rusted nuts and bolts etc etc. I haven't made any yet but soon.

[@uhtred7860]

My old dad told me the same thing.

[@SimplyChem32]

Working on my Subaru EJ25 and this helped a bunch. Much appreciated!

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

Good to hear!

[@351cleavland]

While this worked terrrific, afterwords, my toothpaste tasted terrible!

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

Now that’s funny.

[@lelandmason5760]

Great video! I’ll be doing this to a flathead briggs and Stratton soon.

[@cockasorrus7475]

Have to use that Ford cherry juice somewhere! lol You make a wicked nice degreaser! I've heard of the recipe but have never seen it in action or made it myself. I will be making some now though! Works great! You have a lot more patience than I do. I just took a 3M scuff pad like a 2" on a air die grinder, If that isn't abrasive enough I use a wire wheel attachment then rinse with brakekleen. Great job and details like turning engine to prevent contamination are excellent! Always good to see how someone does a job differently. Of course gloves and safety glasses are mandatory with these cleanups! Thank you again sir!

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

I agree with you on the goggles and gloves especially when using the brake clean because it shoots right back toward your face. Would’ve been great if I could’ve gotten away with completing this without using a brass bristle brush but some of those deposits were just too hard.

[@351cleavland]

I did this with my ranger 3.0, which had really heavy build-up. I bought from Amazon a set of drill mounted brillo pads. The drill on low it cut the hand scrub time in half.

[@mathewhoffer4541]

tape it off and soda blast each one with a $8 harbor freight suction blaster .. each piston will take you less then 5 minutes to get spotless like new. Yes this method does work however it is actually more expensive and time consuming because one you buy the soda gun your done and you can get a box of baking soda from anywhere.

[@romanjaspe4172]

thanks so much

[@davidsimmons4491]

Thanks

[@hopalongjohnny9797]

Awesome, I got some type F laying around. Going to try this later this week on my 302.

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

Go for it!

[@mr.airsoft8295]

Good stuff

[@chesshooligan1282]

I suspect the acetone does all the work of dissolving the grease that holds the carbon together and the ATF's job is to lower the volatility of the mix so it doesn't evaporate almost instantly.

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

I suspect you’re right because by the next morning all I have is a container of transmission fluid and the acetone and has all evaporated.

[@chesshooligan1282]

@@pinkcaddygarage267 You have to put the mix in an airtight container. Now you should have the container that the acetone came in, so don't chuck it. Save it for the next time you do a mix.

[@thijsmoed1248]

Is it also possible to do on 2 strokes without breaking anything

[@syntheticlubricant699]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@DELTRANIO99]

Good vid did the engine run better and better performance ?

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

No, unfortunately, during the cleanup, I discovered that the thrust bearing was ruined, which also ruined the crankshaft. So I had the engine rebuilt with a 383 stroker kit.

[@Mr86cutlassboi]

Is this stuff good for cleaning pistons with aluminum blocks

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

According to the ‘net, acetone won’t harm aluminum, atf is obviously fine since most transmission parts are aluminum. Sounds compatible…as always, do some research on your own as well!

[@CharlesLs]

Hello, I am working on a in-line 6 right now but it is still in the bay is there anyways I can use the acetone and tranny fluid still? Or would I be better off using break clean

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

I’m not sure what “in the bay” means.

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

If you mean engine bay, then, yes you can use the combo I used. I had that engine on the stand because the truck had suffered a fire and was parted out.

[@CharlesLs]

@@pinkcaddygarage267 thank you for letting me know really appreciate it

[@garysmith3492]

Wood ashes and a wet rag....Moisten the rag, dip in wood ashes and voila...Clean as a whistle.

[@TripleWhopperWithCheese]

What is wood ashes?

[@garysmith3492]

@@TripleWhopperWithCheese ...Any wood ashes from burnt wood.

[@TripleWhopperWithCheese]

@@garysmith3492 You're joking right....

[@garysmith3492]

@@TripleWhopperWithCheese Absolutely not...Wood ash has a high acid content. It's the only thing I use to get carbon (Wood Smoke) off my wood stove glass. And I just used it to take off carbon from my chainsaw piston...Works great. Wood ash is great for lawns and gardens as well because of the acid...It's what makes lawns green.

[@TripleWhopperWithCheese]

@@garysmith3492 Hate to burst you bubble, but wood ash is very alkakine with very high pH level. Its used on lawn to balance acidic soils.

[@cusoonmyfriend3738]

hi there i have only carb cleaner and break cleaner fluid spray , can i go with both ?

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

The problem with those sprays is, they will evaporate too quickly to do you much good. You can spray and clean simultaneously, but you’re not gonna get any soaking action. That’s what the transmission fluid is for.

[@cusoonmyfriend3738]

thank you for the detailed explanation @@pinkcaddygarage267

[@alexstromberg7696]

This didnt really work for me on My Volvo pistons but worth a try

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

You may have to break out the wire brush attachment on your rotary drill. You just have to be very careful afterwards and looking for debris, loose wires.

[@alexstromberg7696]

@@pinkcaddygarage267 i use One of 3m bristle brush

[@sypher0101]

What does the ATF do?

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

Acts as a solvent to soften the carbon, as far as I can tell.

[@mg8718]

I would use my die grinder with a small brass wire brush.

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

That works too. Just have to be careful. No little brass wires are stuck around the edges.

[@garymcmullin2292]

I would be more concerned with any carbon and gum residing in the ring lands, a cursory swipe at the piston top deposits is enough because it is gonna build right back up to an equilibrium level in no time.

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

You may be right, but would just make feel bad putting things together without cleaning them.

[@robjenkins9450]

After buying 100% pure acetone, this treatment had absolute Zero affect on my piston carbon.

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

?

[@ukpkmkk_2]

What's the point of doing this anyway? The carbon build-up you should really be removing is on the valves and piston rings.. The build-up on the piston surface affects nothing (well it causes knock in extreme cases) but all this work you've done is gonna be reset after driving about 100 miles, and your pistons are gonna look exactly the same as before.. You can achieve the same result by driving on the highway at full speed for about 15 minutes.. It's gonna be clean as a whistle and you won't have to disassemble the whole engine.

[@pinkcaddygarage267]

Technically, you are correct, I just wanted to have everything clean-looking when I put the heads back on. The top end was disassembled simply to inspect everything before installing in another vehicle. Unfortunately, we discovered about half an inch of into play in the crankshaft. This engine is now a 383 stroker about to be reinstalled into a 1984 K1500.