Cleaning an inlet

[RichValver]

So iv had my inlet aquablasted on my 16v, all looks clean but a friend of mine recently had the same work done and a load of grit got into his engine as there must have been some left in the inlet

This has concerned me a bit as I can't see any obvious grit in mine and have run a hose through it.

The dark dirt you can see seems to be stuck to the inlets as if it's a mix of grease and dirt and doesn't seem to want to budge with a hose

What are my options? Even been contemplating finding another inlet just incase as I don't want to trash my engine

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Looks pretty clean to me. If your worried get it in the sink with some fairy and a large pipe brush and go to town.

 

[banhama]

I recently had my inlet vapour blasted and they advised me to wash it out thoroughly before fitting it, which I did and haven't had any issues.
They don't wash it out, so cannot guarantee all the tiny blast particles have been removed.
I did pretty much what @Touring_Rob suggests, and just for good measure blew a heat gun through to dry it

 

[banhama]

Having had another look at your photos I don't think the greasy bits are too much of an issue, they just look like oily deposits from the breathers that haven't been fully removed by the blasting, so were probably always there.
No evidence of the tiny balls that might have caused your friend's issues

 

[RichValver]

Looks pretty clean to me. If your worried get it in the sink with some fairy and a large pipe brush and go to town.

It's a bit big for the sink 🙈

 

[RichValver]

Having had another look at your photos I don't think the greasy bits are too much of an issue, they just look like oily deposits from the breathers that haven't been fully removed by the blasting, so were probably always there.
No evidence of the tiny balls that might have caused your friend's issues

Yeah the inlet was stinking (30 years worth of greasy dirt)

Do you think it's worth spraying some light oil inside so just incase there is any more grit left in there it might catch some of it?

Bit annoying really as the people who did the work didn't even mention needing to clean it out. Just the fact my friend contacted me to tell me his engines now scrap has made me a bit wary

 

[Robbie Corbett]

It's a bit big for the sink 🙈

Half at a time

Or wait until she's having a bath next and launch it - she'll be so angry all the splashing and shouting will clean it out nicely.

 

[RichValver]

Half at a time

Or wait until she's having a bath next and launch it - she'll be so angry all the splashing and shouting will clean it out nicely.

Ffs 🤣

Think il give it another flush with the hose then just to make sure

Thanks for the reassurance from both of you tho 👍

 

[RSRowe]

when i ported mine, i used plenty of oven cleaner spray and jet washed it out for waaaaaaaaaay longer than i needed to.

 

[banhama]

Do you think it's worth spraying some light oil inside so just incase there is any more grit left in there it might catch some of it?

I might just try spraying in some engine degreaser and giving it another brush/wash out. If you shift some of those remaining oily bits I reckon you'll definitely have cleared all the loose particles as well.

A question for the experts: out of interest what components would be damaged by a few of the blast particles? I would have thought they would mostly just get blasted out of the exhaust? Scored cylinder bores? I have no idea really.

 

[Bankrupt_drunk]

If you're paranoid then take it somewhere with a big ultrasonic cleaner for a good wash. That should get rid of anything that's left.
A place i worked a long time ago used big ultrasonic baths for all the goods going into the class 10 clean room. And no-one was allowed to bring anything from home to put in the bath!

Aqua blast Cambridgeshire - Ultra Sonic cleaning service used to clean components

Ultrasonic cleaning removes dirt, oils, lubricants, carbon, and other types of grime by transforming electric energy into mechanical vibrations and transmitting them into the water-based cleaning solutions.

www.aquablast.uk.com

 

[Robbie Corbett]

I might just try spraying in some engine degreaser and giving it another brush/wash out. If you shift some of those remaining oily bits I reckon you'll definitely have cleared all the loose particles as well.

A question for the experts: out of interest what components would be damaged by a few of the blast particles? I would have thought they would mostly just get blasted out of the exhaust? Scored cylinder bores? I have no idea really.

Literally everything! Valve guides, bores - lots ends up in the oil too.

Although that would be a decent amount - a small particles won't do much. His inlet looks pretty clean as is so I think he will be fine. I had a rocker cover blasted years ago from a ford CVH. They have an oil separator in them. Just before install I gave it a whack and about a coffee mug full of blasting grit came out!

Fortunately the cams and rockers wear out so quickly on them I doubt I would have noticed the difference.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

If you're paranoid then take it somewhere with a big ultrasonic cleaner for a good wash. That should get rid of anything that's left.
A place i worked a long time ago used big ultrasonic baths for all the goods going into the class 10 clean room. And no-one was allowed to bring anything from home to put in the bath!

Aqua blast Cambridgeshire - Ultra Sonic cleaning service used to clean components

Ultrasonic cleaning removes dirt, oils, lubricants, carbon, and other types of grime by transforming electric energy into mechanical vibrations and transmitting them into the water-based cleaning solutions.

www.aquablast.uk.com

miserable f*****s!

 

[Bankrupt_drunk]

miserable f*****s!

I know. They also took a dim view of people taking the titanium bolts to replace the rusty ones on their bikes.

 

[Louis]

I did mine in the bath when my girlfriend was out. Used some engine degreaser 😂

 

[Robbie Corbett]

I did mine in the bath when my girlfriend was out. Used some engine degreaser 😂

This fake tan is smelly and makes my bum itch.

She came home once (unexpectedly early) while I had an engine block in the dishwasher. It was like a roller coaster of emotions. I was acting a bit sheepish so she thought I was hiding something - assume she imagined I had her sister upstairs or something, then she was impressed I had put the dishwasher on..... then she was very unimpressed when I unloaded it

I bought the dishwasher, I gets to decide what to wash.

 

[Krarl]

This fake tan is smelly and makes my bum itch.

She came home once (unexpectedly early) while I had an engine block in the dishwasher. It was like a roller coaster of emotions. I was acting a bit sheepish so she thought I was hiding something - assume she imagined I had her sister upstairs or something, then she was impressed I had put the dishwasher on..... then she was very unimpressed when I unloaded it

I bought the dishwasher, I gets to decide what to wash.

My mate put his motorbike engine in the dishwasher, his mrs came back home early to grab her dinner and caught him frantically unloading it 😂 She made him buy a new one and he plumbed the old one up in the garage 😂

She also caught him building said engine back up on the dining room table too 😂 😂

 

[Jason473]

Literally just taken mine out after an couple of 'intense' cycles...

Faint smell of hot engine in the kitchen, still got 4hrs 21mins for it to clear. Winning!

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Literally just taken mine out after an couple of 'intense' cycles...
View attachment 1539315

Faint smell of hot engine in the kitchen, still got 4hrs 21mins for it to clear. Winning!

Good man! Don't put ali heads in through

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Literally just taken mine out after an couple of 'intense' cycles...
View attachment 1539315

Faint smell of hot engine in the kitchen, still got 4hrs 21mins for it to clear. Winning!

BTW top tip - If you deliberately get a little gunk/degreaser on your clothes and leave them in the hall it makes the whole house stink. Then when she complains you just apologise emphatically and put the clothes in the garden. Whenever she smells the kitchen/bathroom etc. you just apologise for the clothes because you were a silly boy and know for next time..... she will never think you had the engine in the dishwasher, while scrubbing the pistons with her scrubbing brush.

 

[RichValver]

Looks pretty clean to me. If your worried get it in the sink with some fairy and a large pipe brush and go to town.

Launched it in the bath, got a load of greasy dirt out but no grit/sand so I think it's pretty clean tbf. My friends must have had a shitload of sand somewhere as this is his injector hole after

 

[RichValver]

Literally just taken mine out after an couple of 'intense' cycles...
View attachment 1539315

Faint smell of hot engine in the kitchen, still got 4hrs 21mins for it to clear. Winning!

Think my mother would finally kick me out if I did this 😂

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Think my mother would finally kick me out if I did this 😂

What she doesn't know.... etc.

 

[Jason473]

BTW top tip - If you deliberately get a little gunk/degreaser on your clothes and leave them in the hall it makes the whole house stink. Then when she complains you just apologise emphatically and put the clothes in the garden. Whenever she smells the kitchen/bathroom etc. you just apologise for the clothes because you were a silly boy and know for next time..... she will never think you had the engine in the dishwasher, while scrubbing the pistons with her scrubbing brush.

This is genius, I have a lot to learn!

 

[Krarl]

BTW top tip - If you deliberately get a little gunk/degreaser on your clothes and leave them in the hall it makes the whole house stink. Then when she complains you just apologise emphatically and put the clothes in the garden. Whenever she smells the kitchen/bathroom etc. you just apologise for the clothes because you were a silly boy and know for next time..... she will never think you had the engine in the dishwasher, while scrubbing the pistons with her scrubbing brush.

I put my diesel-soaked clothes in the washing machine once... The washer stunk of diesel for ages and she made me buy a new one 😂

My clothes are stained and still stink of derv too, f**king shite