How To Clean Exhaust Valves Without Removing Head? Simple Tips

Cleaning exhaust valves is always stressful and there are so many ways to clean such valves and achieve maximum results. Perhaps you always find yourself cleaning the valves with the head still intact and you must have tried so many methods. Cleaning the valves of exhausts with the head on can be a very confusing task. 

There are usually a lot of deposits in the fuel systems of cars and most times they always form very quickly. Although these deposits are difficult to get rid of, the rate at which they get into the fuel systems of these cars depends on a lot of factors that include:

• how the vehicle is handled when driving;
• the nature of the engine used to move the vehicle;
• oil preference of the vehicle;
• the type of fuel such a vehicle runs on.

Talking about comparison, it has been noticed that some engines compared to other engines have a higher tendency of building up fuel because they are not washed and are not always given time to cool down. The rate at which deposits of carbon attack these engines is alarming, and most times, it happens during short distances like four thousand to nine thousand miles which cause engine faults and hampered engine airflow.

In this article we are going to be talking about:

• What is an exhaust valve?
• How to clean exhaust valves without removing the head?

What is an Exhaust Valve?

In simple terms, an exhaust valve is a device that opens and closes the exhaust manifold in the head of your engine. During the beginning of every induction stroke, the exhaust valve always closes and it is usually larger than the intake valve.

This is because clearing the cylinder of exhaust is a lot more difficult than adding air and fuel to the combustion chamber.

Exhaust valves are associated with internal combustion engines and are always located at the cylinder head. After a mixture of air and fuel has occurred in the gas cylinder, the gasses are eliminated from the engine with the help of the exhaust valve.

How to Clean the Exhaust Valves Without Removing The Head

Protect yourself with gloves and glasses

Of course, this one should not be a new thing to you because safety should be prioritized. Before you can clean the exhaust valves, make sure you protect yourself with glasses and especially gloves because the products that are usually used to clean the engine are very harmful to your skin and could burn it if you come in contact with such products. Working with cars can overwhelm you to the point that you forget to put on your protective gear and this cannot only be harmful to you but also the food you eat if you do not sanitize your hands properly.

Increase the temperature of the engine 

If you want to maintain your exhaust valve without removing it you need to start the engine of your vehicle and wait for a while until it heats up. Regular engines work at temperatures between 190 to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are having doubts about your engine working at a perfect temperature you can always monitor the temperature meter located on the dashboard. Once the meter reads between hot and cold you would know that your engine has reached a temperature it can operate properly.

Get rid of the shield that protects what filters the air 

Whatever is responsible for filtering the air always comes with a cover, usually made of plastic that has to be taken out of the way so you can properly handle the mass airflow sensor. This filter cover can be found near the engine and usually has a conduit that is connected to the engine all the way from the front of the car. To get rid of what covers the air purifier, you would have to maintain both sides of the filter by getting rid of wing nuts, and also get rid of the clamps located on both sides by slowly unfastening them. Of course, once you are done it will be up to you to put the air filter cover back together. While removing the air filter cover you can always check the status of the cover, clean it or even throw it away and replace it with a better one. It is necessary that you replace what filters the air in the exhaust as frequently as possible to keep your valves in proper condition.

The mass airflow sensor should be uncovered  

You might be wondering where the sensor for airflow is located. Well it is a component of the fuel injector system and it is usually used or rather its main function is to determine how much air is entering into the engine. There is a lot of combustion that goes on in car engines and there has to be a specific fuel to air ratio in the combustion chamber of every engine or the vehicle will either overperform or underperform. As regards air intake the airflow sensor is always responsible for determining this. You will not have any trouble locating the mass airflow sensor because it can always be found between the throttle body and the airbox. You would also have to spray the valve intake cleaner which is located close to it.

Get the engine to a high RPM

Although there is no specific value to the RPM you are to get your engine, it is advised that you get to a value of at least 2,000. Although you can do this yourself, someone can also do it for you, and getting your engine to a high RPM will not only accelerate the kindling process but also get the engine in a good condition.

Make sure the straw used for cleaning is placed after the mass airflow sensor

This is a very important part to note when taking care of your exhaust. Although most people make the mistake of directing their spraying efforts at the mass airflow sensor it is important that you spray only the cleaning parts that you can see after this sensor. After doing this have a look at your engine light which should notify you that it has been done properly. You can also check and scan your vehicle for lapses and errors if you have a scanner, although an onboard diagnostics scanner is recommended. This will allow you to know what causes such errors and will make it easier for you to eliminate them instead of taking the car to a mechanic.

Maintain the intake cleaner 

When you have finally succeeded in getting your engine to a higher RPM the next thing to do is to spray the intake cleaner at time intervals of at least 20 seconds until you burn through all the content in the container. If you start to get the feeling that the engine is not performing as expected you can always increase the RPM but it is necessary that you do not go past 3,500. Using the spray cleaner will help you eliminate carbon deposits that can be found on the intake valves. It is also important that you spray the intake cleaner meticulously so as not to spray the wrong place or cause the cleaner liquid to accumulate in one spot.

Try getting a value of 3,500 revolutions per minute

After using the intake cleaner and emptying the can it is important that you hit the gas pedal at least a few times making sure the engine hits more than 2,000 RPM. Although the engine would hit more than this value it is important that you do not surpass the 3,500 limits. After doing this, allow the engine to keep running for about two minutes before you finally switch off the vehicle.

Recombine the mechanism responsible for taking in air

After you are done smashing the gas pedal and spraying what needs to be sprayed, recombining the air intake cover is what you should do next. As you reassemble this filter you might notice one or two things wrong with the filter and it is important that you replace it if you notice such things. After this switch off the engine of the vehicle and allow the engine head to rest for at least 40 minutes. Leaving the engine to relax will ensure that the intake cleaner really does its job and clean out the intake valves for the deposits of carbon. After forty minutes to one hour have passed you have to get your vehicle and enjoy a nice speeding drive for at least fifteen minutes. Doing this will completely clean out your intake valves.

Conclusion

Cleaning out the exhaust valves of a vehicle is the first step to enjoying a problem-free and stress-free vehicle. It is important that the cleaning operation is done meticulously because doing this can increase what it would cost to clean the valves because making a mistake can damage some of the parts. Having substantial knowledge about valve cleaning would not only save the effort that would be put into a damaged valve but prevent overspending and allow you to maximize your time.