[corenele]

whats the best way to get that black crap off the top of my pistons ,pistons are still in the block.puting my heads on tomarow but i need to clean first,and that stuff is hard to get off

[cranknrods]

im not sure how the best way is without pulling the pistons, or why you would need too,unless you were burning oil-theirs almost always going to be some black residue ontop of the piston. but if theirs alot on their from burnt oil and you have fixed the problem then i can see the concern. the way i have done it is pretty iffy. i take degreaser and poor a little bit on top of the piston then wipe what i can off. the trick here is to not use alot in fear of it seeping past the rings(degreaser is great for taking a oily surface and changing it to rust).i then wipe out the bore very well and then rub on a little oil and then sqirt a measurable amount onto the rings.turn the motor and aply oil to all the bores from top to bottom.if you can, use a tack rag to help keep down the lint. but if you use this method do not start the car without changing the oil. <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" /> and try to get it on the road as fast as possible to prevent rust. thats my two cents but if someone has another way please speak up cuss im sure their is a better way.

[corenele]

hey cranknronds thanks for the info i will give that a try when i pulled my heads i seen all this black and first thought it was from running rich you think i could be from burnt oil .i tryed 3 differant degreasers and not working all that great the best thing thats working is k&n filter cleaner and yes im changing the oil becouse i just found out that a head bolt washer is smaller than a lifter,the washer fell right through the hole were the lifter goes <img src="graemlins/spank.gif" border="0" alt="[spank]" /> <img src="graemlins/pain.gif" border="0" alt="[pain]" />

[Copper Top]

it's more than likely just carbon buildup i fuond that the best way to get rid of it was to put it back together and take out on the hiway and put your foot into it in a lower gear up to about3500-4000 for about 5-10 minutes. but, i have also used a wire brush in a drill with a shop vac on high with the piston in the bottom of the hole. keep in mind though,that was a budies engine and he was harping me to get it back together for him and he didn't mind the method.still runs too.

[Barz51]

I would try a little ATF on the pistons to soffen up the build up. ATF has a lot of detergents in it. Plus it is ok to mix w/ oil so you dont have to worry about it getting in the engine.

Cory

[willys36@aol.com]

When the pistons are out for a rebuild, I use a putty knife and wire brush. In the engine, I leave it alone. Can get particles into the ring lands or into the engine if you try it in-engine and do more harm than good. Leave it a lone and it will break off and go out the exhaust on it's own during normal engine operation and maintain an equilibrium thickness.

[4 Jaw Chuck]

I use a good fashioned french scraper made from an old file, to keep the gunk out of the ring land I take teflon tape and twist it up as I push it into the clearance space. Make sure to leave a tail sticking out so you can pull the tape after you vacuum the particles up. Use a feeler gauge as a pusher stick to get the tape into the space. To cover the water jacket I just use duct tape and cut out the bores, keeps the junk out of the jacket and prevents it from plugging the rad.