Heavy carbon coating.....

[Badco]

This weekend I decided to take my Vararam velocity stack off of my truck because for one, the thing never did fit right and popped out of place and was robbing me of power. I can always tell when it isn't placed correctly, it runs like ****.
I noticed that when I had the throttle body hat off, it had some rather thick oily black deposits. I opened the butterfly valve and, holy crap, it was thick with the stuff. More so than it has ever been. It's usually fairly clean (maybe the light brown coating) but never that much carbon. I used Seafoam a couple of weeks ago to give it a good cleaning. It didn't smoke at all this time (none at all, not even a haze) so I figured it must be pretty clean.
The only thing I have done lately is use the cheap-o gas due to gas still over $3 a gallon here. I normally use BP 89 octane. The last time I used it was before Katrina. May seem weird but my truck really likes this gas better than exxon or anything else.
Could the cheap crap be the reason for the heavy deposits or do I need to be looking for another source?
The truck is a '98 4.3L, 2wd with EGR valve limiter, removed TB blade diffuser, TPS mod, and after-market intake are really the only mods done so far.

ANy ideas?????

[T Man]

is your intake coated with the carbon? That could point to some bigger problems.

[Badco]

The coating starts in the throttle body hat as far as I know.
No codes have been thrown either.

[T Man]

Does it seem to have lost significant power at any certan point?

[Badco]

Does it seem to have lost significant power at any certan point?

I'm going to have to drive it around some more to tell. With the velocity stack screwing the performance up, I'm not too sure. If anything, I want to say midrange isn't like it used to be. Lots of noise, but not much grunt with it (does that make any sense?)

[T Man]

yeah, that makes sense. I was thinking of an intake valve sticking open. That would create a backfire though. It sounds more and more like an egr problem to me. Wait till someone with a little more tech. knowledge gets on before you get into something though

[Badco]

Out of curiosity, I took apart my complete itake. I have this coating even on the air temp. sensor. :eek:
What the hell is up? I don't have a problem with reduced mileage, no drastic loss in power, it doesn't hiccup or no problems starting at all.
I just know this crap shouldn't be everywhere like it is. :mad:

Since I do have it everywhere including on the MAF, is there a good way to clean the MAF without damaging the wires???

[Sparky2263]

The coating is normal. Heat soak takes excess fuel vapors and sticks 'em everywhere it can in the intake. Generally not harmful so long as the throttle body and intake valves are kept clean (read carb. clean and Sea-Foam).

I clean the MAF with carb clean but lots of guys freak on that one. They recommend electrical contact cleaner. I just like 'em clean. I shoot the cleaner right at 'em with the extension tube. Hard to hurt the wires so long as you don't touch 'em.

[Badco]

OK, I'll give it a try.
Thanks.

[F-IT]

I clean the MAF with carb clean but lots of guys freak on that one. They recommend electrical contact cleaner. I just like 'em clean. I shoot the cleaner right at 'em with the extension tube. Hard to hurt the wires so long as you don't touch 'em.another way i learned in class is to clean the maf is with brake clean

[LowSDime97]

i noticed the other day when i was modding my throttle body that inside the plenum has alot of carbon build-up. now can i use the throttle body cleaner and spray it straight into the plenum and clean it that way, or is that not a good idea? i was thinking of doing that then when i was done put everything back together, starting the truck and running the cleaner outta the system as it drives, this make sense?

[98'S-Dime]

to much carb cleaner makes the next start really hard on the motor i know that from experience. it just doesnt like that much cleaner in the system at once.

your intake hose has a spot whear your breather tube is connected. disconect and spray the cleaner into the intake with the little hose that comes with the can. i learned this from the dealership. should help i know it did on mine.

[LowSDime97]

to much carb cleaner makes the next start really hard on the motor i know that from experience. it just doesnt like that much cleaner in the system at once.

your intake hose has a spot whear your breather tube is connected. disconect and spray the cleaner into the intake with the little hose that comes with the can. i learned this from the dealership. should help i know it did on mine.


so when u say theres a spot on the intake hose where the breather tube is connected, where exactly is that? lol kinda confused here

[Slaymanic]

Just after you spray it in reconnect the hose and let it idle till all the smoke gets done comming out the engine. The smoke is normal its all that crapola getting flushed out of your system. I'd drive a little after the smoke is gone for like 10 miles or so through out the speeds to just make sure that everything is cleaned out so the next start isn't too rough on you.

[Mikz86TA]

The crankcase breather is what he is referring to I believe. Its the tube that comes off the valve cover over to the intake hose/tube. Pull the small vent tube off the intake tube and shoot it in there. so when u say theres a spot on the intake hose where the breather tube is connected, where exactly is that? lol kinda confused here

[98'S-Dime]

yea sorry i wasnt very clear lol

[badazztoyz]

so is it in the intake tract?? have a leakdown test run

also we use to mix alky 1/1 and take a vacuum hose from intake mani and let it suck the fluid up till it almost dies then let it stop, repeat until its all gone...i had little chunks of carbon come out and when i was done i pulled my plugs and you could eat off of them. I ran alky injection on my supra and it always kept everything clean when i was pulling it apart