What is the proper way to clean out the insides of a tpi system? It seems silly to just spray loads of harsh throttle body cleaner, there has to be a better way. Can I soak it in something like a dirty dish and wire brush it out? A spray bottle of seafoam?

 

I took it all apart and soaked everything in carb cleaner, worked awesome. All that carbon just got blasted away. I used a stiff bristle brush to get the more stubborn areas, and probably went through 2 or 3 cans of cleaner.

 

It's safe to soak aluminum in it? I didn't want to have to use so much of the stuff cuz I don't want to have to worry about disposing of it. Does simple green have any effect? Good or bad? At least that stuff's biodegradable.

 

Well, for the disposal, I can't really help you there. Not the most environmentally friendly operation- I just soaked and sprayed it on some wood boards on my gravel driveway- it evaporates, although the carbon hangs around until it rains enough. As for being safe to use on aluminum, I can't see where there would be a problem. (BTW, aren't most carburetors made of aluminum?) Didn't mess with mine at all. Simple Green won't really work- that carbon is really ON there. I guess another option would be to take it to a shop and have the components ultrasonically cleaned.

 

Yeah I went ahead and used two cans of intake cleaner. I hope mother earth forgives me. The engine seems to appreciate it though. Some timing and tuning and she should run like new.
Next time though, any idea how much a shop charges to clean parts like the intake?

 

LOL hope mother earth forgives you? You drive a V8 car built in the 80's. I'm not saying intentionally destroy the earth, but go drive a friggin' econo box if you are that hung up on that.

Anywho. Seafoam if the intake is still on the car will do the best cleaning job.

Intake off the car, wire brush and purple power (or your favorite degreaser) that is how I cleaned mine up.

As for a shop doing it Sonic cleaning is affordable, prolly like 40-60 bucks for the upper, lower and runners would be my guess, I could be wrong. I think I paid 20 bucks to have a pair of heads put through a head washer.

 

I was hoping you'd appreciate the irony. Thanks for the tips, I actually just seafoamed the ol girl as well and found a fantastic exhaust leak (investigating this in another thread).

 

LOL okay, I work with some tree huggers that give me **** about my "horrible gas guzzling sports cars" That are "destroying the environment" I tell them if they are so high and mighty they should walk to work.

 

how can there be tree huggers in the valley? lol should the official name be cactus hugger? i NEVER walked anywhere when i was in AZ lol id fire up the gas guzzler and go where i needed to lol even the mail box...but i was in QC so it was about a half mile away lol

As far as the cleaning goes i opened the throttle plates and just sprayed seafoam in, when i did a set off the car i just threw it in a bucket of degreaser overnight

 

I wouldn't use simple green on aluminum, it seems to leave a wierd "finish" on it. I used some dollar store crap called "Awesome" It was cheap and worked very well. I soaked everything down, off the car then blasted it with my pressure washer and it blasts all the crap off. Wait till those treehuggers have to dispose of thier dead batteries, then ask them again how good that is for the enviroment. If they were seriuos about that crap they would live like the Amish. It's never been about the enviroment anyways, Its about controlling peoples lives. Thats all they really care about. F' em.