DI Valve De-Carbonator?????

Discussion in 'Car Builds, Projects, Idea's Experiments' started by Metalman, Mar 7, 2011.

  1. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #1 Metalman, Mar 7, 2011
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2011
    OK, As I see it the carbon on the DI engine intake valves is either there or it isn't. Influenced by how you drive, type of gas your're using, weather or not the engine has had a chance to reach operating temperature, if there is a OCC employed or not (or how effective it is or isn't), how many miles are on the engine and if mystery gas additives are used.

    So if it is an issue, three choices.....
    Manually remove it..... Can be expensive
    Use the Seafoam / B44 stuff... Not so expensive, if it works????
    The water method.... Pretty cheap,

    So I'm wondering....
    Would it make sense to tap into the washer fluid tank with a line running to something like the BSH Boost tap in the vacuum line to the intake manifold. Have a simple on-off switch that controls a flow valve? It seems like this could be a pretty slick way of cleaning the carbon off the intake valves.

    Soooo.... what's wrong with this thinking?

    Chuck
     
  2. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    I know that water in the proper amount injected into the combustion chamber will clean carbon out, but why would it work say on a intake valve, which is not "in" the combustion chamber and not subjected to as much heat, since it's cooled by contact with the seat and stem?

    I also wonder about this whole carbon-on-the-backs-of-the-valves deal, and why some have it so badly and others not at all?

    Could it be down to city driving vs hi-speed - ie: getting the valves hot enough to burn it off?

    Could my track time be beneficial in ways I hadn't realized yet? :D

    To answer your question, I don't think injecting washer fluid would be a good idea, but if you had distilled water in the tank - that might be different.
     
  3. Bigprfed22

    Bigprfed22 New Member

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    I custom blocked off my TB side passage, Me and my buddy Jason(a mini tech) are thinking we can disconenct the turbo side and vent to atmosphere, just have to try it and see if the ecu recognizes the missing air.
     
  4. BThayer23

    BThayer23 Well-Known Member

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    That sounds like meth injection. Not sure how that would play with direct injection, but I'd have to think it'd be pretty similar to how it works with regular fuel injection.
     
  5. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #5 Metalman, Mar 21, 2011
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2011
    Yeah.....
    That was just a "I Wonder" moment.

    Meth kicks in at a preset point, upper RPM's..... And if you have meth, you probably don't have a carbon problem.

    My thoughts are to use the existing washer reservoir. And only use it to remove the carbon at low RPM's. Kind of like steam clean the carbon deposits off the backs of the intake valves. A simple controlled rate so you don't get hydrolock. Basically eliminating all the goofy, pulling the PCV hose off, measuring out a prescribed quantity of liquid, and timing the introduction of the cleaner into the intake. You just flip a switch and run it for a given time, once a month. Easy Squeezy...

    Hah, you might even be able to do a quick clean while sitting at a stop light???? :D

    Hah, I can see it now.... That jerk behind you in that huge " insert make". You decide to do a carbon "Purge" all over the front of his grill.... No never mind, I was starting to drift.

    Sent from Arrakis, while harvesting spice, using Tapatalk when no one was looking.
     
  6. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    Seems to me it would be more effective at higher RPMs, load and temps. such as a WOT run up a long hill or something.
     
  7. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    You could be correct. Especially if that guy that was just behind you at the stop light when you did your last purge. Flip that switch when you hit 7,000 and do another purge, since you missed his right headlight. Gotta keep the carbon off them valves.


    Sent from Arrakis, while harvesting spice, using Tapatalk when no one was looking.
     
  8. czar

    czar New Member

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    You will need more than just a simple purge every now and then to reduce and finally keep your intake valves from excess carbon build up.

    The best way would be to install a water/meth injection kit, like the Aquamist HFS3, and run it continuously to remove said excess carbon build up, then once your happy with your results, visual inspection, then you can reduce the running of your water/meth kit, to activate with fuel demand or boost demand.

    It really does work, I run 2 Aquamist HFS3 water/meth injection kits, and I have no problems with excess carbon build up, that said my No1 kit does run continuously from the moment I start my engine to the moment I switch it off.

    One of the reasons some suffer from excess carbon build up more than others, is that the early cam covers up to 11/2008 suffered from a poor design of the PCV, the later cam covers from this date on have a better PCV design, and the later models tend not to suffer quite as much.

    H3-R56.gif HFS3m-sh.jpg
     
  9. Crashton

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    Do you know if BMW/MINI changed the PCV design again on the 2011 engines? The valve cover looks different from the 2010 & before design.
     
  10. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    I think the valve cover looks different because of the addition of VANOS, but who knows - maybe it was related to the PCV system....
     
  11. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    True it now is a double VANOS. If they did a redesign it would make sense. No way to know I suppose.
     
  12. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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  13. czar

    czar New Member

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    If your talking about the N18 engine and not the N14, then yes the cam cover is different, and it only has 1 vent into the air stream, and this is pre turbo, see picture of the new N18 engine below.

    59505-f-min--1.jpg
     
  14. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Well that's interesting......
    It would seem that......
    With the re-design.... all of the PCV byproducts will get routed through the IC. Cooling the air charge would tend to cause the gases to condense and attach to the inside of the IC (the IC will become an expensive OCC with no drain), and eventually get to the back side of the intake valves. $$$ to clean the intake valves + $$$ to clean the IC. Unless of course the redesign of the cam cover has been vastly improved as an air/liquid separator. On the surface it just seems they have just increased the path length and it will just take longer to happen (maybe after the warranty expires.... Heh, Heh, Heh?). Time will tell.
     

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