Hi all, this is more of a general car thing rather than a ffrr thing, but, it I thought that I would get a better response here, and it is relevant to all engines especially diesels.....

How do you remove a heavy carbon build up? or decoke an engine..... I have, a, another, diesel of non BMW origins, that has been leaking on one of the injector seals..... so much so, that the carbon build up is such that you can't see number 2 injector It rather resembles a large black sticky blob that has encased everything.... This needs to be removed so that the seals can be replaced.... but it contains the injector and loom so a Jack Hammer is not the best approach

I did read that the "Black Death" responds to being scraped off an engine when it's hot or chiselled when cold.... and this got me to thinking..... what if I was to try one of those hand held steam cleaner things.... they use them on ovens..... And I vaguely remember seeing them used on alloy wheels in the adds when they were all the rage

There is the obvious thing of using Oven cleaner.... but I'm not too sure how the injector loom would like it, and there is the issue that it doesn't mix with aluminium very well. And you guessed it, it's an aluminium head

Now as I didn't fall for all the blurb about how my life was going to be complete if I brought one of those steam cleaner things, I'm left wondering if it is worth trying one.... But I'm a bit concerned that it might be a waist of dosh...... thoughts please chaps  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Total waste of money, we fell for the claims... has trouble cleaning a clean floor...!!!

I tried the hand held stream of steam setting on dirt... all it did was make the dirt hot and wet, not enough force to move it too far and not enough heat to do sod all.... really disappointed...

Modern oven cleaner is so watered down now it's useless, tried it on the old gearbox which is alloy, gave it a couple of hours, washed it off and it left slightly cleaner dirt...!!!!

I think you are going to get messy... bits of hardwood work well to scrape/chisel it off without damaging the alloy...

Seafoam etc is a waste of money as well, cleans the top 1/2mm off....!!!!!

Why can't anyone actually make anything that does what it says on the tin these days....

Rant over................... Pete
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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
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What you need is grease - elbow grease.

If you can get any parts of a media blast cleaner would be the way to go. A parts washer will only clean the build up.

Small hammer and chisel it is then, box of rubber gloves, and maybe some brake and clutch cleaner to deal with the oil.....

Pete, I knew that you'd have the answer, just didn't think it would be first hand knowledge  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Haylands wrote:

Why can't anyone actually make anything that does what it says on the tin these days....

I've had an idea If I was to produce a line of cleaning products called "Completely Crap at Cleaning"...... would that make you happy  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

I've always had pretty good success with petrol (match is optional), but not tried it on dry carbon, mostly oily grease. Ed