Internal Engine Cleaning

I am interested in hearing other's methods of cleaning the internals of the engine. If your a racer you know it is important to keep all ports, exhaust, piston etc. clean of any carbon build up as to promote optimal flow throughout the entire system.

It would be interesting to hear the different methods people use and give us something new to talk about instead of the same old questions being asked.

For internal engine casing and head ports I use formula 409, and formula 409 with a lite scotch-brite pad for hard to remove build up. Then washed down with water.

Exhaust is a little harder to get to, so I heat the outside of the exhaust with an acetylene torch allow it to cool and bang it on the outside with a rod or screwdriver, also a long metal rod to stick in the opening and rattle around inside. You'd be amazed at the chunks of goop that will come out of the exhaust.

So what are some other methods of internal cleaning?

safety-kleen parts cleaner, with SK premium gold solvent

I don't know what kind of oil you are running but I have taken many of these engines apart and have never seen any buildup on the transfers or exhaust port, there is always lots of carbon in the combustion chamber but even after 500 hours on one of my engines it was so little that I doubt it would hamper the performance any.

Talking more of a yearly cleansing, not after every single race. Never experienced anything really caked on that was a pain to get off. Mostly Carbon build up.