gonebytim
New Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2020
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 1
- Age
- 40
- Location
- Nowra
- Members Ride
- VE Series 2 SV6
Hi,
I’ve done a lot of reading (a lot of it from threads on here) about the issue of Carbon build up in the intake valves of the direct injection V6.
I understand exactly why it happens and I’ve installed a Catch Can and even cleaned out the PCV valve at the rear of my LLT engine.
Thing is - I purchased the car with 240,000km on it and judging by the carbon build up people were claiming to see at 30,000km or less (plus YouTube videos I’ve watched of direct injection engines getting major carbon build up at low km) - I believe that my engine would have to be stuffed full of carbon build up.
some videos I’ve watched showed people getting back 20% of their horsepower after cleaning the carbon deposits (demonstrated before and after on the dyno).
the one thing I haven’t figured out - is the best way to get the valves cleaned?
there are other videos of people using all the “top of the line” intake valve cleaning chemicals to try and clean the carbon - and demonstrating that these chemicals do nothing to remove the hardened carbon deposits.
then I saw videos about how BMW uses a method called “walnut blasting” to clean the intake valves, and that they have special equipment that fits into the valves of the BMW and blasts out the carbon getting the valves back to brand new looking and that BMW Service Centers all have this equipment and even built it into the cars service schedule.
because it seems like this is a coming issue for the LLT and LFx Sidi engines - I called Holden to see what they offer as a service and they told me that they do some sort of chemical flush of the intake valves for $160.
considering that all of the Internet believes that walnut blasting - or alternatively- pulling the top of engine off and spending 10 hours hard par our scraping the crap out of the valves - to be the only solutions that work.....
....a $160 flush at the Holden Dealer seems a bit “too good to be true” if it works and gets the car back to running like new again (it’s currently a bit sluggish compared to my other car which is the exact same model but has half the km on it).
so I’m wondering if anyone here has had any experience with getting their SIDI engine valves cleaned out properly or if anyone has even payed Holden for the valve clean?
Or if anyone here is a mechanic who offers the service - id love some information.
cheers
I’ve done a lot of reading (a lot of it from threads on here) about the issue of Carbon build up in the intake valves of the direct injection V6.
I understand exactly why it happens and I’ve installed a Catch Can and even cleaned out the PCV valve at the rear of my LLT engine.
Thing is - I purchased the car with 240,000km on it and judging by the carbon build up people were claiming to see at 30,000km or less (plus YouTube videos I’ve watched of direct injection engines getting major carbon build up at low km) - I believe that my engine would have to be stuffed full of carbon build up.
some videos I’ve watched showed people getting back 20% of their horsepower after cleaning the carbon deposits (demonstrated before and after on the dyno).
the one thing I haven’t figured out - is the best way to get the valves cleaned?
there are other videos of people using all the “top of the line” intake valve cleaning chemicals to try and clean the carbon - and demonstrating that these chemicals do nothing to remove the hardened carbon deposits.
then I saw videos about how BMW uses a method called “walnut blasting” to clean the intake valves, and that they have special equipment that fits into the valves of the BMW and blasts out the carbon getting the valves back to brand new looking and that BMW Service Centers all have this equipment and even built it into the cars service schedule.
because it seems like this is a coming issue for the LLT and LFx Sidi engines - I called Holden to see what they offer as a service and they told me that they do some sort of chemical flush of the intake valves for $160.
considering that all of the Internet believes that walnut blasting - or alternatively- pulling the top of engine off and spending 10 hours hard par our scraping the crap out of the valves - to be the only solutions that work.....
....a $160 flush at the Holden Dealer seems a bit “too good to be true” if it works and gets the car back to running like new again (it’s currently a bit sluggish compared to my other car which is the exact same model but has half the km on it).
so I’m wondering if anyone here has had any experience with getting their SIDI engine valves cleaned out properly or if anyone has even payed Holden for the valve clean?
Or if anyone here is a mechanic who offers the service - id love some information.
cheers