How to clean piston squirters?
 

I spent >3 hours today just trying to clean the squirters, without success fo ar :mad:

On the left side case, I can't get squirter for #1 to spray at all after a WHOLE bottle of brake cleaner. I even inserted a needle from both sides to help clear it, and use pressurized air. What else can I do?

On the right side case, I simply can't get any to spray. I followed Wayne's book method of blocking the thru holes first. The brake cleaner still spray back from where I insert the tube (hole on the bearing).

Any help would be appreciated...

I found that the brake cleaner does not have enough pressure to push out the valve in the squirter...I filled the oil tube with cleaner and then used a rubber tipped air gun to push compressed air through. Its weird but my squirters all behaved the same and squirted just fine but did require quite a bit of pressure. I am running 100psi on my compressor and I did not turn it down but there is losses between the rubber tip and the case etc.

I found the top off a felt pen fits perfectly in the thru hole to plug it and then you blow in the oil hole for the main bearing. This is why I used a rubber tipped air gun.

Cheers,

Mike

Chris' post on that thread is the definitive answer. Are you using a copressor?

Chris, I should have caught your post earlier :(

But yes, indeed that's what I "found" about the X & K passages on the right side case. After compressed air (thru my compressor) and insert the brake fluid tube to the right place, I get a nice mist.

Just have to figure out that 1 squirter on the left side now.

A related question: I didn't dial back my compressor so I used ~105psi of air thru the squirters. Will this damage them spring/squirters?

thanks.

It won't hurt them. They see almost that much oil pressure when the engine is cold.

-Andy

Thanks for the reassurance Andy. Now, its just a matter of getting the last squirter to spray !

Postings like Chris' are one of the reasons this forum is so great (especially the diagram of the passages drawn directly on the case).

I had two squirters that were particularly stubbon; air pressure wouldn't budge them. I filled the passages completely with solvent and inserted a small nylon screw that fit snugly in the narrow passage. A (very) light rap on the screw with a small hammer generated a strong enough pressure pulse to break the squirter free. I followed up with solvent using just air pressure to complete the cleaning and to verify they would open at normal pressures.

Good luck,
Steve

I'm stuck :(
I tried all the methods & squirter for cylinder #1 is still acting strange. It I spray brake cleaner at it, it will not spray. A VERY tiny amount dribbles out. If I fill it with brake cleaner then use my 120psi compressor to blow it, it finallly blows mist.
I can use a pin to push from the outside (cylinder end) and the squirter will "retract". It is spring loaded and the amount of pressure needed to push it back is same as others.
So, what else can I do? I have used up 2 bottles of brake cleaner on this now & have used up some cabuerator on it as well? :confused:

I am kind of curious too, i let all six squirters soak in carb cleaner for 3 days and 3 of them are free, and easily blowing through with pressure. The other three show characteristics similar to hobieboy's by just barely dribbling, but that's with compressor air.
You said that you used a pin to push from the outside, i assume that means from the side that does the squirting. Is it possible for some of these more stubborn ones to need a little more persuasion by spraying cleaner and moving them back and forth with a pin?

Well, if I push from the outside (i.e. side facing the cylinder), I can push all of them in a little and feel that they are spring loaded. If I insert the pin right into the squirter, it can go in a little.
When I inject brake/cabuerator cleaner, I can see a that some of it is leaking out from around the squirter, but nothing come thru the middle hole.
When I use my 110psi compressor to blow out the remaining liquid, I can see VERY little of them blow thru though there's some.
Anybody has suggestions, ideas? I'm lost :(

Hobieboy,

If may be time to have the squirter drilled out and replaced. That's probably what the pros would do at this point, but if you're an amateur like me you have time to try different approaches. Like the following:

(I assume you have studied the link posted above and know all about where to apply pressure and how to plug passages.) Rotate the case until the opening you want to apply pressure to is facing up. Fill the passage with solvent (brake cleaner, etc.). Dribble it in slowly so the passage is completely full and you don't get a face full. Insert a small (#8, I think) 1" long nylon screw a few mm into the opening. The screw should fit snugly enough to seal but still move in and out without jamming. Rap it with something light. You don't want to sink it completely into the opening, but you do want to move it sharply. This is going to generate a lot of pressure and, if all goes well, force some solvent through the squirter. I placed a towel under the squirter so I could see if anything was coming through. Once I got that first bit to puke out, things were freed up enough to use air pressure to finish the cleaning. Here's the kind of screw I'm talking about.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1141510119.jpg

Good luck, let us know what happens.

Steve

A brief update... I finally gave up & took it to my mechanic.
The squirter is "dead". NOTHING comes out of it. Nothing :( With 30 years experience with these engines, he had never seen one this stuck (& I didn't blow the cylinder up neither before). So, very strange.
We tried to remove it by reaming @ the peening, using air, screw/hook to pull it out. The center is pretty much destroyed now & we still can't get it out. And its still not squirting anything.
Anyone had removed these things before? Any tricks or advice? Looks like EDM is next otherwise...