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How would you clean this, or would you?

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Old Mar 2, 2025 | 06:04 PM
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Default How would you clean this, or would you?

So, I really kick myself in the *** for not doing the breather bypass on my 14 SGS last spring when I did a full top end rebuild and everything was clean and shiny. The issue was that it's an Arlen Ness Monster Sucker and there was no quick/easy kit to install like the Drag Specialties bypass on my 03 RK. It required me to drill/tap/modify the intake a bit. Well, after 31,000 miles on it this last year, I recently got around to doing it after using my buddy's old Borescope and seeing what all that oil did to my pistons and such. (See pics below) After putting about 600 miles on the bike after the breather mod, everything in the intake and TB looks clean and dry, but now I want to see if I can clean those piston tops off. Or will they just burn themselves clean after a while. I still got my buddy's Borescope so I can monitor it for a before & after looky-loo. Didn't know if just using some Seafoam Spray into the intake would get down in there well enough to do any good, or I've also heard of spraying a mist of plain H2O in there as well. What would you guys do? Seafoam? Water? Something else? Nothing?

TIA........ MJ











 
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Old Mar 2, 2025 | 06:22 PM
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Just run it, time and heat will burn it off. Just make sure you are doing long runs like a couple of hours to get the engine up to good stead temps.

The piston tops will get some carbon on them anyway from the fuel and or un-burnt fuel that sits there after shutdown.
 

Last edited by CoolBreeze3646; Mar 2, 2025 at 06:24 PM.
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Old Mar 2, 2025 | 07:15 PM
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Just run it. There will be some carbon build up even with a breather bypass.
 
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Old Mar 2, 2025 | 09:56 PM
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It looks fine to me. I had my engine apart during the cam bearing incident last year. I thought the pistons had build-up from the original owner putting 5000 miles on them with the stock breather system.

I'd already vented the breathers to ground so I cleaned the pistons up really good. They looked shiny and new. I ran a bore scope down the spark plug holes about 8000 miles later and they looked like they did before I cleaned them. Very similar to yours.
 
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Old Mar 3, 2025 | 07:57 AM
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carbon can come from many sources, even the gasoline you use.
sure the hd system sucks, they need a lesson from rice, but is the issue you see really from c/c vent???
perhaps you need more maintenance, you do know the umbrellas are not LIFE time service component.
billions upon billions of miles and years upon years prove otherwise.
also, as the machine ages, the system becomes more taxed.
 
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Old Mar 3, 2025 | 09:46 AM
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The breather valves were replaced with new ones at the same time as all of the other top end parts of course. The oil in my intake and TB has been accumulating since right after the rebuild. The last pic is AFTER I modified the breathers and put 600 miles on it......











 
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Old Mar 3, 2025 | 03:47 PM
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To get to the root of the issue an External Breather System would likely be worth looking to.

An External Breather System aids with engine longevity and performance by routing the hot, oily, oxygen depleted air to the atmosphere, instead of into the combustion chambers via the air cleaner.



Photo of a piston out of a M8 114 at only 5,000 miles, It was taken apart to do a 131 upgrade.

Feel free to give us a call or shoot us an email with any questions or concerns.

Ride Safe, Ride Free.

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Old Mar 3, 2025 | 03:53 PM
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Run it hard! Use some SeaFoam!

If you are skilled, you know what to do...water in a spray bottle
 
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Old Mar 3, 2025 | 10:35 PM
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Originally Posted by DK Custom
To get to the root of the issue an External Breather System would likely be worth looking to...

An External Breather System aids with engine longevity and performance by routing the hot, oily, oxygen depleted air to the atmosphere, instead of into the combustion chambers via the air cleaner.



Photo of a piston out of a M8 114 at only 5,000 miles, It was taken apart to do a 131 upgrade.

Feel free to give us a call or shoot us an email with any questions or concerns.

Ride Safe, Ride Free.

Shelly
Shelly, not trying to sound like a dick, but if you had read all of my first post you'd know that I have already installed one on my bike. I had to modify my Arlen Ness air cleaner assy. to make it work. Nice sales pitch tho.......

 
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Old Mar 4, 2025 | 11:39 AM
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sludge like that is not entirely a vent issue.
the biggest issue with the hd system is lazy flow and the second coalescing power.
a lot believe oil level is to blame, BUT really???
hd recognizes that engines with the sump lower than the engine under certain conditions with the vent stand pipe covered will vapor lock reducing oil movement and hence pooling in the flywheel area. it is not a concern with higher than sump tanks.
 
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