[The_E92_Fan]

How many out there cleaned their valves themselves, and how did you do it?

for example i did this a few months ago:

the valve cleaning can be done at home for $20. remove the manifold, buy 2 shotgun bore brushes, a scraper from AR-15 cleaning kit, and 3 cans of carb cleaner. unplug all coils, rotate engine with starter to close valves you are currently working on, spray and let sit 10 minutes, scrape, blow out crap. takes some time, but I've gone to getting codes and horrible stuttering, to brand new feeling in only 2-3 hours.

Tell us your story! Perhaps a cheaper and easier method can be known to the masses.

[zooch7]

Did it this way. Highly recommend you pay the $300 or whatever people charge and just walnut blast. Or buy the walnut blast kit yourself. In the end it just took longer and more time consuming. Walnut blasting takes like 2 hours or so depending on who's doing it and how many times they have done it.

[MysticRob]

I bought the Harbor Freight blasting kit and media off a guy on Craigslist for $30, got the wand and vacuum adapter new from bimmerhelp.info, then threw new gaskets at everything. Did it in my garage in a couple hours. Glad I did too, the intake valves and tracts were nasty thick with crud.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by The_E90_Fan

How many out there cleaned their valves themselves, and how did you do it?

for example i did this a few months ago:

the valve cleaning can be done at home for $20. remove the manifold, buy 2 shotgun bore brushes, a scraper from AR-15 cleaning kit, and 3 cans of carb cleaner. unplug all coils, rotate engine with starter to close valves you are currently working on, spray and let sit 10 minutes, scrape, blow out crap. takes some time, but I've gone to getting codes and horrible stuttering, to brand new feeling in only 2-3 hours.

Tell us your story! Perhaps a cheaper and easier method can be known to the masses.

You don't need to unplug the coils.

You can either take the fan out and crank over the valves via the crank or buy a plunger that you hook up to your starter. The plunger is the way to go.

Old school scrub vs walnut blasting.

I have done both. Walnut blasting does a better job.

I pieced out my own walnut blasting kit by finding each piece for cheap on various websites. In the end, I paid about $165.00 for everything, which included the wand, cylinder adapter, & red 10 gallon sand blaster tank.

I can walnut blast anytime I want. Once a year or whatever.

[buly34]

I bought the kit to do the walnut blasting myself, I've done about a dozen cars already. My buddy and I can do the job in 2 hours start to finish. Make sure you replace the manifold gaskets and throttle body gasket. GL

[asquared]

I Walnut blasted mine and help the locals here. Walnut blast is the way to go. Super quick, safe, and efficient.