Removing carbon

[Phil 850]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question.
There is a huge amount of carbon buildup in the exhaust of my Cota 172 I am restoring.
Any suggestions for the best/easiest removal method.
On my sprint kart I used to put a blow torch into the muffler and burn the carbon out. But it was a simple straight exhaust that I could remove the baffling and scrape the remnants out with a screwdriver.

[Guy53]

That's what I do with my TY Ts, but it can't be done on some exhaust.
Guy

[Phil 850]

Thanks Guy.
I'll see how it goes.

Phil

[pop]

I partially fill it with old sump oil, block off the ends, turn it so it coats everypart of the inside,leave it for a week, then do the same with degreaser, then blow it out with water with home made nozzles[made from copper tubing.

[Phil 850]

I partially fill it with old sump oil, block off the ends, turn it so it coats everypart of the inside,leave it for a week, then do the same with degreaser, then blow it out with water with home made nozzles[made from copper tubing.

So does the oil/degreaser dissolve the carbon/oil from the engine and allow this to run out with the water pressure ?

[pop]

Yes, that's what the aim is. Can depend on the 2 stroke oil used in the bike, castor oil is harder to loosen, so is outboard oil which seems to turn into lumps and solidify. Anyway you do it its a messy job.

[Jools]

This option might be a bit antisocial if you live in the 'burbs, but it works a treat and is not hard. I made a woodfire in a 44 gallon drum, put the zorst in and burned the crap out. (Not on a fire-ban day!)

[Phil 850]

Thanks all
I did some googling as well and there are all sorts of concoctions, but the most common is a blow torch and the pressure wash to remove the remaining carbon.
I did a bit of torch work yesterday and it started to clean up.
The little stinger silencer on the end burned for a long time by itself and finished up only half its original weight once all the oil residue was burnt out.
Will attack it again next weekend.

[Stanm]

Hi
Just a word of warning. I built a fire and tossed my ty250 exhaust on it several years ago and it burnt the guts out of it and the exhaust was stuffed. Too much heat can burn out the old packing inside the main chamber and change the exhaust characteristics. Not sure if other bikes are the same as the ty.

Cheers

Stan

[Jools]

AFAIK The packing should only be around the baffle, which you remove before burning out anyway.
Even if it's not, (is there any packing in the main chamber?) - it'd be so full of oil and carbon you don't want it in there anyway! Burn it out!
Change exhaust "characteristics"? -We're not talking highly tuned 2T motors here are we?