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ebinmaine

How can I clean out exhaust Port threads without using a tap?

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ebinmaine

On my honey's 657 with Tecumseh hh-60...

 

Many many moons ago someone had put a replacement muffler on that used the bolt holes on each side of the exhaust port.

 

The three quarter inch npt threads in the engine block are quite full of carbon. In fact, I can barely tell that they are there.

I know I could, and probably should, buy a pipe tap. But I really don't want to spend $25 getting a hold of a tool that I will lose before I'll ever use it again.

 

What other suggestions might you have?

 

 

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pfrederi

These work fairly well cleaning out threads

brush.JPG

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MarkS

Not sure how dense the buildup is, but I usually just soak things like that in any and everything I can find in my garage (carb/brake clean, pb blaster..). Might help loosen it up to make it easier to wipe/scrape out. Actually on second thought that's probably how I accomplish most tasks, just spray and soak the daylights out of it!!B)

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WHNJ701

......replace it with kohler.......

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ebinmaine
1 minute ago, jabelman said:

......replace it with kohler.......

I like your thought process

 

And so does my honey!

 

 

But right now there's a Tecumseh in there..... Well. It used to run. I'm hoping it will again.

 

I can pretty near guarantee you if this little engine ever breaks down it will not be repaired.

 

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953 nut

If you have a good relationship with your dentist you could probably get some used dental picks for free. To chase the threads you can cur "V" shaped notches in the threads on a pipe nipple and screw it in and out a few times.

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dclarke

Maybe bend a welding rod or something like that and grind a point on it.  

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ebinmaine
3 hours ago, 953 nut said:

If you have a good relationship with your dentist you could probably get some used dental picks for free. To chase the threads you can cur "V" shaped notches in the threads on a pipe nipple and screw it in and out a few times.

 

2 hours ago, Digger 66 said:

 

Exactly ^^^

Take a cut-off wheel ( the thin reinforced ones ) in your Dremel and make a slice lengthwise almost through but not quite .

Maybe 4 cuts , then with a lot of patients and some penetrating oil , go in and out 'till they're clean . 

 

 

Hh7mD2f.png

Yepp.

I'd had that idea but I was going to cut all the way through the threads.

Why not do that?

Strength of pipe reasons...

Other reasons....

 

Thanks for the visual too!!

 

 

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Cvans

You can and I would cut through the threads. They would be less likely to load up that way. Be careful as the pipe can collapse if you go too fast. A lot of back and forth rotation is a good thing. 4 slots should be plenty and try and not make a slot where the threads start.   Try soaking the female threads with Marvel Mystery oil as that stuff is suppose to dissolve carbon. You can use an ice pick bent at 90 degrees to clean out the first couple threads so the nipple will start into the threads. 

Good luck

Edited by Cvans
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jeff lary

No one has said this but I would be very careful not to push a bunch of carbon fragments into the cylinder. I personally would blow out and vacuum out the cylinder very well before running it. 

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ebinmaine
13 minutes ago, jeff lary said:

No one has said this but I would be very careful not to push a bunch of carbon fragments into the cylinder. I personally would blow out and vacuum out the cylinder very well before running it. 

 

 

Definitely good advice to keep carbon out of the cylinder.

Won't be a concern on this particular engine because the port for the exhaust doesn't point into the cylinder.

I am definitely planning on running a vacuum while I am doing this though.

 

 

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clueless

When using a vacuum on anything that has or had gas in or around it be very careful! 

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ebinmaine
1 minute ago, clueless said:

When using a vacuum on anything that has or had gas in or around it be very careful! 

Sound Advice there.

 

 

 

 

 

Note to self. Turn off flame injector in vacuum hose before using on anything flammable .

:ROTF:

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clueless

Years ago a coworkers son used a shop vac to suck a small amount of old gas out of his push mower. The vac exploded and he suffered second and third degree burns on his face and arms, still has the scars. 

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ebinmaine
5 minutes ago, clueless said:

Years ago a coworkers son used a shop vac to suck a small amount of old gas out of his push mower. The vac exploded and he suffered second and third degree burns on his face and arms, still has the scars. 

I can definitely see how that would happen.

 

I do appreciate the words of caution.

 

 

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oliver2-44
15 hours ago, 953 nut said:

 To chase the threads you can cur "V" shaped notches in the threads on a pipe nipple and screw it in and out a few times.

Spray it a few time with some carb cleaner to soften the carbon, they make your self a "tap as 953 suggest. it worked for me, but my threads weren't completely filled up as it sounds yours are!

 

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clueless

B'laster lawn mower tune up in a spray can. I've used this stuff for over 35 years on all my 2 and 4 cycle stuff that sit for awhile, not so much on my stuff for the last 20 years sine I started using non-ethanol. But I still use it on my friends and relatives, (who are to cheap to buy non-ethanol) stuff at the beginning of the season. Ben around since the 50's, works great a small engines that are hard to start. A few years ago I was de-carboning a kohler head, I shot a little on the head and piston and let it sit for about 5 minutes, the carbon scrap right off, worked better than carb cleaner for sure. If you use some of this on your threads I'm sure it will help loosen the carbon before you use what ever device you decide to use. Get a can it's cheap and it last forever I'm on my second can in 35+ years.

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ebinmaine
9 hours ago, clueless said:

B'laster lawn mower tune up in a spray can

Man oh man! I got to give this stuff a big thumbs up.

I sprayed the carbon filled threads of this engine maybe 2 or 3 hours ago and I just came out to do them again and I can actually see the threads beginning to form!

That is with no mechanical means whatsoever of removing the carbon. Just spray. Let it sit. Nothing else. This stuff might just be the cat's meow of carbon removal.

 

Just an FYI on the purchase of a tap. I found one at Tractor Supply for $10.49.

I figured that if a piece of pipe is 4 or $5 and then I have to spend all that time modifying said pipe into a thread chaser I might as well just get a tap. At least I didn't have to spend 25 bucks.

We may be super Frugal around here most of the time but.....

time is valuable as well.

 

 

Thank you to those who offered up suggestions and advice.

 

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DennisThornton

In addition to the Dremel cuts suggested you can just grind 3 or 4 flutes with the leading edge at a sharp angle to in effect make your own tsp.  That has saved me several times!   Study a tsp first before you grind. 

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clueless
11 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Man oh man! I got to give this stuff a big thumbs up.

I sprayed the carbon filled threads of this engine maybe 2 or 3 hours ago and I just came out to do them again and I can actually see the threads beginning to form!

That is with no mechanical means whatsoever of removing the carbon. Just spray. Let it sit. Nothing else. This stuff might just be the cat's meow of carbon removal.

 

Just an FYI on the purchase of a tap. I found one at Tractor Supply for $10.49.

I figured that if a piece of pipe is 4 or $5 and then I have to spend all that time modifying said pipe into a thread chaser I might as well just get a tap. At least I didn't have to spend 25 bucks.

We may be super Frugal around here most of the time but.....

time is valuable as well.

 

 

Thank you to those who offered up suggestions and advice.

 

Eric, glad the stuff worked for you. Before you start the engine, follow the directions on the can, squirt it down the spark plug hole, I do it for about for about 10 seconds, put the plug back in. DON'T connect the wire, spin the engine over a few times, wait about 15 minutes, connect the plug wire then start it. Best to do it outside, gonna be some smoke.  

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ebinmaine
8 minutes ago, clueless said:

Eric, glad the stuff worked for you. Before you start the engine, follow the directions on the can, squirt it down the spark plug hole, I do it for about for about 10 seconds, put the plug back in. DON'T connect the wire, spin the engine over a few times, wait about 15 minutes, connect the plug wire then start it. Best to do it outside, gonna be some smoke.  

I saw those directions and I have to admit it made me very curious to try it. I can't on this one because I took the tins off the engine so they could be repainted and being a Tecumseh the cylinder head also comes off. So this one will be Decarbonified from the inside out.

 

I do however have an 8 horse Briggs on a 1976 snowblower that has not really run right in 20 years or more. Been in the family since new. That engine might very well get this treatment!

 

 

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tarcoleo

The obvious--why not go with a muffler that can be mounted using "the two bolt holes" on either side of the exhaust port?

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ebinmaine
1 minute ago, tarcoleo said:

The obvious--why not go with a muffler that can be mounted using "the two bolt holes" on either side of the exhaust port?

Mostly because I just wanted to return it to a more original looking status.

 

But also because I couldn't find one of those that pointed the exhaust out to the side... And also extended about 4 inches or so to get the exhaust out from underneath the sheet metal.

 

 

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moe1965

You can use a bottoming tap. This tap is flat on the bottom not pointed like a traditional tap it is designed to lift the chips out the traditional tap pushes them down typically used for a through hole

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