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Losing my mind over a clogged heat riser pipe!
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beetleman217
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:32 am    Post subject: Losing my mind over a clogged heat riser pipe! Reply with quote

I've tried everything I could think of but am unable to unplug my heat riser pipe. Here's the culprit:

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I've tried the steel wire and drill trick

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Spring steel cable with a super pointy end

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Compressed air

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I even filled it with oven cleaner and left overnight, then tried paint thinner and left overnight... But nothing! I'm so frustrated. Are there any other methods? Please help.

Thanks
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SgtSamy
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote


Link

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BWD
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 7:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oxy acetylene torch, BAM! Very Happy
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uglyvw
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 7:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've done them with the steel wire trick. I used an old clutch cable, and cut 3 different lengths. Fray the end of out a little like a wire brush. Start with the short one so it won't flex too much, once that one will go all the way in, switch to the next length and so forth. Still takes a bit of time, but it does work.
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drscope
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BWD wrote:
Oxy acetylene torch, BAM! Very Happy


X2. This works and is very easy.
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pav266
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Take a old throttle control from a lawnmower (the kind with the spiral metal outer jacket and single inner wire).

Bent the inner wire in a short hook where it sticks out of the outer jacket, put the other end of the assembly in a drill and the hook will drill right through the carbon. It is flexible enough to go around the bends in the pipe.
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beetleman217
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BWD wrote:
Oxy acetylene torch, BAM! Very Happy


How do I do that? Heat from outside? Blow the heat inside? Isn't there a chance of melting the cast that holds the pipes together?
Thanks
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79SuperVert
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My mechanic has cleared out two of them for me by drilling holes at the bends and welding them shut after the carbon is cleaned out. The patching up is not visible since it is facing the front of the car.
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.thebugshop.org/bsrdrcon.htm#Testamonial: Intake

http://www.thebugshop.org/bsrdrcon.htm (page down this guy said hydrocloric acid worked as well)
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crvc
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I put mine in the vise and tried with a drill and frayed cable. That didn't work so I poured hydrochloric acid in both holes. Then the next morning I used the cable and drill and was able to blast through the plug. But the acid splashed onto my coveralls and shoes, eating big holes in both.

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drscope
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

79SuperVert wrote:
My mechanic has cleared out two of them for me by drilling holes at the bends and welding them shut after the carbon is cleaned out. The patching up is not visible since it is facing the front of the car.


The problem with this is that you have no idea of what the inside looks like after you weld it back up. A lot of times you get a knarly restriction that cloggs up again in a much shorter period of time.
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jzjames
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

uglyvw wrote:
I've done them with the steel wire trick. I used an old clutch cable, and cut 3 different lengths. Fray the end of out a little like a wire brush. Start with the short one so it won't flex too much, once that one will go all the way in, switch to the next length and so forth. Still takes a bit of time, but it does work.


I did mine exactly like this, different lengths of cable starting with the short ones. I bought my cables by the foot at Leowes, I think it was 3/8 or something, maybe 5/16.
Cut the cable to a length that would supply some torque at the tip of it, and started drilling. It's not going to come out easily, and you will have to let the cable spin, chewing away at the carbon, and keep checking for carbon dust that will come out.

It seems once you get the feel of it that will produce carbon dust coming out, then you can eat away at it and accomplish the clean-out.
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BWD
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

beetleman217 wrote:
BWD wrote:
Oxy acetylene torch, BAM! Very Happy


How do I do that? Heat from outside? Blow the heat inside? Isn't there a chance of melting the cast that holds the pipes together?
Thanks


Get it good and hot, then turn up the oxy, bam, like a shotgun, make sure the other end is pointed away from anything! Laughing
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nlorntson
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This works without the acet/oxy. You can just heat the carbon with a propane torch for a few seconds, than blow compressed air across it and it will burn out the carbon Use only 20psi or so from a air blower. Works best if the passage through the pipe is at least open a little bit which most of them are.

Alternatively you can use an oxy/acetylene torch and heat up the carbon directly and when it is red hot, cut the acetylene and increase the oxygen. The carbon lights up and burns it self away inside the tube. There will be a ton of smoke so do in a ventilated area.

Phun with Chemistry!
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beetleman217
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you all for your input. Let this thread be a warning to anyone attempting to unclog the heater pipe in the manifold - sometimes the situation is much worse than discussed in the above posts!

After trying over and over and hitting a brick (or should I say carbon) wall, I decided it's time for the big guns. While had I not seen the video posted above by SgtSamy I would not have dreamed of drilling the pipe, I realized there's no choice.

The only problem was that drilling a hole in the pipe was the easy part. I soon discovered that the carbon build up inside the pipe was rock hard! I bought a huge 18 inch 10mm drill bit, put the manifold on a vise, and working with my drill on full speed it took me an hour to drill out, using tremendous force and my whole body weight! I had to constantly cool the drill bit with water every few seconds. And let's not talk about how the room looked when I was done!

The drill bit
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The hole
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Patched up with liquid weld
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BWD
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

d'oh!
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tkelley
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BWD wrote:
d'oh!


x2
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drscope
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All I can say is a torch is way easier!
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johnR
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had no problem using several lengths of steel twisted cable (1/4" or 3/8", I can't remember) and a regular drill. Started with maybe 4-5" piece of cable, drill, tap the dust out. Did this til each length cleared everything it could. Stepped up to 6-7" length did the same, etc., etc. Eventually had a 2 foot or so piece running clear through the other end of the hear riser. Took a little while and got pretty dirty from the soot, but cleared it out well.
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Culito
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Time for a new manifold!
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