i just cleaned some pistons, soaked them overnight in Purple Power and the carbon just about fell off.
Even just plain water will loosen up the deposits but a little purple power (a friend uses it) doesn't hurt a thing. I use seafoam myself, it does a number in it as well. bead blaster nope I wouldn't do it.
to answer the actual question , i might in my opinion consider it on the top...but not on the sides. i have glass beads in my blast cabinet and chose to soak them
Jon, here are some facts amd maybe this wil help you once and for all. First I want to bring up the concern of carbon on the skirts. This might be clearly telling you that you have excessive piston to wall clearance and that these pistons and current cylinder dimensions have reached there service limit. There can be several other reasons as well, but this is of primary concern right now. No quessing here mic the pistons and dial bore the cylinder or you have to pay someone who knows how and has the equipment to do so. Now you can also use a long feeler gauge strip as a back yard type of measurement for piston to wall as done in the old days quite frequently and sometimes even to this day. Place the piston in the cylinder with a long feeler gauge strip between the skirt and the cylinder and try to pull the piston through the cylinder from bottom to the top. Find the largest feeler gauge that will allow this and report back for all the cylinders. Now your original question. Yes to the domes, period. Actually there are several benefits of glass beading domes, although I am not going into that now. Skirts- no do not blast the skirts. The best thing for that is a common mineral spirits parts cleaner tub and some Scotch brite pads. Keep the pad very wet and the skirt wet with the solvent and use a X or criss cross pattern across the face of both sides of the skirt. This was actually done on Nascar engines for years and years before Coatings became the norm in treating pistons. All the best, TR
Jon, before blasting the domes, run a lap or two of blue masking tape just enough to cover the ring lands or grooves completely and blast away. Use your gloved hand to cover the skirts when blasting or tape them as well. Also cover the pin bore holes as to NOT blast in the holes if you are NOT going to hone the pin bores, TR
TR, I'd like to hear the benefits of blasting the tops. I like to soak used pistons in seafoam over night and a quick scotch brite rub down. So far that has taken 100% of the carbon deposits off and back to the machined texture from the factory. Would there be the same benefits to blasting the tops of new pistons?
I'll let my friends in on a little engine builder secret here. If I built you a race engine whether $20,000 or $120,000, and you didn't opt for me coating the domes, they would get glass beaded. Yes a brand new box of $500-$800 pistons and the domes and some other choice areas get blasted. This after a few hours of massaging and of course fly cutting valve pockets, gas porting, etc., etc., as needed. { someone help me get the cat back into the bag }, TR
This pic might be better, compare domes to the skirt you can see the external glass beading. 1 off custom stroker SBF pistons, very $$$$$$, TR
"DON'T put them in the dish washer!" Were the problems mechanical or matrimonial in nature?? Did it require a machinest or a lawyer to save you??
Also not good to put a carb in the dishwasher after it has been soaking in carb cleaner. Smells bad for days and makes the wife real unhappy. Carb looked nice though Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I've bead blasted pistons before but you spend as much time cleaning them up afterwards as if you had just gone ahead and cleaned them by other means in the first place.
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