Cleaning throttle body W/O R&I

[F1GT]

I'm about to clean my throttle body for the 1st time and I'm just wondering about spraying it into there. Basically I'm going to unhook the intake and MAF, then place a towel at the bottom to absorb watever gunk will get washed, but the rest of the area I can't reach I understand it will just go in to the cylinder to get burned. My question is, isn't this kinda dirty to go in there??? and create it's own deposits??

Isn't the main purpose to get rid of the deposits around the butterfly plate and the deposits around the walls of the TB and plenum does not effect the motor as much??

[chas]

well most of it the crud is going to be oil and dirt. you would like to keep the dirt out of the engine but unless you want to remove the t/b the best you can do is angle the car nose down. before starting the engine, spray about the bore until it runs clean. after that prop open the butterfly and spray the backside of the butterfly and around the bore again.

if you do this with the car running it will suck in the crud.

[UsMuScL398]

...wouldnt advice using water tho

[ReodDai]

I'd advise, remove anything you want to clean from the car before cleaning it. Just my $.02

[chas]

yes fine. if you are going to clean your t/b please use a carb/throttle body cleaner not water (water wouldnt dissolve oil anyway).

on the dakota's 5.2l magnum the throttlebody was vertical and the intake manifold with a bellypan (two pieces means there's a seal somewhere that doesnt need soaked in t/b cleaner) and i could get throttlebody gaskets at any parts store. no one but the dealer seems to carry the firebird's throttlebody to intake manifold gasket.

[F1GT]

No water.
I've seen a some people posting about how they just spray it into the TB and pass the butterfly plate. I don't get it.

What about what these guys? They just spray it in there.

Originally posted by vtv6firebird:
It's no big deal at all, just take off your intake, and the MAF screen start the car and spray, either while someone else is pressing on and off the gas pedal or you can use your free hand right there on the throttle body to open the butterfly as you spray. If you spray too much it may choke the car out, but thats no biggy. Just start it again, no harm done.

Personally I use the spray version of Deep Creep, does a good job cleaning and lubricating the butterfly. Also use this to clean the IAC valve, it helped staighten up a rough idle. Hell I use it for everything. I clean my throttle body about twice a year. Spraying in there also cleans out the intake some, assuming you spray enough.

Originally posted by OneQuickV6:
Well I have cleaned mine at least twice, it has almost 40k miles. First time I left it on there, and has someone press the gas while I sprayed around the MAF as not to damage it. Last time, I went ahead and took off the entire throttle body...Glad I did, because the backside of the butteryfly was NASTY! I used good ole' B12 carb cleaner on mine. I took off the MAF sensor and of course had the screen off. Just spray it and let it eat up the nastiness. Let it dry out pretty good, and put it abck together. You will need either a new TB mounting gasket, or some RED RTV silicone to make a new gasket. I have never seen a TB like ours come off with the old gasket in perfect shape, so be prepared for that.

As far as gains, it couldn't hurt your times any! I figure it can only help, but I wouldn't expect a tenth from this alone. It's more maintenance like changing sprak plugs and such really.

Originally posted by 12secondv6:
Throttle body cleaner :D
That was easy.
Remove all the parts so you can access the tb.
Spray the cleaner in there.
Use paper towel to wipe.
Usually some black crap in there.
Auto parts store have it

Originally posted by Fin:
Follow the intake hose back to the motor. Where it ends there should be a metal clamp which you can unscrew w/a flathead screwdriver. The TB connects to this hose and you'll know it when you see it-it has one big round 'butterfly' mechanism w/the throttle linkage attached to the driver's-side. To clean it, you can use one of 2 methods. Buy a TB spray can at a place like Autozone or elsewhere, and follow the instructions on the can. Some you just spray into and around the TB with the engine OFF, others you use w/the engine running. Just make sure whoever is operating the engine if you do this doesn't allow the engine to stall and keeps the rpm's up. After use, allow the engine to run to allow any deposits removed from the cleaning to leave be burnt off.

Of this from a sea foam instruction. This is going RIGHT into the plenum...

-Remove intake bellows from throttle body and push up out of the way.
-Have someone (or something) press the gas pedal all the way down, or manually move the throttle cable assembly under the hood, until the throttle blades are fully open.
-Spray Sea Foam Deep Creep into throttle body, fully soaking the blades, the bottom, top, and up and down into the intake manifold behind the throttle body. Use a good amount.
-Wipe off excess liquid and visible deposits from the throttle body and blades with a shop or paper towel (especially around the edges of the blades), and reconnect intake bellows.

I'm a little confused. I know the cleanest way is to just take out the TB and reinstall with a new gasket. Those guys above posted about cleaing without removing. What about the Seafoam, it's supposed to clean the TB and as it goes into the plenum and manifold, its supposed to clean those too. Then if I spray regular TB cleaner into the plenum, it should do the same and clean the plenum and manifold??

[ July 07, 2004, 11:31 PM: Message edited by: F1GT ]

[chas]

generally speaking the t/b cleaner is not going to do much for the intake manifold or plenum. the cleaner will probably just sink to the bottom of the intake. if you dont want to remove the t/b you are left with cleaning with the engine off and remove as much as possible. with the engine running the vacuum will suck the cleaner into the intake and it wont have a chance to sit around a dissolve deposits. after that if you want more cleaning, start the car and clean with the engine running (that might be the only way to get at the IAC as well since it will be closed when the engine is off).

it isnt much dirt so you probably dont need to be obsessed.

[F1GT]

Originally posted by chas:

it isnt much dirt so you probably dont need to be obsessed.

lol
I'm a little obsessed since when I got into a little accident, the shop messed up the gasket for the K&N on whisper lid and I didn't even realize it til a month later. Some dirt got in. And my motor sounds a tad on the course side sometimes, I think it's just carbon deposits, since I put higher octane, the car sounds and feel smoother. I want to put another bottle of Techron to clean it up, but everytime I do or if I use Chevron 91, my exhaust is SOOO quiet

Anyways, I'm just gonna clean the outside part of the plate, and the screen as I don't feel like taking out the TB and reinstalling a gasket.

[chas]

it might take techron a bit of time to get those carbon deposits off. seafoam would work faster (and its probably quite a bit cheaper). its also safe enough if you dont go nuts pouring it into the intake (or the brake booster line).

if you remove the intake dont forget to drain off a little coolant!

[ABH]

I want to clean mine. Can the intake just be pulled off the throttle body? I don't see any clamps holding it in. It looks like it just tucks in the TB.

It is a 1997 3.8.

[F1GT]

Originally posted by chas:

if you remove the intake dont forget to drain off a little coolant!

u mean TB ;)

[F1GT]

Originally posted by ABH:
I want to clean mine. Can the intake just be pulled off the throttle body? I don't see any clamps holding it in. It looks like it just tucks in the TB.

It is a 1997 3.8.

dunno how urs is for 97, but mine is the intake lid, then the rubber hose, then the throttle body, then the plenum. I got a clamp around the rubber hose that tb goes into. In other words the TB is male, the rubber hose is female.