Intake valve deposits (pictures)

[localbacon]

Hit 20k miles a few weeks ago. I bought a cheap boroscope for the purpose of checking out my intake valves instead of pulling the manifold just yet. Please excuse the quality, $20 will only do so well lol.

Bought car new in May 2014, Injen intake at 40 miles, full stage 3 and catless at 10k, just to give you an idea. I use Motorcraft Full Synth 5w20 every 5-7k miles, depending on track time. Gasoline used is local 'non-top tier' stations, United Dairy Farmers for you southern Ohio peeps. For reasons I can't explain, my car get about 10% less mileage AND pulls timing on Top Tier gas such as BP or Shell. I don't know, my car is just damn strange. Car saw 2.5 hours of WOT at a Mid-Ohio track day in May and about 50 autocross runs in the past 3 months. Daily commute is 4 miles city driving, 16 miles highway with lots of WOT on the weekend backroads. To say the least, the car gets an Italian Tune-Up nearly every week, if not day. I plan on removing the intake manifold after once I get back from Tail of the Dragon next week and cleaning it "manually" with strangely shaped picks and lots of patience. Hope to have a fresh start with the OCCs coming out and recently added a breather as per peltonracer's threads in the past.

For you cone jockeys, my car runs in DSP and is currently #1 in that division with Dunlop D2s with a factory suspension with Cobb bars. My life expectancy for the tires is about 5,000 miles.

 

[eleven]

I'm pretty sure UDF is MobilOne gasoline

 

[XuperXero]

Thanks for the pictures. Can I ask just where you put in the boroscope? I couldn't find a good entry point.

 

[localbacon]

I'm pretty sure UDF is MobilOne gasoline

They switched to their own brand some years ago. *frowny face*

Thanks for the pictures. Can I ask just where you put in the boroscope? I couldn't find a good entry point.

I believe it is a T25 or T30 nut holding in a vacuum something-or-other. My Turbosmart BOV draws off that source. By far the easiest way. The cheap camera i got has a 5.5mm head, so it fit perfect. Trying to come in via the PCV inlet has a hard 90 degree bend and doesn't lead to good camera control.

 

[J2FoRS]

Shit like thiis stresses me out. Is there like an actual km/mile point your supposed to have that serviced or cleaned or something? I was about to order an OCC as well but my car has 24k (km) on it so I'm sure looks like hell in there.

 

[GateCityRadio]

I have almost 16k, about to put a boomba catch can on mine but I'm sure there is junk on the valves already.

 

[me32]

So could this be caused from the non top tier gas? Off hand why do you run 0w-20 vs 5w-20?

 

[KKaWing]

Is it me or do those picture not look as bad as some of the Audi valves from years back. I only see the blob on the stem, but most of the valve surface looks, well, at least smooth.

Edit: Oh where did you get your scope? The ones I found in the local auto store are the $150 ones.

 

[PhoenixM3]

Laughing at your reference to Italian tune-up! Coming from one who lives here (Italy) and the price of fuel, I am routinely the one (not the locals) who drives a car hard and fast. Also, because my wife won't. We had a big problem with a 2008 Mini Cooper S and build up on the valves. At the time, I was on sea duty and the old lady was just frustrated at the poor running car and constant on again, off again CEL. I sold it for a loss and got her an M3 sedan. Fast forward several years, and now Ford has a DI motor, and I have installed an OCC and have the ability to "run her hard" on occasion (the FiSt, not my wife). Love your license plate BTW...

 

[lessard.dcj]

Shit like thiis stresses me out. Is there like an actual km/mile point your supposed to have that serviced or cleaned or something? I was about to order an OCC as well but my car has 24k (km) on it so I'm sure looks like hell in there.

Im with you. I have 56000k on mine. Im sure its beautiful in there. Occ comes in today.

 

[westcoaST]

Harbor Freight has boroscopes on sale for as little as $65.00. I have access to ones costing several thousands of dollars (I work in Aerospace), I was thinking of going in at the PCV inlet to the intake, even though it is a 90 deg. bend. I believe that the Harbor Freight one is too big to get into that location, but I never thought about the vacuum port. I've been using an OCC since 5000 miles, and Amsoil 5W-20 since 1000 miles. I use either Arco 91, or Arco 91 + E85 blended to e40.

Right now I have about 24K on my engine. I drive approx. 50% highway (freeway) and street driving, about 70 miles per day. It would be interesting to see what mine looks like

OP post a picture of your boroscope.

 

[boombots]

I don't like this. I was ready to order a catch can but held off to see evidence. Sometimes in forums you get people that just like to buy parts and part of me was hoping this was just a part people we buying but didn't really need.

Yeah the pics are hard to see 100% the deposits but the fact that you can see it after 25k is not great.

How am I ever going to afford a boat if the FiST keeps commanding my money!?!

 

[localbacon]

Is it me or do those picture not look as bad as some of the Audi valves from years back. I only see the blob on the stem, but most of the valve surface looks, well, at least smooth.

Edit: Oh where did you get your scope? The ones I found in the local auto store are the $150 ones.

You are absolutely correct. The deposits are nothing like the Audi/VW/BMWs that are all over the internet. I was pleasantly surprise when I saw the lack-of gunk.

Bought the scope on amazon, plenty under $20. I didn't use the included software though, there are much better freeware problems online. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N4L5N4A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

So could this be caused from the non top tier gas? Off hand why do you run 0w-20 vs 5w-20?

My mistake, it is 5w20. I've never had problems with the UDF premo gas. My SRT8 has ran it for 40K miles with no gunk up issues.

 

[localbacon]

Harbor Freight has boroscopes on sale for as little as $65.00. I have access to ones costing several thousands of dollars (I work in Aerospace), I was thinking of going in at the PCV inlet to the intake, even though it is a 90 deg. bend. I believe that the Harbor Freight one is too big to get into that location, but I never thought about the vacuum port. I've been using an OCC since 5000 miles, and Amsoil 5W-20 since 1000 miles. I use either Arco 91, or Arco 91 + E85 blended to e40.

Right now I have about 24K on my engine. I drive approx. 50% highway (freeway) and street driving, about 70 miles per day. It would be interesting to see what mine looks like

OP post a picture of your boroscope.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N4L5N4A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

 

[me32]

You are absolutely correct. The deposits are nothing like the Audi/VW/BMWs that are all over the internet. I was pleasantly surprise when I saw the lack-of gunk.

Bought the scope on amazon, plenty under $20. I didn't use the included software though, there are much better freeware problems online. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N4L5N4A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00




My mistake, it is 5w20. I've never had problems with the UDF premo gas. My SRT8 has ran it for 40K miles with no gunk up issues.

Thanks for clearing up. Also the SRT 8 isnt direct injection so the fuel is spraying on the valves. My gt500 has clean valves too but also only run top tier gas and also E85

 

[mishimoto1]

Hello everyone, we were thinking we could shed some light on this. We recently did some testing with catch cans on the Fiesta ST and found quite a bit of accumulation in the test can. We tapped into the PCV side and after only about 300 miles of normal driving accumulated about half an ounce. Here is a picture we have of the can opened after testing.

This may not seem like much but over time allowing this blow by to re enter the engine can cause build up like what the OP had noticed. Although we have yet to take our development vehicle to the track, we have heard reports that track use can increase blow by exponentially due to time spent at WOT. We are eager to test this out for ourselves, even still we certainly recommend implementing some sort of catch can system on the PCV side. This should help prevent future buildup especially if you are taking the time to clean your valves OP.
Hope this helps!
-Sara

 

[BeansNCornbread]

I'm pretty sure UDF is MobilOne gasoline

Mobil1 doesn't brand gasoline. Mobil, however, had been and may still be using an additive in part made from algae. It hasn't proven better than anything else though.

 

[eleven]

Mobil1 doesn't brand gasoline. Mobil, however, had been and may still be using an additive in part made from algae. It hasn't proven better than anything else though.

My bad. I was thinking this http://www.exxon.com/gas-stations.

 

[Cannedtuna]

25k seems really, with the amount of driving I currently do....I would be well over that in no time. Seeing this had me worried about buying this car because having to get the car walnut shell blasted after 25k takes this car outside of being cheap fun.

 

[Joker328]

25k seems really, with the amount of driving I currently do....I would be well over that in no time. Seeing this had me worried about buying this car because having to get the car walnut shell blasted after 25k takes this car outside of being cheap fun.

Guys, let's not freak out about this yet. We're working with a sample size of one here and he admittedly does not use top-tier gas, which generally has more additives to combat exactly this kind of thing. It's worth exploring further if others have scopes, but I wouldn't make buy/sell decisions based on this just yet.