Power Valves

tomseal6

tomseal6

VIP Member
Joined
May 25, 2003
Messages
3,014
Age
45
Location
Brevort, MI
There seems to be alot of questions this year on cleaning or repairing power valves. Can somebody take some step-by-step pictures and go through the motions on how to set your power valves?
 

heplful hint on cleanong power valves----
remove valves spray them with oven cleaner rense with carb cleaner
than spray with wd-40--clean as a whisle
TOMBOB
 
I think thers 3-4 how to's with MANY threads. The only info left out of how to's is the twitch/jitter caused by over-tight cables which is covered in the threads.
 
TOMBOB said:
heplful hint on cleanong power valves----
remove valves spray them with oven cleaner rense with carb cleaner
than spray with wd-40--clean as a whisle
TOMBOB
Click to expand...


Hi tom and welcome to the site. Oven cleaner will clean them but it will also remove the coating from the valves. I do not recommend doing this, but if you do please be very careful not to let it sit as it will remove the coating. There are a few posts on not to use ovencleaner and the results. Chris
 
I use oven cleaner to remove aluminum transfer on chain saw cylinders. That stuffs potent!! I think I read on here someone used aircraft paint stripper with good results??
 
motorhead327 said:
I use oven cleaner to remove aluminum transfer on chain saw cylinders. That stuffs potent!! I think I read on here someone used aircraft paint stripper with good results??
Click to expand...
that was good old daman..
 
DON"T use oven cleaner to clean the power valves! Oven cleaner contains a very strong base like lye. Strong bases are good a breaking down cooked on organic material. It is also excellent in disolving aluminum. The power valves are aluminum which have been electrolyitcally anodized to from a thick layer of aluminum oxide on them. The aluminum oxide is hard and prevents the direct aluminum to aluminum contact between the valve and teh valve pocket in the cylinder. The oven cleaner will harm the aluminum oxide coating and the aluminum. Sure, the oven cleaner will clean teh valve, mainly by undercutting the aluminum oxide and aluminum out from under the carbon deposits. The best way to keep the valves from becoming a sticky gummed up mess which takes a long time to clean is to clean them often. Once the aluminum oxide has been removed from the valves, the carbon deposits will adhere to the valves even better. Be careful as well with most cleaners such as Spray 9, purple cleaner and Castrol superclean. They contain very strong bases which will attack the power valve. I keep a spare set of paoer valves and rotate a clean set in then I take the dirty set and soak them in a mixture of a penetrating oil and automatic transmission fluid. The mixture seems to sofetn up the carbon deposites after sitting for a couple of weeks. I then use a light oil like WD40 and some scotchbrite to clean of the carbon. Labor intensive, yes, but is easy on the surface of the valves.

I have tried a lot of chemicals: carb cleaners, fuel system cleaners, hot ATF, seafoam, gasoline, alcohols, strong solvents like methylethyl ketone, acetone, paint thinners, and have found NO magic formula. The dirty the valves are the harder the cleaning job so frequent cleaning keep it easy.

One of these days when I have the time, I am going to machine a set of power valves from stainless steel, then I'll be able to glass bead blast them to clean them, that would make it easy to clean for sure!

Jim
 
2003ish Polaris Pro X replacement valves were made out of something other than aluminum and they had windows in them likely to reduce weight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top