Intake plenum and manifold cleaning 1.7 SDI

[decvalts]

Posting a few pics here of my recent clean up of the inlet plenum, air restrictor 'trumpets' and intake manifold on my SDI. (I know there's a thread on this but the pictures seem to have gone missing from the image hosting site, so here's another thread with pics if of help to anyone.)

As others have said, I couldn't believe how coked up the trumpets and the intake vents were. Doused the intake manifold, plenum, and trumpets in multiple rounds of carb cleaneer and oven cleaner, as well as jet washing the parts in the end. Refitted with a new manifold gasket. Before reassembly hoovered out the intake ports with a handheld vacuum cleaner to remove any big bits of carbon that might have become dislodged during the cleaning/scraping process. 

Applied the CCV hose mod to stop oil vapour being re-routed back into the inlet plenum, and did the EGR blank, inlet manifold flap disconnect, then took out for a spin to flush anything out. Once the engine warmed up I ran a can of Diesel Intake cleaner through the inlet plenum to try and shift some of the deposits around the intake ports and valves. (Debatable whether this has a huge effect, but thought it couldn't hurt to try.)

Will report back once I've had a chance to run another tank through it whether it feels much different etc. Much cleaner at least anyway!

Some tips I discovered that helped me:

- Oven cleaner works really well!
- Ring spanner makes a good scraper tool.
- Face masks are handy for covering open ports to prevent stuff falling in
- Removing the inlet manifold flap housing: It's a bayonet fitting that turns *right* to release it.
- Blocked off the EGR vacuum using an M5 bolt, and a small nail for the manifold flap vacuum. (Leave the wiring connectors connected.)

Plan is to install an oil catch can soon rather than letting the oil vapour vent under the car.