How to remove soot from exhaust system?

[SoopaCooga]

I'm not sure exactly where this post should go, and searching didn't turn up what I was hoping to find, so here I go.

How does one remove oil residue (i.e. soot, coke) from the exhaust manifolds, etc. ?

For about a year, my turbo was leaking oil into my intake. Once I determined it was the turbo, I removed the entire turbo kit. I have since replaced it with a stock y-pipe and catalyst, leaving the headers in place along with the cat-back.

So what do people recommend here? I read about a guy on another site who burnt the soot out, but that required an acetylene torch, custom flange, and complete removal of the exhaust components. That's a bit too complicated.

 

[Heywood]

What about spraying brake or carb cleaner? Or are you trying to clean them out in place? Do you want to clean the headers or just the catback?

 

[SoopaCooga]

I want to clean out the combustion chamber, the headers (in place), and the cat-back.

 

[striker2]

the only thing that i can think of that would work is to run a can of GM top engine cleaner through it. its done just like the seafoam, sucked from the can through a vacuum tube, but the GM top engine cleaner works so much better than seafoam or berrymans. its also easy to get a hold of at any GM dealership/shop.

once you have run a can of that through you can actually run about a gallon of water through it (i know it doesnt sound like a great idea but it does work) and actually "steam clean" the engine. again done the same way, but use a pair of vice grips on a clear tube so you can regulate the amount of water flow (the top engine cleaner should be done this way as well technically) and not lock up the engine.

I would also recommend holding open the secondaries as in the intake manifold those runners are always the worst since they dont get the cleaning from the fuel like the main ports do.

 

[SoopaCooga]

Thanks for the tip, Striker! That GM cleaner sounds like the right stuff. At Advance Auto Parts, the manager recommended using Chevron Fuel Injector Cleaner with Techron. I ended up using engine degreaser for the stainless exhaust. Car smoked awhile but seems to have burnt the degreaser off.