Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Maintenance TB Cleaning pics (and help needed!)

Hi all, new to the Contour Boards here.

I drive a '95 with the 2.5 Duratec, 100k Miles.. I've been doing some work on my Contour since having to learn to replace plugs and wires to get home from university (misfire from arcing wires). Since then, I've been doing a lot of the procedures I see in the HOWTO section.

Yesterday I cleaned out the EGR passages, a job the dealership wanted $100 for.. Total cost for me.. $3 for a can of TB cleaner.. Mine were prettty much 100% plugged..

Before..


After..



Before..


After..


I really was pleased by the cleaning; I remember staring in horror at the deposits, then scraping away with my screwdriver.

Oddly, though, I didn't really notice any improvement; is this supposed to affect performance somehow? (I don't yet understand *why* I'm doing these things yet..)


Today, I went to do the engine decarbon with the Berryman's B12.. While removing the vacuum lines, I had a bit of an accident..



Does anyone have a part number for this? I've got it sealed up with duct tape and aluminum foil for the moment, but I don't like ghetto solutions for stuff outside school...

On the engine decarbon solution.. I did the procedure with my car on a slight hill, facing down.. did that affect the effectiveness of the procedure? It seems to have had a pretty strong improvement, I dunno if there's any more to be had..

Also, does the oil have to be changed right afterwards? I've got another 2k miles to my next scheduled change.. if I could find a procedure for changing the oil, I suppose I could do that, though...

Thanks, all!

I believe the part # is 9E498. The best results can be gotten if you actually take the uim, lim, and tb off and actually scrub them with a toothbrush and carb cleaner. I bet the heads are piled up with gunk too! You dont need to change the oil since its just going to get burned up in the combustion chamber anyways.

Cleaning up that TB you might notice a little better throttle response afterwards, but for a true performance benefit you really need to clean out the UIM and LIM and with 100k, you'll want to replace the gaskets and seals down there.

And just a tip, by far the BEST tb/carb cleaner I've used is Valvaline Synthetic TB cleaner. I've found it at Advance Auto. Don't waste your time with anything else, this stuff is incredable. I've tried a ton of other carb cleaners and they dont' compare. The carbon buildup literally just sprays off on contact.

Make sure you buy like 5-6 cans too, just because you don't want to run out. I just did this cleaning last week and was able to get my TB, UIM, and LIM cleaner than ever and did the whole job in under 4 hours, with a spark plug change too. Car runs smoother than I ever remember too!

A full overhaul at 100k miles will definately net some noticable results. At that milage, you may want to replace your IAC valve too, mine always gets sticky after about 40k.

I don't seem to be getting any search results on "9E498" from the places I know (signature LM, FPO)... Also, it seems that the thing that's broken is just the little white plastic "coupler"..

Does a physical takedown cleaning have to be done for full effectiveness? I don't think I have the tools or parts money to do the UIM/LIM takedown right now... would it hurt my O2 sensors/etc if I put another can of berryman's through it?

Re: the TB, I used the Valvoline; absolutely great stuff.

Thanks all...

Does anyone know what the part# is for the IAC valve?