g.m. top engine cleaner

D

Dave Allen

New member
hello...i have noticed in some post's regarding cleaning some folk's mentioned the use of g.m. top engine cleaner...back in the day i was a part's man at a g.m. store...top engine cleaner...was regarded as potent stuff !! not that i disregard what guy's say..."however" i'm a tad spooked to put this through a bore...knowing how strong it is...maybe i'm uptight cleaning valve's or the top of piston's is tough...i guess a rifle bore can take it ?? what spur's my thought's is i sold a rifle this winter that began shooting poorly...i cleaned every twenty round's or so...the owner of the gun shop put a light through my bore & said it was carbon fouled...i thought he was working me...then i got to thinking as mentioned the rifle used to shoot fine...maybe i wasn't cleaning as well as i thought ??
 
A good borescope is one of the best investments you can make. There is no more guessing, hoping or wondering. You see exactly what is there.

Jack
 
Hi Dave:
Like you, I hesitate to use an engine cleaner in my rifle bore for the same reason I don't pour bore cleaner down the carburetor of my truck engine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Some bore cleaners work on powder fowling, others remove copper fouling. I have tried most of the different solvents over the years and find that Hoppes Benchrest will remove both copper and powder fowling, given enough resident time in the bore. I used it for years to remove all fowling in my XTC target rifles which shot the 50 to 80 shot highpower matches without benefit of cleaning during the match. It took several applications to get all the copper out, but powder fowling (carbon) was easily removed and, if let stand overnight, HBR will remove most copper.

With the advent of Wipeout, I now run a patch or two of Hoppes to get powder fowling out, dry patch and then fill bore w/Wipeout foam & let stand overnight to get the copper out.

I suspect that if you had a fowled bore, it was copper fowled rather than carbon since you cleaned every 20 shots. Most any bore cleaner will remove carbon, copper fowling can accumulate and affect accuracy if not removed. JMHO.

Regards,
hm
 
Dave, there are cleaners designed for gun cleaning that don't have the nasty other ingredients that GM TEC has in it. I use Hoppe's Elite gun cleaner for that task, works extremely well on carbon fouling, and it's available just about everywhere and you don't have to worry about hazardous chemicals. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Tim

http://www.6mmbr.com/borecleaning.html
 
I use TEC, but I always use it outside in a well ventilated area, and never get it on my skin. A friend of mine used it first, squeezing the excess out of the patches between his fingers, while inside his gun room. He told me later, that he was "goofy" for two days after that experience. So, I have always been careful of it.

Where it works most effectively is in cleaning the layer of carbon between the layers of copper, in conjunction with alternating use of Sweets. It does take time and elbow grease to clean all of it out, however.
 
I own a borescope and can attest that the TEC followed by WipeOut works 100% all of the time. I've not been able to see anything remotely resembleing barrel damage caused by any of the cleaners I've used, and I've tried a lot of them.

I apply the TEC to a few patches and run them down the bore. Dwell time varies depending upon the degree of fouling.

Personally, I find TEC to be much less offensive vaporwise, than Montana Extreme, or for that matter, Sweets. However, if you prefer not to use TEC, I strongly recommend KG-1 Carbon Remover, manufactured by KG-Industries, which is specifically made for firearms. TEC is easier to find and much cheaper.

Jack's right...without a borescope, you are just guessing when your barrel's clean. I've been "cleaning" rifles for almost 40 years but I've owned a borescope for only two of them. I learned more in the first two days of owning a borescope than I'd learned in the previous years.

I can save you the $800 ~ price of a borescope, though. TEC or KG-1 followed by an overnight soak in Wipe Out works. Every time. This isn't opinion.

Mike
 
good luck finding it guys,..my pard is a GM Mechanic and said they have DISCONTINUED it. It will still be made,..but in a wimpy (CA accpetable) formula. He said it will be a sorry version of the original. I got his last 1/2 bottle and he said they checked everywhere, at lots of dealers, and they found a whopping 1 case. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

PS anyone wanting to let a can or two go,..let me know /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif
 
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Well, that's bad news.

So......KG-1 works very well at removing carbon. Just costs 10X as much and can't be found on very many shelves.

Mike
 
what is the part # on the TEC and when did they discontinue it? how's about marvel mystery oil? they used to use that for cleaning deposits.
 
I had heard that GM had changed their packaging of the product, but I didn't know that they had "downgraded" the stuff.

My can, which is the "old" stuff is in a 2-tone blue can, and the part # is 1050002.

Having learned what I'm hearing here, I wish I'd bought a couple cases last year.......

Mike
 
you guy's are right..i called a friend at a local chevy dealership..it no longer come's in the metal can..he say's they did change it he doesn't know exactly how "but" it's probably not as strong..you guy's might just call around to gm dealer's & see for kick's if anybody has the old stuff..i'll see if i can find the old part number next week & will post if i can figure it out...i think it was a seven digit number that began with 1052...i think i can get my hand's on some old honda t.e.c. not sure if it's as good..i do know it's been sitting on a dealer's shelf quiet awhile..if ya want some let me know... (edit) i didn't notice where mike already posted the part number..
 
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yep,..mine is in the metal can.

Now why do you think the old stuff was in a metal can and the new stuff is in plastic???? nowhere near as caustic maybe!!!!!

[beeep] CA rediculous chemical regulations........
 
The can I have setting in front of me has part#12345089....so I guess that can be added to the above list as well. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Yep, my benchrest shooting buddies all went on a binge when the news hit the street. They went around and cleaned out all the local GM dealerships of TEC. I have one full can left. Better make her last I guess.
 
hello..don't how good it is "but" i did pick up a can of "honda" top engine cleaner...it is in the metal can just like the g.m. stuff used to be...maybe the metal can mean's it's the good stuff ?? food for thought....
 
linefinder...i will let ya know...while i mentioned i'm spooked about using this in my bore's...i don't think so anymore...within reason of course...after hearing about everyone not being able to find the old t.e.c. i may pick up another can of the "honda" stuff..."something to think about"
 


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