Piston Soak featuring Kano Labs Kreen
Engine using oil? Running a little rough?
First things first -- preparing for the piston soak.
In this article, Michael T. will show you how to use Kano Kreen to do a piston soak, which is said to be able to loosen stuck rings, and on the 1ZZ-FE, clean oil return holes in the pistons.
Often, Marvel Mystery Oil is used for such a thing, but Kano Kreen is said to work quite a bit faster.
Item | Description | Quantity | Link to product |
---|---|---|---|
Kano Kreen | Kano Engine Clean (for INTERNAL engine parts) | 1 quart (you won't use all of it for this job) | Kreen |
Spark Plugs | You'll be removing your spark plugs, might as well put new ones in | Usually one per cylinder. For the 1ZZ-FE, it's definitely one per cylinder. | Toyota Spark Plug Application Chart |
One 10mm wrench | For the coil packs (and the decorative engine cover) | 1 | NAPA, AutoZone, or similar |
One 21mm (?) wrench | For the PCV valve | 1 | NAPA, AutoZone, or similar |
One 5/8" deep well socket and 6" extension | For the spark plugs | 1 | NAPA, AutoZone, or similar |
Anti-sieze compound | SOME spark plugs (like NGK) don't need it! | 1 small tube. | NAPA or similar |
Gunk Foaming Engine Cleaner | Great for getting all the oil and grime away from what you're working on. | 1 tall can | NAPA, AutoZone, or similar |
New PCV valve | You needed one anyway | One | OEM ONLY! Go to your dealership parts counter |
The Gunk foaming engine cleaner is great, and resulted in a cleaner engine, making it more pleasant to work on.
Then remove the coil packs and the spark plugs.
Use a clean funnel and pour in a small amount of Kreen into each spark plug hole. Cover the spark plug holes with wadded paper towels and a sheet of cardboard, then crank the engine briefly. Pour some more Kreen back in, then let it stand overnight.
The next day (18-24hrs later), crank the engine (again, with towels and cardboard covering the spark plug tubes) to pump out any excess Kreen. Reinstall the *original* spark plugs, coil packs, and their electrical connectors, start the car, and watch the plumes of white fog pour out the tailpipe. Strangely, it smells pretty pleasant!
If you have a clear shot at a country road without other traffic, head there, and drive it hard. Cruise at 5000rpm and romp on the pedal periodically to get to redline. Keep it in a lower gear than normal and just let it rev high. This will force any broken up deposits to go out the tailpipe rather than settling back in somewhere. Otherwise, just sit in your driveway and keep reving it up. The fog dissipates fairly quickly.
After a 15-20 mile drive like this, do an oil change and THEN put in the new spark plugs. (The reason we waited to put the new ones in is that the spark plugs might be fouled by the post-Kreen "Italian Tune-Up".)
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