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Throttle Body Cleaning/Referb

H

Hijinx

Guest
Well, I started digging into the TPI setup I recently acquired. Everything but the Throttle Body looks good, and it looks really bad. Not just from a needing a cleaning standpoint, but some of the bottom torque heads twisted off before I could get them out. Rusted in place. I should be able to extract, but I am now a bit concerned about getting it to work. I planned to clean and polish the unit, but now I'm not sure if I should waste the time. Has anybody worked over one of these? Its off of an '88 IROC Z.
 
Hijinx

Let's put this in the C4 forum and see what happens ;)

BudD
:w
 
As far a cleaning, you should be able to get a TB cleaner (make sure it is safe for plastic coated TB's just in case). That and an old tooth brush is usually all it takes to clean them. You can do it in place too.

I have not heard of anyone polishing the TB. Does not mean that it is not done, but I have not hear mention of it.

How are you planning on getting the old bolts out? "Easy Outs?" Just curious.

Mike

OH, a quote for you in return---
I'd rather laugh with the siners than cry with the saints.
 
I had mine apart for cleaning last year. Use throttle body cleaner as suggested, not carb cleaner. The TB plates are supposed to have a protective coating on them that carb cleaner can remove. I polished the outside of the TB with some aluminum polish. It came out okay for the amount of work I put in to it.
 
I still have stub's sticking up where the heads broke off, maybe 1/4 of an inch. My hope is to soak the thing in WD-40 for a few days and then try to get them out with some Vice-grips.

I am concerned that on the linkage side of the butterflys there is a part that looks plastic. None of this is removable, so my thoughts were to soak it all in WD-40. If you have not tried it, it breaks up old grease and cleans better than most carb or brake cleaners and it wont degrade plastic parts.

After I will clean it all up completely with some alcohol based body cleaner that again should not cause any problems with the plastic.

I guess I was more concerned with the overall ability to rebuild this unit and not screw something up. The only piece that looks to be sensitive is a large sensor looking piece that has a spring on one end. I'v got to do some reading on all this, as I am not up on TPI's. I have removed it and may replace it all together as there is some rust on the spring end.

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks
 
No problems here. This is rather typical of the aluminum seizing up with the hardware.

Are you broken bolts on the bottom water bypass, or the upper plate?

That spring thing is the idle air control motor. You want to make sure the bore it rides in is clean and clear. This is what will control the idle and must be in good clean working condition to avoid silly driveability issues.

If you have some extra $$$ in your budget, just leave it as is, contact www.tpis.com and have them core you out on a 52MM rebuilt TB. For about $250 or so including the core exchange you will be up and running with a little more breathing room, fully rebuilt unit, and a cool TPIS upper plate to decorate the unit.
 
Thanks, Chris, your always a good brain to pick.

The broken screws are in the lower plate. Man, it looks like I am going to be into this TPI setup for a cool $1000 minimum. Is that pretty common?:eek
 

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