Pics of my intake valves - analysis?

[North to Alaska]

2011 Equinox with 2.4l.
75k miles
Had an engine rebuild due to oil burning about a year ago. Has not burned oil since.

First, these pics were of only 3 valves. The way they designed the intake manifold made it a pita to get the boroscope in there.

Air goes into the throttle body, moves down (about 6 inches), then has to do a 180° to come back up long tubes/runners (about 18 inches).

I doubt if any intake cleaner would even make it that far?
There is an AC line that runs right through the manifold. To remove it for a manual cleaning would require messing with recharging the AC.

 

[antonmnster]

That's really not that bad

 

[North to Alaska]

Originally Posted by antonmnster
That's really not that bad

That is what I was curious about.
Thanks!

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Not a big deal

 

[North to Alaska]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Not a big deal

Especially after years if oil burning!
They don't touch/clean the valves when these enginges get a new timing chain, tensioner, and rings and pistons.
Those that is what has accumulated over the past 75k miles.

The OCD in me wants to clean that off though....

 

[CT8]

What made you want to look at the intake valves?

 

[Jimzz]

Not that bad but I would still do a good intake/throttle body cleaning.

I just changed the plugs on a Lexus 2.5 motor and at 80k the valves were MUCH worse than yours. I did a cleaning and told the customer to do it again before the next oil change.

 

[Eddie]

That is NOT an engine rebuild in the normal sense. But as Jimzz said, I'd do as good intake cleaning. Someone is making a fairly good intake valve cleaning kit that uses a straw to spray cleaner into the intake manifold after the MAF. I certainly would try that approach. ED

 

[ARB1977]

Not too bad

 

[StevieC]

Those are fine IMO. I have seen far worse. If you do want to do anything I would use CRC GDI/Turbo/Intake cleaner. If you could do "after" pictures for us here that would be great too!

 

[North to Alaska]

Originally Posted by CT8
What made you want to look at the intake valves?

Because it is a direct injection and it had years of oil burning. I figured it was going to be really bad.

 

[North to Alaska]

Originally Posted by StevieC
Those are fine IMO. I have seen far worse. If you do want to do anything I would use CRC GDI/Turbo/Intake cleaner. If you could do "after" pictures for us here that would be great too!


I really don't think that the intake cleaner would ever
make it that far. It would have to enter the throttle body, go down, turn 180° and go up through the runners.
I've attached a pic of a 2011 2.4l intake manifold.
You can see the runners are part of the outside wall next to the throttle body.

I think the point of the design was to keep the oil the came through the pcv from ever reaching the valves.
There was an oily fluid at the bottom of each intake runner.

 

[StevieC]

It does a good job stalling and engine if you don't do it in short spurts. I had a similar long intake on my Journey when it went down, then 180 and back up into the engine and I did it on that for extra maintenance.