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 mako71 
Member
Joined: Jan 2012  FL, USA
 Posts: 28 Feedback: 100% (2) |
Posted: 3/27/2012 11:21:30 AM
THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT |
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Posted: 3/27/2012 11:50:50 AM
[Last Edit: 3/27/2012 11:51:56 AM by EB_311]
Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner.
It worked for me. Now I just put my bolt and carrier in an old tupperware container and spray them down. SB only works well if you apply it to a dry surface so it can bubble and fizz. Let it sit for about a minute, then start brushing if needed. |
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Posted: 3/27/2012 3:39:01 PM
The best is Slip 2000 Carbon killer.
Just shake the jar up WELL and stand the piston in the jar for 15 minutes. The carbon will be gone. You can help things along by using a BRASS scraper to scrape the piston end to flake off the heavy build up, or you can use a lead-away cloth to rub it off. The Slip 2000 does a great job with no effort and it gets it CLEAN. |
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Posted: 3/28/2012 3:36:02 PM
Thanks for the ideas. I will likely go the slip route, as I use their lube products on my ar's and they are great.
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Posted: 3/28/2012 4:47:00 PM
I just use soap and water with a scourer sponge - cleans right up
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Posted: 4/1/2012 12:10:11 PM
I'd avoid the abrasive scouring stuff personally. Getting the piston squeaky clean ain't worth it.
I will admit to using a brass scraper now and again, usually after hitting the gas system with Break Free bore cleaning foam, which softens the carbon nicely. H |
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d5griffin
Member
Team Member
Joined: Nov 2007 MI, USA
Posts: 845 Feedback: 100% (25) Link To This Post |
Posted: 4/5/2012 1:20:48 PM
Originally Posted By halmbarte:
I'd avoid the abrasive scouring stuff personally. Getting the piston squeaky clean ain't worth it. I will admit to using a brass scraper now and again, usually after hitting the gas system with Break Free bore cleaning foam, which softens the carbon nicely. H Agreed. Are there any negative consequences to not bringing the piston to shiny clean? I check mine for noticeable buildup, but as far as getting back to shiny, I make no effort and haven't noticed any negative consequences. |
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Posted: 4/5/2012 2:43:27 PM
Originally Posted By d5griffin:
Agreed. Are there any negative consequences to not bringing the piston to shiny clean? I check mine for noticeable buildup, but as far as getting back to shiny, I make no effort and haven't noticed any negative consequences. The only one I can think of is it won't be shiny. |
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Posted: 4/17/2012 6:15:09 PM
Originally Posted By d5griffin:
Originally Posted By halmbarte:
I'd avoid the abrasive scouring stuff personally. Getting the piston squeaky clean ain't worth it. I will admit to using a brass scraper now and again, usually after hitting the gas system with Break Free bore cleaning foam, which softens the carbon nicely. H Agreed. Are there any negative consequences to not bringing the piston to shiny clean? I check mine for noticeable buildup, but as far as getting back to shiny, I make no effort and haven't noticed any negative consequences. i used to try to clean the gas piston but it never wanted to comply, now i let the carbon stay and no issues. Just think of all the AKs in Africa and Afghanistan that have probably never been cleaned and still keep chugging along. |
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Posted: 4/20/2012 11:22:14 PM
I use a brass brush and Gunzilla. Seems to get it done.
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Posted: 4/21/2012 11:58:41 PM
[Last Edit: 4/22/2012 12:02:57 AM by boomsick42]
I like my stuff to be shiny and clean too. Maybe too much.
Like dude said above, there are a ton of aks on this earth that have barely been cleaned in a year or two, or maybe 5 without much problem. These rifles are made to be run dirty as hell and keep going bang. Although, I like keeping mine squeeky clean. Its more of a compulsion than a need. |
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Posted: 4/30/2012 7:29:29 PM
I hate to admit it, but I chuck a polishing felt into the Dremel and put some Flitz on it to polish the piston face and muzzle crown after cleaning as well as I can with the regular stuff. The main reason I do this is I shoot corrosive and don't trust what might be going on under that carbon. The secondary reason is, I like it shiny :).
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Posted: 5/2/2012 11:45:10 PM
I put a 6 inch brass brush wheel on one of my bench grinders. When the carbon gets bad, a few seconds of the brass wheel gets it off.
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Posted: 7/9/2012 10:17:05 AM
Soak in Simple Green for 15 min and wipe away carbon. Repeat, repeat, repeat until clean.
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dskeet
Member
Team Member
Joined: Sep 2002 VA, USA
 
Posts: 7694 Feedback: 100% (27) Link To This Post |
Posted: 7/28/2012 9:43:02 PM
Originally Posted By EB_311:
Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner. It worked for me. Now I just put my bolt and carrier in an old tupperware container and spray them down. SB only works well if you apply it to a dry surface so it can bubble and fizz. Let it sit for about a minute, then start brushing if needed. Just tried that. I have a US made piston that is stainless steel with no hard chrome on it. It was a bitch to get clean. Scrubbing Bubbles worked amazingly well, better than slip2000. Quite a surprise. |
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Posted: 7/29/2012 10:16:11 PM
Originally Posted By dskeet:
Originally Posted By EB_311:
Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner. It worked for me. Now I just put my bolt and carrier in an old tupperware container and spray them down. SB only works well if you apply it to a dry surface so it can bubble and fizz. Let it sit for about a minute, then start brushing if needed. Just tried that. I have a US made piston that is stainless steel with no hard chrome on it. It was a bitch to get clean. Scrubbing Bubbles worked amazingly well, better than slip2000. Quite a surprise. Cool. Glad to hear it works on the stainless pistons too. If I get to mine right away, I don't even need to use a brush. |
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Posted: 8/31/2012 9:25:00 AM
One thing I do with my AK pistons to help prevent some of the buildup and make cleaning easier:
With the piston completely clean and oil/grease free, I take a rotary tool (dremel) with some felt polishing wheels and some flitz to it. You dont have to get crazy with it, just a simple polish job to make the surface of the piston smoother and harder for carbon to cling to in the first place. Works wonders. |
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