<DIV>I would think the aluminum ones would be indefinate barring catastrophy. I have heard that a dishwashing detergent w/o Lemon will soak the pipe clean. I have use dishwashing detergent to clean engine cases and it works good.</DIV>
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<DIV>I have used paint thinner on a carbon pipe, it worked ok but took some long soaking to see improvement. Wonder if that o-ring is stuck somewhere inside. </DIV>
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<DIV>Curious to hear how the stuff you are soaking it in works.<BR><BR><B><I>Buff Miller <fmiller2@sc.rr.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">1. What is the life expectancy of today's pattern pipes? <BR><BR>2. Is there an effective cleaning solution that will bring a pipe back to<BR>its original efficiency? <BR><BR>3. When is it time to reincarnate the pipe as a "wind chime"?<BR><BR>Lately my, 140 RX has been off its feed. Normally, running a Greve pipe,<BR>17x12 prop on 15% Cool Power this RX would easily turn 7900-7850 rpm.<BR>Instead, of late it has been doing well to hit 7000.<BR><BR>First, I discovered a blown header "O" ring so I figured that had to be it.<BR>I replaced it with no improvement. Next I replaced the bearings. They were<BR>due, but no improvement. Next, the ring was replaced, no improvement. I<BR>thought maybe the pickup line in the tank developed a pinhole leak and was<BR>sucking air. I replaced the tank and all fuel lines. No improvements.<BR><BR>All this time, I'm on the phone with my good buddy and
well know engine<BR>guru, Earl Vincent. Along with many questions of what I tried, Earl asked<BR>if I could hear anything rattling loose in the pipe if I shook it. No<BR>noise, everything about the pipe seemed OK. He once had a similar problem,<BR>but in his case a baffle had come loose.<BR><BR>Well, this afternoon while we were at the field, Earl asked me to take the<BR>pipe off the plane so he could look inside. In short, looking and blowing<BR>into the pipe finally told us what the problem was. It was quit difficult<BR>to blow through the pipe. Earl set out to "field" clean the pipe the best<BR>he could. I won't go into all the things he tried, but he was successful<BR>enough to let us know that a plugged up pipe was my problem. We were able<BR>to get the R's up to 7600 and change. Still missing another 200-300 rpm.<BR><BR>Hoping to regain the remaining R's, I now have the pipe in a solvent called<BR>"Purple Power". A solvent sold in local automotive stores in this area as
a<BR>degreaser. It's manufactured by Aiken Chemical Co. of Aiken, SC. Tomorrow<BR>I'll find out if this was worth the effort or not. <BR><BR>In the mean time, I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter?<BR><BR>Buff Miller<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>=================================================<BR>To access the email archives for this list, go to<BR>http://lists.f3a.us/pipermail/nsrca-discussion/<BR>To be removed from this list, go to http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm<BR>and follow the instructions.<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>