I did it! I think. The moment of truth is tomorrow when I make my semi-monthly pilgrimage to the home of my people, NYC. I average ~60mpg on the 175mi round trip and that's when I'm really trying. On one leg I got 48mpg doing 75mph most of the way. I'm hoping I can break the big 7-0h on this trip. Thanks to all the helpful posts.
Here are some insights from my experience. Get a dental pick. Fortunately I had one lying around. I don't know how I would have cleaned out the ports otherwise. 6" and 4" (not 8" as I said in another post) extensions are vital (You may be able to get away with just a 4" but that bottom left nut will be a real pain.) as well as a swiveling universal joint 12mm socket (Sears had them).
After removing most of the hard crud with a screwdriver I soaked the gasket and plate in lacquer thinner for about an hour. You can see the result. It made removing the rest of the carbon much easier.
Don't forget to clean out the ports. They're easy to miss if you don't know they're there. Remember, there are 3 ports.
Don't pull on the small rubber hose. Put the last tooth of the pliers under the hose and pull up. That way the hose won't rip.
