RE: Best way to clean cylinder/piston head?
I have used Power Tune made by the Mercury outboard motor company. It is used to dissolve carbon in 2 stroke outboard motors. I put the parts in a ziplock bag, then spray the cleaner in and shut the bag and let them sit for a day or so. A lot of the carbon dissolves and the rest is then easily removed with a little scraping. Other outboard makers sell similar stuff under different names.
W5RA