I would like to run some water thru my engine to clean it out but, I'm concerned I may accidentally hydrostatic lock the pistons. What's the safe procedure?
Thanks.
Don
Thanks.
Don
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Re: Decarbonizing With H2O
Just keep the RPM's up to a point so that the engine keeps running .You don't have to run water at a great rate , but so that it stumbles enough to get the COLD water knocking the carbon out. I do it for about ONE minute. -
Re: Decarbonizing With H2O
Don,
You might also consider adding some ethanol or methanol to the gas tank. The alcohol flame seems to consume carbon, and you won't have to worry about hydraulic lock-up (broken parts).
I believe today's fuel hoses, float needles and accelerator pump skirts will hold up to alcohol.
VerneComment
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Re: Decarbonizing With H2O
I would NEVER. EVER attempt this home brew procedure on any of my engines. My Cosworth Vega consumed a quart of oil on average every 300-600 miles for 50K miles until I refreshed the cylinder head a couple of years ago and found some better than OE valve seals.
Yeah, it had a good layer of deposit buildup on the piston crowns and backsides of the valves. So what! It probaby raised the CR a quarter point from the measly 8.0:1 OE CR.and all the grease on the inside of the exhaust system probably kept the original muffler from rusting out!
DukeComment
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Re: Decarbonizing With H2O
If you do it, use a spray bottle that will mist the water into the carb as the engine is running. I am not sure there is great benifit to doing this though. TerryComment
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Re: Decarbonizing With H2O
Don
Do to the response your getting you may be thinking twice about using water. So if you've never seen it done by one of us old timers, just for get. Many people that have never seen or done some thing different will never be convinced or try to understand. ( But it does work great and has been used for many many years) Ask an OLD pilot.Comment
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This will work to remove carbon.
Although I don't know how much carbon you could have in your engine in this day and age with unleaded gas. Regardless of the negative posting you have seen, this was common practice in Chevrolet Dealer garages around here in 1962 to get the Piston slap out of the low milage 327's that came in for service. It works, if you mist it in, it will not hurt a thing and the steam created by this process will blow the carbon right out.
I just know I have a TSB addressing this process but I haven't been able to lay my hands on it. If you think this might be a little scary, how about the factory fix for the '55 265's burning oil? I believe they recommended pouring Bon Ami down the throat of the carb to seat the chrome rings.
I don't do this on a regular baisis, but have uesed this a number of times on 327's down to 2 horsepower Briggs and Stratton. It does work and I have had NO problems doing this.
And I aint't as old as Roy!Comment
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Re: This will work to remove carbon.
In the 1970's when they pulled the leaded high test gas, many people tried water injection setups to decrease engine knock under load. This used a windshield washer pump and squirted the water into the carb throat.Comment
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Re: This will work to remove carbon.
Mike, What is the procedure for using the Bon Ami in the carb. Sounds interesting!!
RickComment
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Re: This will work to remove carbon.
The procedure was as I described. I wouldn't recommend it. Chrome rings used to be a bear to get to seat sometimes.Comment
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if you have ever taken apart
a engine that had a leaking head gasket you will see how clean the head and piston are in that cylinder so the water does remove the carbon.Comment
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Re: if you have ever taken apart
I believe it works and works well. I was just wondering what the point was if it is just going to carbon back up again. I could see it helping pre-detonation. Regards, TerryComment
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try this for a modern way to remove carbon
go to www.clubgp.com/cgi-asp/mods.asp?modid=69Comment
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Re: This will work to remove carbon.
I used Bon Ami and kerosene to seat the rings on large bore Cummins engines 40 years ago. Done properly it works wonders. Used it as late as 10 years ago on a 327. Customer insisted on chrome rings. I knew that the way he drove they would never seat. Guess what? It used oil like crazy, quart to 400 miles. I asked him to bring it back to the shop to let me check some things. I "checked" things by feeding it a mild dose of Bon Ami and then taking it out on the road and running the "stuffings" out of it. Viola! Went to a quart every 2,000 miles. Customer was happy and I was happier!Dick WhittingtonComment
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Worked for Caddys
I worked at a Cadillac/Olds dealer in the 70's & 80's and it was a common practice to Decarbon the old boats. Mom & Pop would lug their 500 ci caddy into the dealer complaining of a knocking noise. The mechanic would do the following procedure to decarbon the car.... 1. Took it out on the highway and ran it at 60 mph in 2nd gear for an extended period of time. 2. When he got back to the dealership he popped off the air cleaner top and held the thottle cable up to about 2500 or 3000 rpm while spraying Windex! down the carb! The second he did this you could see clouds of smoke blow out the tailpipe. After several of these reving sessions it was sent to "get ready" for a wash and the work order read "de-carbon". We had several customers that we had to do this at every oil change because they always lugged it around town running high octain lead fuel.Comment
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