El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-03
ALCOHOL REMOVES
CYLINDER CARBON
Expert Makes a Test and
Cleans Automobile CYL
inders With 1t.

CONTINUED from page 8, this section)
is loosened and becomes lodged on
the valve seat Carbon deposits are
the cause Of greater wear OF the Work
I ing parts OF the engine than appears
at first thought. It is but necessary
to filter the oil drawn from the
crank case Of the motor, which has
been in operation but short time
and analyZe and closely examine the
substance extracted from the oil by
the filter paper. 1t viii be found that
this substance is principally granu-
! lated carbon which has worked past
I the piston rings and collected on the
oil This carbon is carried to ali
parts OF the motor with the oil Inc
result is self-apparent.
Nature OF Experiments
Experiments were conducted during
a period of about a month The tenn
perature during this period varied
! from IS degrees highest TO three de-
grees +. on the two coolest days Inc
engines OF Il cars which mad Deen IN
service from one to 20 months since
being built or cleaned Of cylinder de-
posts were selected. In some OF
| these engines the cylinder deposit
was in the form Of a coating OF car
| bon. resembling lampblack. and could
easily have been removed Dy WlplNs
| the combustion space with a cloth 1t
was not practical to do this, however,
without disassembling the engines
Three engines had deposits Wnlch
were baked on the combustion cham
| Der surfaces and covering the layer
Of hard deposit there was a layer or
| the flaky carbon, noted above TWO
| Of the engines had deposits Whlch
were baked harder than in any OF the
I other engines examined. The areas OF
/ these surfaces. which could be in
| Spected through the valve plug holes,
! presented a slightly oily appearance
The appearance of the other deposits
| was a dead black. To remove the de-
| pOsits which were baked on the sur
| faces would have necessitated the use
| OF steel scrapers and Ilnlshlng win
| coarse sand-paper in preference TO
/ emory cloth.
The Experiment.
Examination Of one as an example
| showed that the combustion space in
| GLIDING the heads of the valves was
/ covered with a hard deposit nearly
lis" thick. The exhaust passages in the
/ exhaust valve cage were covered with
a similar deposit which in spots was
Is" thick An attempt was made 10
remove the deposit by scraping parts
I Of the surface with a piece OF wood
I sharpened to a chisel edge It was
| OF the material. but slight
amount Of fluffy material, similar to
| lamp black was removed. When force
was applied to the wooden scraper. its
| edge was broken without removing
[ any OF the caked deposit 1t was
found necessary to use a sharp steel
instrument TO effect the removal OF
] any Of the hard deposit. BY applying
Z sufficient force, lines could be scratched
through. the deposit and in order to
completely remove the deposit BY this
means would have necessitated the dis
assembling of the valves and cylinders.
/ To disassemble and then reassem Die
the valves and cylinders OF this car
has in the past taken the services OF
q mechanic and helper 10 hours To
remove the deposit from the valves
Z a q s o o. n
/ scrapers and emerycIOth requires an
I additional four hours.
Denatured AIc0hoPs Work.
Denatured alcohol was poured
through the exhaust valve opening IN
til the entire combustion space above
the piston was filled. The opening II
( the cylinder for the exhaust valve
cage and for the inlet valve plug were
covered b. cloths which had been wet
[ with water, so as 10 retard the eyap-
I ration Of the denatured alcohol
valve and cage and the inlet plug
were completely immersed in a re-
ceptacle containing cold denatured al
| cChOl and left 10 soak, in the NgaraSe
perature iE the garage for the eight
hours during which the soaking Oc-
CURED was 40 degrees T.
After eight hours, the inlet valve
cap and the exhaust valve and cage
were removed from the denatured al
| cohol. BY means OF a match stick
I the deposit on the valve plug was re-
moved as black pasty mass, and then
the surface was wiped clean with a
few strokes OF piece Of cotton waste
which served to remove all Of the de-
post and leave the surface bright and
clean as IL was when the engine was
new. The inlet valve plug was made
Of bronze. The exhaust valve and its
cage were now inspected and il was
found possible to easily remove the
deposit from these with a sharpened
rFH IN
form of flakes, some of which were
one-half Inch square. Some of the
flakes were about as hard as mica
and were slightly lustrous. WIping
the exhaust valve and its cage with
cotton waste served to remove all
trace Of the deposit
Cuts off Carbon.
The head Of the inlet valve which
remained in the cylinder and the
other parts Of the combustion space
which could be reached by inserting
ones fingers. upon inspection dis
closed that the deposit which eight
hours previous had been hard and solid
was now soft and flaky. No attempt
was made to dislodge the deposit by
mechanical means. The denatured al
cOhol was removed from the combus-
ton space by means OF an oil gun. the
exhaust valve with its cage and the in
Il valve plug were replaced and the mo-
tor vas started. and the compression
cock Of each cylinder opened.
Almost Immediately upon starting
the motor. bright red sparks coming
through the compression cock Of. the
cylinder which had been treated with
denatured alcohol, were observed. BY
placing the hand over the compression
cock Of this cylinder, the lombard
ment OF loosened deposit coming
through the cock could be painfully
felt by a series of sharp pricks similar
to that OF a needle. When a card was
held over the cock. it promptly was
covered by a number Of small black
specks
Treats Car Again.
After running the car in service
about the city for eight hours. the ex-
haust valve with its cage and inlet
valve plug Of the previously treated
cylinder were removed. An inspection
disclosed that the surfaces Of the
combustion space which had been COW
cred with a deposit we're now nearly
entirely free from deposit.
The surfaces Of the combustion space
were now given a second application
OF denatured alcohol and the exper-
iment OF the previous day repeated,
with the exception Of not including a
treatment OF the exhaust valve and its
cage and the inlet valve plug which had
been wiped clean after the first treat
ment After the second application OF
denatured alcohol to the combustion