Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-05-07
REMOVE THE CARBON
Oxygen Process Is by All Means
the Best That Can Be
Employed.
DOES NOT LAY UP A CAR
Modern Repair Shops Are Equipped
With All Necessary Machinery
for Doing This Kind of Work
Process Really Is
Simple.

Most well-regulated repair shops are
now equipped with apparatus for
removing carbon from motor car
cylinders by the oxygen process, and
the cost is trifling as compared with
the labor-multiplying method of remoV-
ing the cylinders. Naturally enough
there are times when it is desirable
and necessary that the cylinders be
removed to inspect the motor, tighten
the bearings, and do other little things
that seem essential after motor has
been running for a whole season, but
if it is only question of removing
the carbon the oxygen process is not
only far better but simpler and cheap
er, and the best part is that it does
not lay up the car except for an hour.
An oxygen tank with regulator and
gauge is provided with hose and a
nozzle, the latter being equipped with
a shutoff valve to be operated by
the finger, much as the trigger on a
revolver is worked. 1t has been found
expedient to put half cupful of kero-
sene in each cylinder the night before
the carbon removing operation is to
be started. This has the effect of
softening the carbon and at the same
time adds fuel for the oxygen to
work with. A spark plug is removed
and a lighted match is dropped into
the cylinder for the purpose of fur
nishing a light. Then the oxygen noz'
zle is put into the cylinder and the
trigger valve opened a little to per
NIT the oxygen to ignite. Then the
nozzle is twisted and turned until
every part of the cylinder is reached,
with a large fame working, of course
Combustion of carbon takes place and
all is fairly burned up.
Naturally the operation is with one
cylinder at a. time, and it is essential
that the motor be placed on dead
center for that cylinder so the valves
are closed. 1t is not intended that
this process remove carbon from the
valves; they will have to be ground in
the same old way if compression is
weak, and the cylinders should have
an injection of lubricating oil after
ward, for it must be remembered the
oxygen takes out everything in the
way of lubricant and will leave the
ovlip dorc and DictonS drV
Even without the aid of the oxy-
gen process much Of the carbon may
he removed by simple process in
volving no work and costing nothing
more than a little time. Just who
discovered this scheme is disputed;
a half dozen have laid claim to the
first attempt. At least one Chicago
man discovered it for himself, even if
others had that honor for themselves.
A small sand hole in a cylinder cast
ing permitted a little water to find
its way from the water jacket to the
cylinder to the extent that the gas
would blow water out of the filler
cap.
When the cylinder was removed
preparatory to being replaced with a
new one it was discovered that while
the other cylinders were badly caked
with carbon, the one into which water
had leaked was perfectly clean, Meth
er cylinder wall nor piston having
trace of carbon. Later, Henry Nyberg,
well known few years ago to
Chicago motorists, tried the water
cure for carbon, with success.
~ The motor is started and permit
ted to run fairly fast and water is
injected into the air intake of the car
buretor from a squirt can. Only the
other day this was tried by the writer
The motor was badly carbonized, SO
much so that a decided knocking &C.
Cured While the motor was run
ming the squirt can of water was used,
carefully at first lest the water might
stop the motor Then when no ef-
feet was noticeable, the water was in
jected with rapidity and yet it caused
no trouble.
The motor was run long enough to
permit four canfuls to be injected, and
then a little while longer to be sure
the inside of the cylinder would be
free from moisture and covered with
film of oil. While the motor was
not dismantled to observe how clean
the cylinders were, it was certain that
much of the knocking was eliminated
and the motor gave every evidence Of
running better. At the worst the wa
ter cure had done no harm.