The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-05-21
REMOVING CARBON
FROM CYLINDERS

. j. P. Heiser in The Denver Pos.
tells of various methods of ~cleanins
r the cylinders of an automobile. His
, article follows:
Disregarding cost and time, the
best way to remove carbon from au.
!, tomobile cylinders and pistons is tc
take off the cylinders or detachable
heads and loosen the accumulated
carbon by %scraping, says Mr.. Heiser.
This will absolutely remove every
particle of carbon. The objection to
this method is the labor cost and the
time consumed. With ~non-detach-
able cylinder heads the cost of TAX
ing down and replacing cylinders,
manifolds, wiring, water connections,
etc., is almost prohibitive. Even
with detachable heads the time con-
sumed is out of proportion to the
value of the work done.s
In consideration of the cost and
time, | am convinced that the best
method. for removing carbon is to
insert a specially prepared soft brass
chain thru the spark plug opening,
and run the motor for five minutes
at slow speed on the other cylinders.
The time may be reduced by this
method by using several chains and
cleaning two cylinders at a time.
Thus you can complete the job in two
or three operations. The carbon is
knocked off in chunks and dust and
is blown out thru the exhaust valve.
With overhead valves, however, the
large chunks are apt to stop in the
cylinder until reduced to powder. |
This method will clean and polish
the surface of the cylinGer head and
piston with the exception of a negli-
gible ring about 1-64-inch wide |
around the outer edge of the piston.
1t is a first class job, and the special
chains can be made at nominal cost,
or obtained from your accessory deal
err.
The small amount of carbon re-
naming around the valve space can
be removed by scraping, but usually
this is not necessary. The objections
to this method are that about once
in each ten cases a chunk of carbon
will stick on the seat of the exhaust
valve and have to be removed;
that, with loose pistons, carbon. dust
will filter thru the crankcase. If the
valves are to be ground and the
washed out, these objec-
disappear.
The objection to liquid chemical
is that, while the carbon
Is absolutely removed from the CYL
inder head, it is often redeposited in
a soft lump on the piston, where it
1ardens when the a is used again.
Burning out the cylinders with oxy-
gen is quick and far less expensive
than taking down the motor; the
rec oil and carbon are burned away
very nicely; but the road dust sucked
n thru the carburetor remains,
'orming a hard, rough surface, to
which new carbon adheres readily,
md in a very short time the car is
Is bad as YER Scrapipg without
lismantling the motor is unsatisfac-
DRY except in motors having large
overhead valves. With the T or L.
lead motor there will always be a
ew crevices that cannot be reached.
A teaspoonful of kerosene or
,lcohol put into the cylinders of a
.ot motor once a week when the car
$ in for the night tends to loosen
he carbon. This is a good practice
often postpones for a long time
he evil day when a visit to the re-
air shop is necessary. Sooner or
tier, of course, strenuous methods
lust be employed.
Introducing water or steam into
1e cylinders is highly recommended
Y some people, but this method has
OF as yet proved universally success
III. An additional supply of hot
r cold air introduced above the car
uretor either automatically or at
lie will of the operator is simply an
mission of the defects of the car
and a more or less clumsy
to overcome them.
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