El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-02
TELLS HOW To
REMOVE CARBON
Scraping Method is Best
But Cost Most; Soft
Chains Good.

Automobile owners who are inter-
ested in the best methods OF caring
for their machines. will be interested
in the following suggestions for the
removal OF carbon from engine CYL
inders, made by N. L. Naquin, local
VeIie distributor.
Disregarding cost and time. the best
way to remove carbon from automo-
bile cylinders and pistons is to take
off the cylinders or detachable heads
and loosen the accumulated carbon by
scraping, says Mr.. Naquin-
This will absolutely remove every
particle of carbon The objection TO
this method is the labor cost and the
time consumed. With nondetachable
cylinder heads the cost Of taking
down and replacing cylinders, mani
folds, wiring, water connections, etc.
is almost prohibitive. Even with de-
taehable heads the time cohSumeo IS
out of proportion to the value OF me
work done.
In consideration OF the cost and
time, I am convinced that the best
method for removing CARBON IS TO in
sert q specially prepared soft brass
chain through 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
knocked off in chunks and dust and
is blown out through the exhaust
valve With overhead valves. how
ever, the large chunks are apt 20 stop
in the cylinder until reduced to pow
der. This method viii clean and pol
ish the surface OF the cylinder head
and piston with the exception OF a
negligible ring about 1-64 Inch wide
around the outer edge OF the piston
II is a first class Job, and the special
chains can be made at nominal cost.
or obtained from your accessory
dealer.
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 that
with loose pistonS, carbon dust viii
filter through to the crankcase- II the
valves are 10 be ground and the
''The OBJECTION 70 LIQUID chemical
removers IS that, while the carbon is
absolutely removed from the cylinder
head, II iS often re0epOBlte0 IN a SOIL
lump on the piston, where Il hardens
when the car is used again. Burning
out the cylinders with oxygen is quick
and far less expensive than taking
down the motor; the free oil and car
bon are burned away very nicely; but
the road dust sucked In through the
carburetor remains, forming hard,
rough surface, to which new carbon
adheres readily, and IN a very short
time the car is as bad as ever. Scrap
ing without dismantling the motor Is
unsatisfactory. except in motors hav-
ing large overhead valves With the
T or L-head motor there will always
be a few crevices that cannot be
reached.
"a teaspoOnful Of kerosene or aico-
hol put into the cylinder OF a hot mo-
tor once a week when the car is In for
the night tends to loosen the carbon
This IS a good practice and often post
pones for a long time the evil day
when a visit to the repair shop is
necessary. Sooner or later. Of course.
strenuous methods must be employed
Introducing water or steam into
the cylinders IS highly recommended
by some people, but this method has
not as yet proved universally sue
cessfuL An additional supply Of hot
or cold air introduced above the car
buretor either automatically or at the
will of the operator is simply an sd-
mission Of the defects Of the carbure-
tor, and 4 more or less clumsy attempt
10 overcome them"