The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-08-04
KEROSENE OIL DOES NOT
DO AWAY WITH CARBON

~ Hos bSSh PVRoiohiy ooPPSo<a ASA
q long time that the injection of lib
eral quantities of kerosene into the
internal combustion engine would re-
move the carbon accumulations, and
various specially prepared carbon re-
movers having a kerosene base have
been placed upon the market from
time to time with the same end in
view.
In the first place, kerosene does
not dissolve carbon, as every chem.
list knows. There is no substance as
yet discovered which win dissolve
carbon.
For years science has sought for
such a fluid because it is believed
that If you can dissolve carbon you
could crystalize it out again and
make diamonds, so the search for
such a substance has been most Wig
orous and persistent.
Anyone who desires to test this
matter can try soaking piece of
charcoal in kerosene and note the
results, or, better still. soak a well
carbonized spark plug in kerosene
anu nOtc nOW InuCn VI Tie SdiDoii
has disappeared after immersion for
twenty four hours.
Kerosene does dissolve or soften
thicker oils and if there is a mix
ture of gummy oil and carbon on
the plug kerosene will assist the
process of removal by thinning out
the oil and making the mixture easier
to remove, with a brush or some such
instrument.
It is true that if you put kerosene
in the cylinders over. night that when
you start up next morning lot of
black smoke will come out of the ex-
hause. but apparently this is simply
the carbon resulting from the incom-
plete combustion of the kerosene, as
you would naturally expect.
Carbon will come out after you
put kerosene in, but it is simply the
carbon in the kerosene, and in all
probability there is really more car
bon in the motor after this treatment
than before, because some of the
carbon formed by the incomplete
combustion of the kerosene must be
deposited on the cylinder walls and
compression chamber.
1t is equivalent TO running too rich
mixture through the motor, which
is a common source of carbon.
Now concerning the theory that
the mixture of gummy oil and car
bon is softened or loosened up or
blown out. The usual practice is
to pour in a small quantity, say
tablespoonful or so. At best all this
could do would be to act on the head
of the piston and possibly work
around to the valve seats.
1t would not come in contact at all
with the upper parts of the combus-
ton spaces and certainly you could
not expect it to loosen up the coat
ing with which it does not come In
contact.
Experience has shown that the run
ming of a motor is sometimes better
after using the kerosene than before.
This improvement rs probably due
to giving the valves better seat and
also possibly to come of the kero-
sene working down on the valve
stems and springs and also to the
rings, making all the work easier.
The use of kerosene to wash out
thickened or hardened oil from any
of the working parts of a motor is
sound both in theory and practice.
Better results would be obtained by
applying it as directly as possible by
means of an oil can or squirt gun
to the parts where it is needed rath-
er than by introducing quart or so
through the carburetor, while the en-
CINE is running.
AS stated before, part of the kerr
osene thus introduced is burnt up in
the motor, making an excessively
rich mixture and resulting of neces-
sity in the deposit of additional car
bon in the combustion spaces.
Good results may be obtained by
the use of a small amount of kero-
sene in a motor once in while, but
you might as we'll understand how
this is accomplished and what really
takes place as to think that you are
getting rid of carbon, which is prob
ably not the case, as the improvement
is due to lettering the fabrication
and possibly making the valves seat
tighter.