Carbon Cracking Your Engine ???

[FLYER15015]

Hi All,

I know this subject should probably be posted in the "technical" forum, but my interest is in the Pre War Buick section, being that they are relatively slow turning low compression engines. So.... here goes.

Anybody had experience with "carbon cracking" your engine ?

As explained to me, by a "really old" mechanic, you heat up your engine, by draping towels over the grill, to get her really hot, wind her up to the top rev's possible, and "dribble" very cold water down the carb. Supposedly this causes the carbon particles in the chambers and on the valves to fracture, and they are then pushed out the exhaust pipe. "Makes your old engine like new", he says.

A valid procedure or an urban myth ? I'll let the forum decide....

Mike in Colorado

:confused::confused::confused:

[Guest Grant Magrath]

I've heard of it, but not with superheating the engine. I've heard of people using Seafoam to do it as well. The water turns to steam and steam cleans the combustion chamber. It's a valid proposition, as it's recommended on the Corvette and 300zx forums.

Cheers

Grant

[FLYER15015]

Grant,

This guy is soooooo old, he thinks Sea Foam is something that washes up on the beach.

He said, they used to do it on old "mail delivery" trucks, and the "secret" was to get the engine "real hot". Otherwise it would not work well.

Mike in Colorado

P.S. You having both a 'Vett and ZX, have you done yours ?

Edited January 4, 2012 by FLYER15015
spelling (see edit history)

[Guest outlaw car man]

Mike, you need some O2 up there, the lack of air is getting to ya, boy.

Of course pouring water in the 33 Marvels probably would do more good then bad.

Superheating my 90s, not on your life pal.

The old timer was doing this to his government owned mail truck ? Sure, who cares, taxpayer cabbage. HHA-

Sandy

[FLYER15015]

Sandy,

Your out anyway.

How would you pour water into an updraft carb ?

Hang an I.V. bag on a stand and stick the hose up the carb ?

Mike

P.S. This Sunday is the first ice race up @ Rainbow Falls (south of Deckers). Starts @ 08:00.

We'll leave here @ 04:30. Check out youtube "superfly 224" for Matt's helmet cam.

Edited January 5, 2012 by FLYER15015
spelling (see edit history)

[Guest outlaw car man]

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAHHHAAAA, got me !

Good luck on the ice race..

Sandy,

Your out anyway.

How would you pour water into an updraft carb ?

Hang an I.V. bag on a stand and stick the hose up the carb ?

Mike

P.S. This Sunday is the first ice race up @ Rainbow Falls (south of Deckers). Starts @ 08:00.

We'll leave here @ 04:30. Check out youtube "superfly 224" for Matt's helmet cam.

[Bob Engle]

Back in the 50's when engines needed valve jobs at 30,000 miles, My Dad tested some of these theories. We never overheated engines, but we would run them hot then spray water in the carb and then take them out and run to high rpms on the engine ( old timers called it blowing out the carbon). Back at the shop we pulled the heads and did the valve jobs. I can assure you that I scraped as much carbon off of the valves and cylinder heads whether we used water, or marvel Mystery Oil, or did nothing but pull the heads. The only engines I saw without carbon build up were the few vehicles that we convertd to run propane. These engines had zero carbon. It was a shame to change oil on the propane engines, it looked like the new oil going in. Since then, I've never been a big fan of all the gas and oil additives.

I'll be pulling the head on my 53 Chevy sometime in the next year. I'll report back on the amount of carbon build up on an engine run on modern gas and oil. There's no oil filter on the engine.

Bob