nasl@homxb.UUCP (S.LUZ) (12/24/85)
The ideal way to remove the carbon buildup that accumulates
in a car`s combustion chamber is to use the time honored transmission
fluid method: while your car is in a relatively fast idle, slowly
pour transmission fluid into the carburetor, that`s right, tranny fluid
in the carb until the engine conks out. After waiting a short time for
the carbon to soften, restart the car and do some highway cruising.
This method is infinitely more effective than the water method
which tends to break the carbon away in chunks. Carbon, as we all know
is one of the earth`s hardest substances, and will inevitably do damage to
your car`s combustion chamber. Also, the steam created by the heat of
the engine will dissolve the oil film on the piston and cause irreversible
scoring to the cylinder, etc.
--
____________________________________________________________________________
Stephen H. Luz
AT&T Bell Laboratories in Holmdel
homxb!nasl
8-5 (201) 949-5002
Home (201) 938-3217
_____________________________________________________________________________dsi@unccvax.UUCP (Dataspan Inc) (12/26/85)
> > The ideal way to remove the carbon buildup that accumulates > in a car`s combustion chamber is to use the time honored transmission > fluid method: while your car is in a relatively fast idle, slowly > > ....(sigh) No. No. No. No. No. The * ideal * way to remove carbon buildup that accumulates in a car's combustion chamber is: 1) Change your driving habits 2) Make your car pass emissions 3) If all else fails, disassemble cylinder head and block, and have parts professionally cleaned and spec'd Pouring transmission fluid into your engine is stupid, stupid, stupid. In a modern car with very small surface area combustion chambers (such as the EFI U.S. spec Ford Escort) it doesn't take many CC's to accumulate enough fluid to obtain mechanical fluid lock. From there, it only takes one revolution past TDC under these conditions to obtain new clearances in your rods and (possibly) mains bearings, or to find a twist in the connecting rod itself. Even if there were not a mechanical risk, your nice, hot catalytic converter won't stand more than a couple of treatments to transmission fluid (sufficient to "dissolve" carbon) before it becomes plated with all kinds of neat junk. Transmission fluids are rich in organic heavy metal complexes, which just love to burrow in your catalytic converter and subsequently ruin it. You might also find that your EGR system gets partially unplugged around the seat, resulting in a rougher running engine than you set out to correct. I know there are some guys and gals out there who don't give a tinker's damn about their catalytic converter, but we must pass emissions here in Mecklenburg County, N.C.. Many people in the civilized world also are subject to a sniff test. We've found that it is trivial to make a properly tuned car in good mechanical condition to pass a sniff test several model years ahead of its manufacturer's specs. On the other hand, ragmobiles given these homebrew "treatments" of whatever kind usually don't have a scale high enough on the Sun Infra-Red Analyzer for accurate measurement. Tranny fluid doesn't cure the stuck power valve, shot plugs, bad filters, leaking valve stem seals, dirty carb, stuck rings...the usual stuff which results from poor maintainence. Next time I'm in someone's carbon encrusted motor, I'll dunk a part or two in some transmission fluid to see if it removes the stuff off the top of the piston at all, and post the results to the net. -dya-