Engine enema

[Bren]

Does any body know if there is anything that removes carbon from valves etc that can be sprayed into the engine? I mean for an oldie with no cat, egr etc.

 

I am going to have a look at the granada at some point - at 27 years old I am mindful that it might be a bit gummed up and that is why performance is a bit down. I am not going to strip the top end to decoke - just wanted to see if anybody had used anything that had worked.

 

I know that our American friends have something called seafoam that seems to have mixed results.

The last time I tried anything like this was pouring redex into the carb on my Royale - the smoke had to be seen to be believed. My neighbours actually thought there had been an A bomb test in Widnes.

[Timewaster]

No helpful advice on the carbon, but redex smoke alone probably doubled global warming.

 

I did it to a Mini once and the entire street disappeared in a white cloud!

 

I only poured in a capful!

[dollywobbler]

Isn't decoking something that just isn't necessary anymore due to better fuels? I never decoked my 2CV's engine in 170,000 miles - though regular Italian-servicing meant it probably never built much up...

 

Did once give our Mini the redex treatment. Not sure it greatly enjoyed the experience!

[Matt]

'ChrisFix' on Youtube has tested a few products that claim to do this sort of thing, and they do, technically. From his videos I don't think they really clean enough off for them to be worthwhile.

[STUNO]

27 years old and it has lost a few horses ? I am in the Dollywobbler camp with modern fuels, an Italian tune with a hot engine. I used to do that with my fast morris 1800 on the M1, the shit coming out the exhaust was monunental for a min or two the it settled down beautifully.

[sierraman]

Terra clean?

[Tamworthbay]

I can't remember the details but you can use water, I think you either spray it in or suck it through the vac tube.

[mrcitroen]

With the water trick, you slowly, very slowly pour around a glass down the intake. I have also heard of people using trigger sprayers too. Less chance of causing a hydraulic lock that way.

 

No idea if it works though.

[RayMK]

With the water trick, you slowly, very slowly pour around a glass down the intake. I have also heard of people using trigger sprayers too. Less chance of causing a hydraulic lock that way.

 

No idea if it works though.

 

It may work.  When a head gasket fails, letting coolant in to the combustion chambers in small doses, inspection after failure usually shows one or two very clean plugs and associated head areas (head gaskets rarely fail next to ALL bores).  This helps identify the failure point(s).

[twosmoke300]

I've heard of the garden must sprayer idea before . Sounds feasible but never seen it done

[danthecapriman]

I've heard of the water method too, makes sense when you look at failed head gaskets as mentioned above. Never tried it though.

 

I just put some super unleaded into mine, maybe with a dose of Redex then take it for a fast motorway run. Seems to do the job ok.

[320touring]

get in it,

let it warm up to temp

drive it like you had taken it without owner's consent

marvel at the plumes of crud

park up until the exhaust stops tinging

do it all over again.

 

Italian tune ftw!

[castros_bro]

The carbon deposits are from incomplete combustion of the fuel and "stray"  lubricant over a long period of time,  your car engine is designed to keep the air/fuel ratio constant-ish (Stoichiometric point).  To burn off the carbon deposits you would need to have excess oxygen for it to combine with BUT you cannot have this as the air/fuel ratio would then be different and the engine would not run. Washing with wonder chemicals  can only dislodge the loose flaky deposits and not the burnt on crud. Italian tune up heats the burnt crap to past red hot which will also bump off the loose flaky bits.

[lisbon_road]

I've also taken heads off when the head gasket has gone and found one piston with a totally immaculate polished appearance presumably due to water getting in there, and the rest the usual black things you'd expect.  So there must be something in the water approach.  The HGF might have taken place over a long time though.

[steveo3002]

the water method works well as you can see when you take apart a failed headgasket engine

 

hold the car at say 2000 odd revs and dunk a vac hose into some water but make sure it can only take little sips dont let glug down a whole litre instantly , then take it for a blast and change the oil 

[sierraman]

I'd be a bit wary about introducing water into the combustion chamber in any quantity?

[steveo3002]

^  thats why you let the vac hose take sips ...small amounts it can handle , but yeah tip a bucket full in and it will bend some rods

[Bren]

It was told that HG failure sometimes means the piston crowns are steam cleaned.

[gordonbennet]

I've seen those seafoam videos, still can't make me mind up iff someone's taking the piss to see how many berks fuck their engines up trying the same trick.

 

Dunno, i've long been a convert to Millers additives in me Diesels, used it for years, everything tickety boo.

 

Bought the V6 petrol Landcruiser last jan/feb, and whilst it runs very well i thought it felt as if it had more to give...anyway reading up on the engine those who've used them all over the world say they benefit from high octane fuel as found in Japan.

The consensus seems to be that after a few tankfuls of the better stuff that the engine will run better, more power and better fuel...mind you at around 18mpg local running it's never going to sip the stuff.

 

I'm a tight sod and reluctant to buy the top range petrol, so i had a look round and Millers do make a petrol additive, similar benefits to the Diesel stuff if you believe the blurb, cleaner injectors (so is it cleaning the carbon deposits in the combustion chambers up too) and raises the cetane rating by 2 points.

Bought some, and indeed after a while unless its the placebo effect or wishful thinking it seems to have a noticeable increase in torque, can't comment on fuel i drive like a twat at the best of times, but it takes off like a scalded cat considering its a two ton brick.

The stuff stinks exactly like the Diesel additive so avoid getting it on yer dainty mitts.

 

I haven't found any independent test results for the petrol version but have seen the results of the Diesel additive being tested  with Ricardo doing the engine tests and Milbrook being involved, so hardly joe's back street garage who flogs the stuff.

 

I'll try to link it, if not i'll copy out the URL and hopefully someone with a brain can find it and link properly.

 

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=188065

 

Fuck me it copied and pasted, don't ask me how.

 

Not trying to flog this stuff, nor suggesting that anyone else should try it, i know lots of people think these additives are snake oil and thats fair enough, but might be worth a look at as an alternative.

[davidfowler2000]

Yep. Water seems the best 'cos like folk say it's like steam cleaning your engine.

 

Make sure the engine is hot and hold a high idle. Ideally a car with a heated intake manifold so the water vapourises before it reaches the cylinder otherwise just use a squeezy spray bottle.

 

As mentioned above, don't let it take a big drink or you will hydro-lock it and burst conrods.

[Lacquer Peel]

What's good for quitening noisy hydraulic tappets?

[Bren]

Wynn's valve lifter treatment.

[Bren]

Failling that, Sawdust.

[Tamworthbay]

What's good for quitening noisy hydraulic tappets?

http://www.screwfix.com/c/safety-workwear/ear-defenders/cat850380

[gordonbennet]

What's good for quitening noisy hydraulic tappets?

 

I always start with an oil change with some decent stuff made by Millers, Morris, Fuchs etc.

 

Might have been tappets or timing chain, but daughters Aygo owned from new and serviced on time by the Toyota dealer with their choice of oil, sounded more and more like a skeleton wanking in a biscuit tin.

 

Out of warranty now so last time she popped up drained the crap out, slipped a genuine Toyota filter in and new Morris' (if not Millers, i've got both here) fully synthetic life blood into it.

Didn't sound any better really on start up, but i popped up the factors in it to get a new air filter (fucked if i know what the main dealer does at service time) cos the one in it was filthy, and when i got back it sounded a lot quieter to me, daughter comes and can't believe its her car ticking over quietly, still the same.

 

Wish i'd put my oil in from day one now.

 

All oils are not the same, i've had a household name brand oil fucked in 1000 miles in a previous Diesel Landcruiser, was severely bollocked by the now closed down Toyota Landcruiser specialist mechanic at Colleyweston who told me in no uncertain terms to drain that shit out and put some proper oil in, another lesson learned.

[Honey Badger]

Eric the car guy giving his car some little sips of H20

 

[Twiggy]

Terra clean?

 

Not at £100 a pop...

[Jifflemon]

For some stuff I'm a fan of forte treatments. Their diesel treatment was a guaranteed mot pass;

Their oil flush would even clean out cvh hydraulic lifters back in the day.

I'm intrigued by this water trick, shall have a little watch of that vid.

[rainagain]

I did the water trick on a mk1 clio diesel. I rev'd the engine to ~2000rpm and then used a garden hose set on mist to add water to the inlet manifold. It did feel better after it. The garden hose on mist setting is used by a lot of people on the running your car on veg forum to keep the engine internals clean.

[Noel Tidybeard]

one wonders whether an wallpaper steamer may be appropriate?