[MIke L]

Guy's..
I had a "discussion" earlier today about how to blow the carbon out of an engine.
My '65 will sit for a few weeks at a time. Once a week I start it up and let it get to operating temp with the intent to keep the jucies flowing.
It starts right away if let to sit for less than a week. Any more than that i have to pump the accel. maybe 20 times.

A mechanic friend of mine said the correct way to "blow it out" is to get it on the interstate and drive at 70 for about 5 miles and any carbon build up from idleing 3 or 4 times will be gone.

I've allways just run it hard a few times by going through the gears putting a load on it through each gear.
who's right?
What do you do to "Blow It Out"?


Mike

[Tom Vaught]

Quote:

"Any more than that i have to pump the accel. maybe 20 times. "

MUCH easier to get a metal oil squirt can (like the old machinists or train guys used to use from the hardware store, fill it with some gas and squirt a little bit of gas down each fuel bowl vent prior to start up.

This will allow the engine to start quickly, will be much safer than pouring gas down the venturis, and will fill the accelerator pumps so that one or two pump shots will get the car ready to fire.

An electric fuel pump that you can use to fill the bowls (just pulse the pump).

T Vaught

[66bonne]

Always a good idea to let a motor come up to temp as it does help minimize carbon build up. Your mechanic is also right that a good way to blow out the carbon is to stand on it.
What I usually do to "blow it out" before I go to the strip is to change or clean the spark plugs. Get a name brand of combustion chamber cleaner, pout it in and run it hard on the way to the strip. That way the motor is ready when I get there.

Jim

[Schurkey]

Hydrocarbon combustion chamber cleaners will create a hateful cloud of fumes; your neighbors will hate you, and half of them will call the fire department 'cause they think something's burning.

A "urine stream" of plain old water alternating between the primary venturis will clean the carbon out of the engine just fine. Run the engine at ~2K rpm and don't drop enough water to make the engine misfire.

Might want to change oil when you're done. You can get quite a lot of moisture in the oil this way.

1. WHY is your engine getting so carboned-up with a little bit of idle time? Is there something wrong that your idle mixture is pig-rich?

2. You aren't doing it any favors by firing it up "keep the jucies flowing" every week. If you're going to drive it--fire it up. If you aren't going to drive it--let it sit.

[HWYSTR455]

I'm with Schurkey, why would it be building up? Ok, maybe an 80-year-old grandma's Granada that has idled to the grocery store and bank for 9 years would require a 'blow-out', but otherwise, it should be fine. Start it when you're going to drive it. If it sits for a long time, think about the gas in the tank. Either have it full or empty, full, use stabilizers if more than 3 months.

The 'urine-stream', as so properly put is an acceptable method, and I have even used a little ATF in the mix as well to help things along. Again, high-mile, granny-driven cars that barely, if at all, get to operating temps during a drive.