rwj383

in talking with a few different mechanics, they tell me that a simple way to help eradicate carbon deposits from motor is to pour water into the motor while it is running. before all of you get too worked up (like i did!!), there is obviously a right and a wrong way to do this. they all suggest that you take a cup of water and slowly stream it into an intentional vac leak (like separate the rubber coupler from the TB) while a friend holds the RPM's around 3k. a small, steady stream (thickness of a pencil) of about a cup of water at a time. do this a few times. obviously they are not suggesting creating hydrolock by sticking your garden hose in the intake and opening it full blast!! the high pressure steam created supposedly will remove deposits. has anyone ever heard of this?


[Modified by rwj383, 11:34 AM 1/23/2002]


[Modified by rwj383, 11:38 AM 1/23/2002]

kewlbrz

Ive heard of this. Also people used to even use water injection systems in the old days to cool the itake charge.

jschindler

Give it a shot and tell us how it works :chevy

J-Rod

Yes.

And yes, it works.

Also GM top engine cleaner does it also. But most modern engines run clean enough to not need to be de-carboned. Also with that shot of giggle-gas you run on your car I would imagine your cylinders are probably pretty clean.

If you have ever seen a motor with a blown head gasket, the cylinder that is getting water will always be spotless. This is because a little water leaking into the cylinder will keep it cleaned out.

As you stated a LITTLE water, no a garden hose can do the trick. Atomize it if possible like out of a garden sprayer bring the rpms up, and go to town.

SILVER~C5

I did this on an old AMX prior to a tear-down/rebuild. I used window washer fluid- better than straight water-somewhat combustable. Anyway, the car was reved to 3-4k rpms and the carbon was flying out the tailpipe! Does it work- yes and no. Upon teardown, I discovered that some pistons/chambers were spotless- while others hardly got any steam cleaning effect.Impossible for even distribution. The ls1 intake is a dry-flow intake too, Id hate to have an unknown puddle of water in there after trying the water trick and have the engine take a big gulp around a turn:eek:
Want to clean your top-end as well as your intake? Spray a wet shot of nos every so often. Works much better and loads more fun. :smash:

Ten 99

I've seen people do it with a spray bottle of water. Using a spray bottle like what windex comes in. Don't know how effective it is, or how much or how long you would have to do it. The GM top engine cleaner does work well. You know it works by virtue of the amount of smokey exhaust you burn out the exhaust until it is all gone.

QUIKAG

I just run the **** out of my car, no carbon deposits here. :D :cheers: :cheers:

eikeland

I have never tried the way you describe, but in the 80's I was working with SAAB Turbos, and I had a Water Injection system on my car.
I took of the head after a year and it did look like mirror, so clean!!


Richard

John Shiels

Poland sprng water only :D

aces

AUTO-BONG!?? :D :lol:

AP

This is a link to the proper decarbonization procedure... I pasted it to a tech tip a few months ago when c4c5specialist posted the info...
http://www.corvetteforum.cc/techtips...=119&TopicID=5

MDT

rwj383,

Yes, the water treatment works. Mechanics have been doing it for years. Just be careful and add the water slowly. I used to pour it down the carburetor throat but in todays engines, best bet is to remove the brake booster hose at the intake manifold and introduce the water and cleaner through a hose connected at that point.

In fact about 10/15 years ago GM marketed a top end cleaner and the directions indicated that you were to feed water into the intake after the engine was brought to operating temp. The steam softens the carbon.

Then you slowly ran a can or two of top end cleaner into the intake, but as the can was nearing empty you dumped it in so as to stall the motor. Leave it sit for at least 8 hours and then start up and run for a 5 or 10 minutes....smokes like a demon.

Then be sure to change oil and filter, immediately.

Good luck.
Mark

Godspeed

Pouring in transmission fluid also does a good job of cleaning out the carbon. It will just smoke like mad for awhile though.

MDT

Godspeed,

We used to use the the high detergent properties of transmission fluid years ago but..........not a good idea these days......oxygen sensors would probably be ruined.

Good luck.
Mark

rwj383

i will be performing this procedure this week.

MDT

rwj383,

If you use the water followed by the cleaner, I would suggest that 3K rpm sounds a little high to me. When I've used this method I would keep rpm between 1500 and 2000. If the engine dies, then don't dribble the water or cleaner in quite so fast. When you dump the cleaner in to kill the engine for the soaking process....drop it to idle when you load it up. Less likely to do any damage that way IMHO.

Good luck.

Let us know how it works out for ya.

Mark

SILVER~C5

2-3qts of atf in the crankcase and let the engine idle 5-10min. This is a little trick before engine teardown that does an excellent job cleaning the engine internals.

intel55

I jsut use tranny fluid or mystery oil.. have not done it to a ls1 yet though.... I just take her out of the highway and go WOT for as long as I can. :cheers:

Austrian Vette

That´s my cleaning prozess also :lol: :yesnod:

Michael

jgrimes227

I find it very difficult to believe that if you are using lead free gasoline and driving your Corvette anything near like a sports car should be driven, there should be NO REASON to decarbonize. Lead free gas burns incredibly clean and if you hammer it from time to time - your combustion chambers should be clean as a whistle.