Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

Do you old-timers remember the Model Garage series in Popular Science?


In one of the issues from the 1920s, Gus was removing carbon from the pistons by thrown a lit match into the cylinder, then putting in pure oxygen from his welding tank. The carbon would ignite and flare out of the spark plug hole, then die down after it was all burnt out.


Has anyone every heard of that process?


If not, I nominate my good friend and mentor Rotorwrench to try it out LOL


BTW, I saw all the issues from the '20s into the Model "A" era and there was little if any information specifically directed towards Model "A" Fords, for some reason.


The series did once reveal that Gus and Joe were real live guys operating a garage in upper New York state but I never found out where.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

I haven't heard of it yet, but from my technical understanding I think it's a fairy tale! I say the match doesn't manage to ignite the coal and the extra oxygen blows out the flame!

For a sensible combustion in this very limited space, the amount of oxygen must be measured precisely. It's too imprecise by hand!

But try it. I like to be instructed.

Greetings from Berlin

Andy


Written with google translator.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

I recall the articles but not that one. If someone wants to try that out i'd like to see it. Take pictures. Maybe youtube video.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

Geeze, the Model Garage. That brings back memories. One I remember was one where a guy brought in a dirty car to be washed, and Gus realized it was dirty because the owner had just robbed a bank. So he washes the car, crams a potato into the exhaust pipe, and tells the police that the robber could be found a mile down the road with an engine that won't run.


JayJay

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

Generally speaking, I always heard of water being used to clean carbon. If the engine was hot and revved, water was poured down the carburetor (-or thru a vacuum port) which made steam in the combustion chamber. Just like steam cleaning grease, it removed carbon rather quickly.


Now I have seen engines that were flooded having a match dropped down the carburetor while the engine is being started. With puddled gasoline laying in the floor of the intake, it would ignite and the flames would be pulled into the cylinder before being extinguished on its own. This works remarkably well but is not for the faint of heart.



One other trick I have seen on early brass-era stuff that have long intakes that don't vaporize well when cold, is my dad would take an oxy/acetylene torch and turn the gas and a little oxygen on. Without lighting it he would stick the torch tip into the carburetor inlet. The gas and oxygen would rise in the intake and as the engine was hand-cranked, the lighter gas would ignite easier. The engine would start on the acetylene and almost immediately the gasoline would start vaporizing. As soon as enough gasoline was being drawn up the intake, the exhaust would start rolling black smoke. At that time the torch was removed. I remember asking several times about what would happen if it backfired and lit the torch. Dad always said you will hear it and that is your cue to turn off the torch. He said the oxygen was not turned on enough to make a super hot fire. I guess it makes sense, and I never did see one backfire thru the carb. I have told this same story and tractor guys used to do it when they were cold starting on kerosene or tractor fuel.

.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

Un cooked rice sprinkled into a down draft carb on a V8..the moisture in the rice super heats and the kernel 'pops'

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

I have done the water mist thing, seem to work good. Think how clean the pistons look when the gasket goes and you get water in the cylinders. They did have a setup to use acetylene back in the early days to aid in starting. It was plumbed into the intake manifold.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

I remember reading "Gus Wilson's Model Garage" and now have it on line to read when I feel like it. Really KOOL & some times relevent to today's driving.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

That's how I was taught...
TOB

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

Thats a term I haven't heard in years. It brings to mind our 7th
grade teacher driving to school each day in her 57 t bird not going over 25 mph. and all of us lusting to get behind the wheel and "BLOW THE CARBON OUT OF IT" with the old lady owner of age 29 along side of us showing her what it can do!.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

If the engine is tuned anywhere near correctly, the need to remove carbon would be rare but I've done it using the water mist method.
Use a spray bottle of water to blow a mist of water into the intake of the carb until the motor nearly stops. Give it just enough time to recover, then repeat but more water till the motor quits. Leave it overnight (don't forget to turn off the ignition) and when you start it in the morning, the water has penetrated the carbon and the heat causes it to "explode" out of the carbon, dislodging it. The carbon goes out the exhaust.

Re: Burning Out Carbon in "The Model Garage"
 

Not exactly the same thing but it seems to work well on an intake.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_78_MNvhy4