Snake Oil - carbon cleaning???

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Dartmoor Navigator

Dartmoor Navigator

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Dartmoor
This business of carbon treatments that shove jollop in the intake and run your engine for a while... are they just snake oil?

I forget what you call the process, they have various names and promise the earth in terms of improved mpg and power.

I would just like to say I had it done on my truck... absolute nonsense, no difference in anything at all. I read reviews from folk who make claims that it’s thenbest thing since sliced bread but I reckon it’s just the emperor’s new clothes, they’ve shelled out a load of dosh and don’t want to appear stoopid (like me).
 
I've witnessed some mist water in low quantities into the intake to "steam clean" the bores and pistons.

And fair play it has worked but, not not my cup O tea.

Personally if you keep a engine running right with good fuel, oil and filters you shouldn't have to clean out anything.
 
Henry_b said:
Personally if you keep a engine running right with good fuel, oil and filters you shouldn't have to clean out anything.
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That’s fine, but when you pick up a motor with 100k on the clock and 5 previous owners you cant guarantee that.

A mate of mine, an MoT mechanic took his Mitsi Paj apart and took photographs. He then had it carbon cleaned (a proprietary service product)... then he took it apart again - no difference, same amount of crap blocking up the manifolds.
 
Dartmoor Navigator said:
That’s fine, but when you pick up a motor with 100k on the clock and 5 previous owners you cant guarantee that.

A mate of mine, an MoT mechanic took his Mitsi Paj apart and took photographs. He then had it carbon cleaned (a proprietary service product)... then he took it apart again - no difference, same amount of crap blocking up the manifolds.
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Aye Most snake oil is just shít to fill up shelves in motor factors. :D

If ya want a proper clean out do what mech's did in the old days and pull it apart and clean it manually. ;)
 
blue beasty said:
Dunno, they get good reviews but 'kin expensive. Hard to beat a misting of water for an occasional internal steam clean imo
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Mmm, I can’t remember how much mine was.. around £120 / £150 ... I only got to thinking about it today... no change in performance or mpg. I don’t mind admitting when I’ve ‘been had’... :oops:
 
Henry_b said:
Aye Most snake oil is just shít to fill up shelves in motor factors. :D

If ya want a proper clean out do what mech's did in the old days and pull it apart and clean it manually. ;)
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Exactly! Years ago we used to de-coke with caustic soda, and it was hard shîtty work. What kind of environmentally friendly puff-puff juice can they possibly put through a running engine that will clean carbon?
 
Dartmoor Navigator said:
Mmm, I can’t remember how much mine was.. around £120 / £150 ... I only got to thinking about it today... no change in performance or mpg. I don’t mind admitting when I’ve ‘been had’... :oops:
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About a year ago we had a rash of new members all with a suspiciously similar story about driving to a franchised mech in a smokey, sluggish old doozal and drifting all the way home again leaving a trail of mountain meadows with unicorns prancing among the flowers.

Sounds reasonable to me :)
 
blue beasty said:
About a year ago we had a rash of new members all with a suspiciously similar story about driving to a franchised mech in a smokey, sluggish old doozal and drifting all the way home again leaving a trail of mountain meadows with unicorns prancing among the flowers.

Sounds reasonable to me :)
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Aye aye... that’ll be right then :D:D:D
 
Dartmoor Navigator said:
Will that do the trick? I don’t know, they all get secretive over their products... mainly cos it’s water :D
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no idea..... but it has been phased out because of toxicity and safety concerns. Exposure to high concentrations of carbon tetrachloride (including vapor) can affect the central nervous system, degenerate the liver and kidneys. Prolonged exposure can be fatal.
 
I had an old Micra that was coked up with sludge, not too bad but still not great
I tried a STP engine cleaner outerrer, 'twas complete shít.

It said stick it in for 15mins with the motor on idle, 'ave a brew and drop the oil.

So i did.

Now following the manufacturers instructions it did nothing, just thinned the oil to the consistance of píss and prolly did more damage than good.

Under the rocker cover it was still as think as shít.

Not really caring coz it was a £150 micra i put more in with some cheap oil and thrashed the shít out of it.

Dropped the oil again, no difference.

tried Wynns stuff no difference :mad:

All crap!!

best is a Litre of ATF in the oil, that cleans **** out..
An old veteran mechanic taught me that..

Cleans out noisy tappets too. ;)
 
Henry_b said:
I had an old Micra that was coked up with sludge, not too bad but still not great
I tried a STP engine cleaner outerrer, 'twas complete shít.

It said stick it in for 15mins with the motor on idle, 'ave a brew and drop the oil.

So i did.

Now following the manufacturers instructions it did nothing, just thinned the oil to the consistance of píss and prolly did more damage than good.

Under the rocker cover it was still as think as shít.

Not really caring coz it was a £150 micra i put more in with some cheap oil and thrashed the shít out of it.

Dropped the oil again, no difference.

tried Wynns stuff no difference :mad:

All crap!!

best is a Litre of ATF in the oil, that cleans **** out..
An old veteran mechanic taught me that..

Cleans out noisy tappets too. ;)
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There’s mixed feelings over those engine flush treatments. Some beleve they can loosen cràp that is probably best left where it is.
 
Dartmoor Navigator said:
There’s mixed feelings over those engine flush treatments. Some beleve they can loosen cràp that is probably best left where it is.
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Aye that is true but i used that poor motor as a test bed for many things :eek:

Eventually blew a fist sized window in the engine block:eek::D

Piston No2 you will be missed :oops::D


Octane boosters are another con!!! :mad:;)
 
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