Steam cleaning combustion chambers

[widman]

Once upon a time this was the only way to clean up an engine, and I remember pouring from Coke bottles.

Normally I just use Techron or my version of it. This picture is of the head on my Toyota pickup with 280,000 miles. The head cracked above the exhaust valve in the cylinder on the right, allowing steam to enter the combustion chamber for a few miles before noticing the white exhaust.

The crack is circled in the other picture.

The left cylinder in the picture shows how the Techron type product every 5000 or so miles for the last 50,000 miles kept it pretty clean.

 

[Eddie]

Techron side looks good but, the steamed side looks better for sure. Ed

 

[DoubleWasp]

That reason right there is why every forced induction vehicle I have ever owned looked spotless inside of the engine: Water/alcohol injection.

 

[Phishin]

This is why I pour a gallon of water down the throat of my 350TBI every spring with the engine hot, spinning at 2500 RPM's

 

[ryanschillinger]

I recently did the water through the brake booster hose thing on my 96 civic. Very slowly trickled about a quart of distilled water into the booster hose at a high idle on a hot engine. Steamed pretty good out the exhaust but nothing crazy. Left a black puddle of nasty water on the ground coming out the muffler. Ran it around a couple miles to clear it out before parking it. I've only done this on older cars in the past but no problems with civic since doing it.

 

[dishdude]

Hopefully Cornholio hasn't been banned yet, this thread has his name written all over it.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: widman
Once upon a time this was the only way to clean up an engine,


Not true. You could also put a grain of rice down each spark plug hole, and the Chinese have been growing rice for...ooh...ages.

In theory the rice rattles around and shot blasts the combustion chamber, then gets burnt and ..er..vanishes.

Maybe not brown rice though. The silica might show up in y'all's UOA's.

I tried running a water IV line into one of the many bits of rubber tubing hanging off my mid 80's carb and the car stopped over-running when hot, plus an intermittant sharp tap at idle (maybe pre-ignition) went away, so I think steam cleaning works rather well.

Never tried the rice trick.

 

[DoubleWasp]

I don't even know what to say about the rice trick. My guess is that the grain of rice gets shot out as a flaming ember in a millisecond.

 

[mctmatt]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: widman
Once upon a time this was the only way to clean up an engine,


Not true. You could also put a grain of rice down each spark plug hole, and the Chinese have been growing rice for...ooh...ages.

In theory the rice rattles around and shot blasts the combustion chamber, then gets burnt and ..er..vanishes.

Maybe not brown rice though. The silica might show up in y'all's UOA's.

I tried running a water IV line into one of the many bits of rubber tubing hanging off my mid 80's carb and the car stopped over-running when hot, plus an intermittant sharp tap at idle (maybe pre-ignition) went away, so I think steam cleaning works rather well.

Never tried the rice trick.




[censored] I am hungry now....honey can we order Chinese tonight!!!!

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: mctmatt
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: widman
Once upon a time this was the only way to clean up an engine,


Not true. You could also put a grain of rice down each spark plug hole, and the Chinese have been growing rice for...ooh...ages.

In theory the rice rattles around and shot blasts the combustion chamber, then gets burnt and ..er..vanishes.

Maybe not brown rice though. The silica might show up in y'all's UOA's.

I tried running a water IV line into one of the many bits of rubber tubing hanging off my mid 80's carb and the car stopped over-running when hot, plus an intermittant sharp tap at idle (maybe pre-ignition) went away, so I think steam cleaning works rather well.

Never tried the rice trick.




[censored] I am hungry now....honey can we order Chinese tonight!!!!


"take out, but leave the lo mein" (Being from Tejas, I'm hoping you know who wrote the song this lyric is from.

)

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: widman
Once upon a time this was the only way to clean up an engine, and I remember pouring from Coke bottles.

I remember watching the procedure in awe as a child, when done by my uncle who owned a Shell service station.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
I don't even know what to say about the rice trick. My guess is that the grain of rice gets shot out as a flaming ember in a millisecond.


Good you wrote "guess", since, like me, you don't know.

BUT, IF it got shot out on the first exhaust stroke (which I'd say is not guaranteed) then on a 4 cylinder 4 stroke engine, for that to happen, on average, in a millisecond, wouldn't the engine have to be doing 240,000rpm?

At that speed I doubt petrol would have much time to burn, and it probably burns better than rice does.

IF you are even sort-of correct, at worst the trick would be ineffective. My concern would be that you are completely wrong, and that there might be issues with clearances, in the "squish" area, and valve seat.

I'm not sure a rice grain is small, soft and short-lived enough not to cause damage.