2001 Corolla. Have had it for about a year, but it was consuming oil at a ferocious rate: first 1 quart/400 miles, finally all four quarts/200 miles. Now, a dead cylinder #4, and the likely death of the car. Never had the resources to to do an engine rebuild, unfortunately.
In the hope that cylinder 4's problem is simply a stuck ring and not structural damage, I'm going to attempt a piston soak.
How much solvent to use? Enough so that the fluid goes over the top of the piston head? Will turning the ignition be enough to extract all the solvent after the soak, or do I have to find some kind of syringe to get the rest out? Leave the spark plugs loosely in the cylinder during the soak (and then remove them during extraction)?
In the hope that cylinder 4's problem is simply a stuck ring and not structural damage, I'm going to attempt a piston soak.
How much solvent to use? Enough so that the fluid goes over the top of the piston head? Will turning the ignition be enough to extract all the solvent after the soak, or do I have to find some kind of syringe to get the rest out? Leave the spark plugs loosely in the cylinder during the soak (and then remove them during extraction)?