Running Water Through the Air Intake

[Waco]

I was just wondering through some old posts about decarbonizing, and ran across a post about running water through the intake as part of regular maint. and decarbonizing. Has anyone else ever tried that? I dont feel like it would be a healthy idea by todays standards, but I am interested in the topic.

 

[JB]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

Howdy, Waco.<br /><br />"Running" is a bit misleading.<br /><br />We old timers used to spray small amounts of water into the intake while running the engine at about half throttle to break up and clean out carbon when winterizing.<br /><br />Now we spend obscene amounts of money on special chemicals to do the same thing.<br /><br />Both methods work, but you need to see the water treatment demonstrated to do it correctly.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[DJ]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

Waco,<br /><br />JB, is correct. Water is VERY effective at breaking up carbon. I used to do it all the time breaking up carbon on Oldsmobile V-8's. Used a Coke bottle. You haveto see it done to do it right. Just like Bon Ami is effective at seating rings, but you can over do it.<br /><br />Outboards-different story. It would be effective, however one has to remember that the water will go past: rod bearings, crank bearings, wrist pin bearings-you get the idea.<br /><br />Water in the crankcase of a 2-stroke IS NOT a good thing.<br /><br />On a four stroke I/O or inboard-maybe if done correctly.

 

[ODDD1]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

djohns is right...the opportunity for disaster in a 2 stroke outweighs the possible benefits.....

 

[novacane]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

transmission fliud works well as its very hi in detergants and provides some lubercation while cleaning worked great on cars that had carbon knocks like a peice hiting the top of the head in the cench area think you got a rod knock lol water kinda steam cleans the piston tops head and valves(4-stroke) good luck

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

People look at me like I'm some kind of a nut when I tell them about the Bon Ami trick,but it works on 4 strokes sounds like sprawing water in a 2 stroke would damage a crank and bearings???

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

Personally not going to even think about going there with a 2 stroke outboard !!

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

Holly used to actually make a water injection system for carbs. Looked like a small washer fluid bottle that sat under the hood. They claimed it increased power for towing.

 

[JB]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

Water and/or water/alcohol injection has been a trick on 4 strokes for many many years. It cools combustion and reduces detonation. I used it on my Corvairs so i could use regular instead of premium. It worked well.

But that is a different thing than decarbing a 2 stroke with small injections of water into a warmed up, running engine. As described above, it is a very effective technique:

I have dribbled it from a soda bottle, but it is easier to control with a spray bottle.

*Fully warmed up engine running at around 1500rpm.
*Spray short bursts into the carb(s) until smoke/steam show up in the exhaust.
*Repeat until only steam comes out.
*Run the engine another 5-10 minutes to completely vaporize and exhaust any left over water.

This technique will steam clean the piston tops and the combustion chamber squeaky clean, but it will not get at all accumulated carbon in the ring grooves. That must be prevented by regular treatments.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

Water and/or water/alcohol injection has been a trick on 4 strokes for many many years. It cools combustion and reduces detonation. I used it on my Corvairs so i could use regular instead of premium. It worked well.

But that is a different thing than decarbing a 2 stroke with small injections of water into a warmed up, running engine. As described above, it is a very effective technique:

I have dribbled it from a soda bottle, but it is easier to control with a spray bottle.

*Fully warmed up engine running at around 1500rpm.
*Spray short bursts into the carb(s) until smoke/steam show up in the exhaust.
*Repeat until only steam comes out.
*Run the engine another 5-10 minutes to completely vaporize and exhaust any left over water.

This technique will steam clean the piston tops and the combustion chamber squeaky clean, but it will not get at all accumulated carbon in the ring grooves. That must be prevented by regular treatments.

Rather you than me JB, I would most likely screw it up somehow

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

Holly used to actually make a water injection system for carbs. Looked like a small washer fluid bottle that sat under the hood. They claimed it increased power for towing.

In WWII the same technique was used in the piston engines of fighter planes to improve HP for a momentary period. (P51 mustang if my memory is correct.)

TerryMSU

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

The reason water injection was used on fighter planes and many automobiles was because those engines were either supercharged or turbo charged and had a tendency to detonate under low vacuum (wide open throttle). What made matters worse with some of those engines like the Olds 215 aluminum V8's was they retained high compression along with the turbocharger. Under high boost combustion temps would skyrocket so adding a little water calmed things down. Same with the fighters although I can't vouch for the compression ratio on those engines. The net result was the same however. Corvairs didn't run high compression but they were air cooled so they were already hot running.

 

[JB]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

10:1 was considered high compression then and it is considered high compression now. Being air cooled just made the problem with detonation worse.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Running Water Through the Air Intake

i would do a decarb, then if it did not come up, the head gasket.
Decarb, take a can of seafoam put 3/4 of it in the gas tank, with only 1 gallon of premixed gas. put the rest in a spray bottle. start the engine, and let it come up to temperature. then remove plugs, and them some real good shot of seafoam into the cylinders, replace plugs, let sit 15 minutes. restart, and spray the rest of the seafoam into the carbs, so the the motor almost stalls, wait and repeat until the seafoam is gone.then take for a wide open spin. then put in new plugs, ad premixed gas to the tank, and take it for a wide open throttle spin. it is going to smoke like a house on fire, during this process.

afterwards compression.recheck new plugs.
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