Unbelievable Carbon Fouling!

[go-rebels]

Hello...

This morning I removed Oscar's cylinder head to send to Quenton for milling.

Now, I've owned 24 cars, 7 motorcycles, and one Whizzer, and I've had the engines apart on several of them, but I've NEVER seen such carbon fouling as on my new NE-5 with only 180 original miles on the odometer!

As you can see, I've been running REALLY rich, and my 3000 ft. elevation doesn't help either! Carburetion changes are definitely in store for me!

(What's that...SAND around the intake valve and on the piston head?)

Now to begin scraping!

HAL

Oh, and mine looks very similar now with the head removed and only 44 miles! I've got Quenton's #82 and #85 jets; I'll need to put them in this weekend if it doesn't rain.

Hydrocarbon solvents (gumout, brake cleaner, gasoline) won't cut carbon since carbon is not a hydrocarbon (it's 100% carbon!) I really like the success you had with the NaOH.

 

[Hal the Elder]

Hey Go-rebels:

After wiping off the residue from the Gumout applications, I sprayed on some NaOH and it began immediately to attack the carbon with its hyper-alkalinity, bubbling into a milky froth.

I let it sit for 30 minutes or so, then wiped it off with a shop towel and repeated the applications several times over the next few hours, until I arrived at what you see in the photo.

No abrasives were needed...the chemical reaction alone did the trick!

NaOH, the chemical name for Sodium Hydroxide, is also known by the old-time name of LYE, and by the Commercial name of "Easy-Off Oven Cleaner", and that's what I used!

HAL

 

[Quenton Guenther]

Hi Hal & Oscar,

Your head arrived today, will mill & re-work over the weekend.

Have fun,

 

[Hal the Elder]

That's Good News!

HEY QUENTON:

I'm glad that Oscar's head arrived before the cost-escalation deadline!

HAL

 

[go-rebels]

Quenton did tell you about the "surcharge", right?

 

[go-rebels]

After wiping off the residue from the Gumout applications, I sprayed on some NaOH and it began immediately to attack the carbon with its hyper-alkalinity, bubbling into a milky froth.

HAL

Did you use the cheap, liquid NaOH in a bottle (for anteseptic uses) or "Easy Off"?

 

[Hal the Elder]

Of Course!

Quenton discussed the Surcharge with me, and also the "Use After Modification" Surtax, and the Government Levy on the Receipt of Internal Combustion Engine Components.

I agreed to all three.

HAL

 

[Hal the Elder]

Hey "proceed, Rebellious Ones"

I used the $4.00 spray can of Easy-Off Oven Cleaner, Heavy-Duty variety.

HAL

 

[RdKryton]

Make sure you have ALL the sodium hydroxide off the aluminum. I can show you the damage that sodium hydroxide can do to aluminum. I have seen aluminum dissolve like an Alka Seltzer in caustic.

Jim

 

[KilroyCD]

There was never any fouling in the holes...they had bolts in 'em since the day Oscar was born 180 miles ago and were naturally clean when I pulled the head!

Hal, what I meant was the fouling residue deposited in the holes during cleaning. Sorry if I wasn't too clear.