The appearance of coal in an internal combustion engine is a natural process that affects almost any motor over time, regardless of its mileage or brand. Deposition on the pistons, valves and walls of the combustion chamber inevitably worsens the heat sink, increases the risk of detonation and can lead to piston rings. The owner of a water appliance or car often notices a decrease in traction, increased fuel consumption and unstable work at idle speeds, which is a direct signal of the need for intervention.
The cleaning procedure requires careful preparation and understanding of the physicochemical processes occurring inside the power unit. nagar This is a solid carbon layer that is produced by burning poor-quality fuel or engine oil that enters the combustion chamber, and ignoring this problem can cause serious mechanical damage, including cylinder bullies and catalyst failure, so how to effectively and safely remove these deposits is a top priority in maintenance.
In this article, we will discuss in detail the methods of chemical and mechanical cleaning, the necessary tools and precautions. decoker (draw fluid), whether you need to disassemble the engine to achieve the perfect result and what mistakes are most often made when doing work on your own. Competent approach will not only restore the engine power, but also significantly extend its life.
Diagnosis of the state of the engine and signs of coking
Before proceeding with active washing actions, you need to make sure that the problem lies in the soak, and not in a malfunction of the ignition system or fuel supply. ignitionWhen the engine continues to work after turning off the ignition for a few seconds, this is because the red-hot particles of the coke become a source of ignition of the fuel-air mixture, disrupting the normal cycle of operation.
Also worth paying attention to the color of the exhaust gases and the level of oil consumption. If the exhaust pipe is gray smoke, and the oil level in the crankcase falls faster than usual, this may indicate the occurrence of oil removable rings. Oil-removable rings lose mobility due to the layer of varnish and soda, stop removing excess oil from the walls of the cylinder, which leads to its active combustion and the formation of even more deposits.
For accurate diagnosis, professionals recommend cylinder endoscopy, which allows you to visually assess the condition of the piston group without disassembling the engine. With the camera, you can see the thickness of the layer of coar on the bottom of the piston and the condition of the valves. If visual inspection shows a dense, sintered layer of sediments that closes the process gaps, then the cleaning procedure is mandatory.
Is it okay to drive with the garlic?
Long-term use of the engine with heavy load leads to overheating of the pistons, because the coar has low thermal conductivity, this causes thermal deformation of parts, burn valves and in the worst case - melting of the piston. In addition, falling off pieces of solid coar can damage the cylinder mirror or get stuck between the valve and the seat, which will lead to loss of compression.
Choice of means for chemical cleaning of the engine
The automotive chemicals market offers many solutions for dealing with sulphur, but not all of them are equally effective and safe. scoop These are aggressive solvents that can soften and dissolve carbon compounds, and it is important to distinguish between soft cleaning agents that are added to the oil before it is replaced and hard cleaning agents that are poured directly into the cylinders.
For water engines and older cars, where the probability of rings is high, often use mixtures based on kerosene and acetone in a ratio of 1: 1. However, modern specialized formulations contain corrosion inhibitors and lubricants that protect the metal of the cylinders from the aggressive effects of chemistry. The use of pure acetone or solvent without additives can lead to washing out of lubrication and the appearance of microtraums on the metal surface.
When choosing a tool, pay attention to its purpose: some formulations are designed only for cleaning the combustion chamber and pistons, while others are able to clean the valves and the intake system. dimexide (dimethyl sulfoxide) is sometimes mentioned in folk methods as a powerful solvent of soda, but its use is extremely dangerous for aluminum alloys and rubber seals, so it is strictly not recommended to use it.
- 🧪 Specialized decoxing Prepared compositions of a balanced chemical formula, safe for rubber and aluminum.
- 🛢️ Washing oils - used for circulating cleaning of the oil system before replacing the lubricant.
- 💧 Popular remedies - mixtures of kerosene and acetone, requiring strict compliance with proportions and safety measures.
Always check the compatibility of the chosen product with the materials of your engine seals. Aggressive chemistry can cause swelling of rubber omentums, which will lead to oil leaks after the procedure.
Preparation of the engine for the cleaning procedure
The quality of the result depends on the thoroughness of preparation, the first step is to warm up the engine to operating temperature. Thermal conditions It's important to make the chemical reaction more efficient and the soda itself more susceptible to the solvent, and once it's warmed up, the engine needs to be shut down and let it cool down a little to eliminate the risk of instantaneous chemical vapor ignition.
Next, the spark plugs (or nozzles, depending on the design and method of access) should be removed, which will provide direct access to the cylinders and allow visual control of the fluid level. It is imperative to close the candle wells or nozzle holes with rags before pouring the product so that dirt and residues of chemicals do not get back into the engine or into electrical contacts.
If you plan to use a method that requires a crankshaft to rotate, make sure the battery is fully charged. starter It should work smoothly, because turning the engine with liquid in the cylinders creates additional resistance, and prepare the syringe with a tube for accurate dosing of the liquid in each cylinder.
☑️ Preparation for decoction
Technology for decoding a piston group
The cleaning process requires a strict sequence of actions, and after the candles are removed, you need to put the pistons in the middle position, and to do this, you need to turn the crankshaft with a starter (with the candles twisted) so that all the pistons stand approximately in the middle of the cylinder, which will ensure uniform distribution of the fluid and access to the rings from all sides.
Then each cylinder is filled through the syringe with the estimated amount of cleaning liquid. Usually the volume is from 30 to 50 ml per cylinder, but the exact dosage depends on the manufacturer's recommendations and engine size. After filling the candle must be twisted back (or just inserted and pressed) for several turns to create vapor pressure and prevent evaporation of the product. In this state, the engine is left for a period of 1 hour to 12 hours (at night).
An important step is to blow out the cylinders after exposure. The candles are twisted out, and the starter is turned around the engine for 5-10 seconds to throw the remaining dissolved carbon and liquid out. Be sure to close the holes with rags or ask for an assistant, as the contents will fly out under pressure with sprays of aggressive chemistry.
| Parameter | Meaning/Action | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Engine temperature | Worker (80-90°C) | Warming up before muffling |
| Volume of liquid | 30-50 ml/cylinder | Depends on the cylinder volume |
| Exposition time | 1 - 12 hours | Depends on the degree of pollution |
| Position of pistons | Average | To access the rings |
The main purpose of decoking is not just to wash off the soda, but to return mobility to piston rings that were coked and ceased to perform their function.
Mechanical cleaning and washing of the oil system
Chemical decoking often only affects the combustion chamber, but does not affect the oil channels and insides of the crankcase. An integrated approach requires washing the oil system. After draining the old oil, a wash fluid or special wash oil is poured, after which the engine runs at idle speeds for 10-20 minutes, which allows you to dissolve the sludge and sediments in hard-to-reach places.
In some cases, when the degree of contamination is critical, partial disassembly of the engine is required, and the removal of the pallet allows mechanical cleaning of the oil mesh, which is often clogged with a thick tar. Oil-receiving With a clogged net, you're starving oil, which is one of the main reasons why the engine fails, and mechanical cleaning with brushes and solvents is more effective than any chemistry.
After the procedure of washing and changing the oil, it is recommended to replace the oil filter. The first 500-1000 kilometers of run (or motor watches for outboard motors) should operate the engine in a gentle mode, avoiding high turns and loads. This is necessary to burnish the parts after removing the soak, which, although harmful, but sometimes served as a seal in worn friction vapors.
⚠️ Attention: When starting the engine after decoking, you can get a lot of white smoke out of the exhaust pipe, this burns the residue of the cleaning fluid. However, if the smoke does not stop after warming up, immediately turn off the engine and check the oil level, as some of the liquid may have entered the crankcase.
- 🔄 Circulation flushing - method of cleaning the oil system without disassembling the engine using special means.
- 🔧 Mechanical cleaning - removal of deposits with brushes and scrapers with the engine disassembled.
- 🛢️ Replacement of the filter - mandatory procedure after any washing of the lubrication system.
Why can compression fall after decoking?
In older, worn-out engines, the stain often fills the gaps between worn rings and cylinder walls, artificially increasing compression. Once this sealant is removed, the compression can drop to real engine wear values, in which case decoxing will not help, but only reveal the need for major repairs.
Security measures and typical errors
Working with aggressive chemicals requires strict safety measures. Solvent vapors are toxic and flammable, so all work must be done in a well-ventilated room or outdoors. The use of personal protective equipment such as rubber gloves and safety glasses is mandatory.
One of the most common mistakes is to over-expose aggressive chemistry in cylinders beyond the recommended time, which can lead to corrosion of cylinder walls and damage to the antifriction coatings of pistons, and it is also dangerous to start the engine immediately after pouring the product without first blowing out the cylinders, which can cause the engine to be purged. hydraulic impactwhich can destroy the rods and the crankshaft.
You don't expect miracles from decocting on mechanically damaged engines, and if the rings are buried because of overheating and loss of metal elasticity, the chemistry won't restore them. Compression If it doesn't lift, the engine will continue to use oil, and the decoxing is only effective when the ring mobility is lost due to pollution, not physical wear or deformation.
⚠️ Attention: Never use a cold engine to decoct unless the instructions for the tool provide otherwise. Cold metal narrows the gaps, and the efficiency of fluid penetration into the rings will be minimal, and the risk of vapor condensation is high.
Safety comes first: wear gloves, glasses and a respirator. Aggressive chemistry doesn't forgive neglect of protective equipment.
How often should the engine be decoding?
Preventive decoking is recommended every 30,000-50,000 kilometers or every two seasons for water technology, but with quality fuel and oil, you can increase the intervals, and if you notice signs of rings, you should do it immediately.
Can I do the decoking on a diesel engine?
Yes, but the technology is a little different, because diesels often require nozzles to unscrew, not candles, which is more complicated and requires a special tool, and it is also important to keep a lot of chemicals out of the particulate filter (DPF), because it can irrevocably spoil it.
Will the scaling help reduce oil consumption?
If the oil consumption is caused by the filling of the oil removable rings due to the soot, then the decoking in most cases helps to reduce the flow or completely eliminate it. If the reason is the wear of cylinders or oil caps, the chemistry will be powerless.
Do I need to change the oil immediately after the scaling?
Yes, it is. Part of the cleaning fluid inevitably enters the crankcase through the gaps of the rings, diluting the oil and degrading its lubricating properties, and operating in such oil is dangerous for the engine, so the filter and oil replacement is required immediately after all procedures are completed.