Cheap and easy decoke

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RogerRust
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Cheap and easy decoke

Post by RogerRust »

Well that got your attention!

As you may have read I accidentally filled my MGB up with diesel last week. :(

I thought it was my imagination, but after a drive this evening I'm sure it's running better than it did before, smoother and faster ( ask the BMW driver I just passed on the bypass!). :D

I noticed that the diesel had cleaned the inside of the float chambers on the carbs. Do you think it has worked like a big dose of redex and degummed the rings or cleaned the combustion chambers? I don't know what else it could be perhaps the valves were a bit sticky before and its cleared that.

Any other suggestions?
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PSL184
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Post by PSL184 »

As I said on your other post Rog - It's good for the engine. Just not too much and not too often. A half gallon a year should be fine. My Gramps used to do this regularly on his Morris Eight to save having to keep taking the head off every 30,ooo miles.....
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aupickup
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Post by aupickup »

omg now everyone is going to put deisel in their engines

i am doing mine tom :D :D :D
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LouiseM
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Post by LouiseM »

Dennis - surely with all the 'new old stock' parts fitted it won't need a decoke? :lol: :lol:


Eric - 1971 Traveller
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Sidney'61
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Post by Sidney'61 »

Rich, Is this true for modern petrol engines aswell, or does it just work for the old ones? (I've no idea what goes on under the bonnet of a modern car :roll: )
Andy W____________1961 2-door 948cc (Sidney)_____________1963 2-door 1275cc (Emily)_______

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aupickup
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Post by aupickup »

oh so kind thats the body, need to work on the engine though :( :( :( :(
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PSL184
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Post by PSL184 »

Andy - no way would I recommend it on modern cars (fuel injection / ecu's etc) as I would not know how each individual car would react - but - for good old fashioned "proper" cars it works wonders....
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Peetee
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Post by Peetee »

What's the best way to apply it then? 1/2 a gallon in a full tank?

As to it running better I would imagine it will have cleaned out the exhaust and manifold of a large amount of soot etc. Anyone who has applied Redex through the manifold of a stationary engine and waited the required 10 mins will know what it looks like. It's like driving the Flying Scotsman down the road :o Very unnerving. I did it regularly on all my carb fed cars and never got used to it. There wasn't a time when i didn't think I'd killed the car it was that messy - and how I didn't get pulled by the nick was a stroke of luck. I Redex'd a car in the motorway services once. Drove it to the start of the sliproad and bottled out. if I'd got back on the motorway I'd have caused a pile up. :lol:
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PSL184
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Post by PSL184 »

Peetee wrote:What's the best way to apply it then? 1/2 a gallon in a full tank?
That will work fine...
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RogerRust
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Post by RogerRust »

Please note I did not make a recomendation about adding diesel to petrol. I simply made an observation that it seems to have cleaned my engine somewhat.

I made a mistake and filled up with the wrong fuel I didn't do it on purpose. I'd hate anyone to have a problem and blame it on advice they got here.
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NZJLY
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Post by NZJLY »

If one was to put in 1/2 gallon of diesel (2 Litres in real money :)), how much smoke would be expected, is a bit extra, or will be generating a smokescreen?

John
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PSL184
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Post by PSL184 »

You'll get a bit extra - shouldn't be too excessive though....
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rayofleamington
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Post by rayofleamington »

bear in mind that using diesel can be terminal for a petrol engine....
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MarkyB
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Post by MarkyB »

bear in mind that using diesel can be terminal for a petrol engine....
How does that happen Ray?
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rayofleamington
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Post by rayofleamington »

How does that happen Ray?
I'm only aware second hand, so I'm not saying it's gospel... however the diesel won't burn correctly so 'can' make a sticky varnish substance on the bores/rings and valve guides :(
However if you use 95% diesel on a refill, you're not likely to get far enough to do any damage. I have no info about using a low % diesel or how much it takes to cause problems, but I have heard of people using it in 2 stroke petrols as well, so it may well work.
It's just that diesel in Petrol engines is generally considered very risky.
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Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
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Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block :(
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bmcecosse
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Post by bmcecosse »

Much worse the other way round - although sometimes petrol is added to diesel in v cold weather to stop it waxing.
I suggest rather than add it to the tank - where there is no turning back - just dribble some into the carb while the engine is running at a fast idle. Best done out in the country I suspect - because there will be a smokescreen. In fact - water does a very similar job - and is best sucked in to the engine via the little dizzy vacuum pipe! Same idea - fast idle with hot engine - suck in 0.5 litre water - should clean up the engine quite nicely, and zero cost.
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melanddoug
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Re: Cheap and easy decoke

Post by melanddoug »

Guessing the catalytic converters on modern cars may not like that much ? (Just a guess)
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