What exactly is clearing carbon?

[Wormz]

Would like to find out more about the theory behind "clearing carbon"

 

We have all heard that once in a while we need to ride our bikes fast and hard (preferably at 2nd link) in order to "clear carbon" because carbon will build up during normal city riding. After clearing carbon we will find our engines running smoother.

 

Anyone knows why this is so? Is the carbon deposited in the engine cylinders or piston? Or is it in the exhaust system? Will riding in spore at a low gear once in a while with high engine rpm achieve the same effect of "clearing carbon"?

[eedwinn]

Maybe someone can also explain what is carbon and how it is formed?

 

Would like to know too! Thanks!

[Yatz86]

carbon??form because the petrol never burn properly therefore resulting in CO(carbon)...burn properly then turn into CO 2...hmm i think someting like that...

[hachi]

Just an excuse to wack the bike.....hee hee

[pergilahsayang]

i onli know abit from some sifu. He got 2 stroke bike. He said the the same thing. Speeding cam burn some carbon. He tried examinate his spark plug. He city ride the bike 2 weeks. He found out his sprk plug full of carbon. Then later he whack his bike kaw kaw 100kmh... few days. And check bak, the plug is 75% cleaner. The plug almost had no carbon at all. Juzz the spark plug is in dark rusty coloured.

 

he sumtimes operate his engine . By whacking ur bike once in a time ( and use synthetic 2t ), ur engine would b less dirtier. And u could servis the engine ( clean the carbon ) much less often.

 

4 stroke bikes, produce less carbon. hence whacking the bike once in a while is almost enogh to make sure the engine is healthy and clean. For better cleanlines, use synthetic EO also. Even IF somehow ur 4t bikes need to clean away the carbon, usually onli need to clean the valve area and head area.

 

And if i remmber correctly my guru said, the carbon is produce inside the combustion chamber. and in a long run, the carbon will fill other places like plugs, valve, exhaust, head,block. And as time goes by, "whacking" method wont b enogh to clean ur engine ( usually 2 stroker ), and u might need to clean the internal engine "manualy by hand"

 

. Correct me if im wrong. Juzz sharing sum info Tq

[eedwinn]

So does cleaning the internal engine "manually by hand" means going for full servicing and stuff like that? Sorry I'm new to these.

 

Thanks!

[pergilahsayang]

So does cleaning the internal engine "manually by hand" means going for full servicing and stuff like that? Sorry I'm new to these.

 

Thanks!

 

100% CoRReCT!!!!!. Service ur engine does not necessary means u 'overhaul' the whole thing. There are some service provided in workshhop . Dey will open ur engine and clean it 4 u. Piston, head, etc etc. Untill become shiny hahahaha....

 

But unlike 4 stroke, i usually found tht they dun full clean thier engine like 2 stroke. The most they done is juzz clean and polish head and grind valve every few years ( or when thier bikes performance drop ).

[josephsbs]

summary of what I could gather:

 

Carbon & our engines:

Internal combustion engines are commonly used for mobile propulsion in automobiles (e.g. cars, motorcycles, buses, etc), equipment (e.g. generators) and other portable machinery (e.g. chain saw). They depend on the exothermic chemical process of combustion: the reaction of a fuel with oxygen from air (typically), although other oxidizers such as nitrous oxide may be employed.

 

The most common modern fuels are made up of hydrocarbons and are derived mostly from petroleum. These include the fuels known as diesel fuel, gasoline (also called petrol) and petroleum gas, and the rarer use of propane gas. Hydrocarbons are currently the main source of the world’s electric energy, heat source and machinery fuel because of the energy produced when burnt.

 

How carbon or soot is formed?

In an ideal reaction, the waste would be only water and carbon dioxide, but because the coal is not pure or clean there are often many toxic byproducts such as mercury and arsenic. Also, incomplete combustion causes the production of carbon monoxide (CO) which is toxic to humans. Incomplete combustion also has a byproduct of carbon in the form of soot. Carbon residue is also formed from burning of crankcase lubricant or engine oil. Soot is generally "sticky" and could accumulate in the cylinder, on the pistons/rings, valves and also inside the exhaust. As a result, engine could not performance at optimal level as before.

 

How to clear carbon or soot?

 

1) Pay & let the pros do it:

There is a standard maintenance cleaning called a carbon treatment, usually done at bigger automobile maintenance or service stations. The process help clean the carbon from inside, all the way through the intake manifold to the exhaust, cleaning valves , ports and more on the way. Personally, I've not heard of anyone doing it and don't know where it can be done in Singapore.

Another more tedious and time consuming method is to strip the affected parts for manual cleaning in solvents and brushing before reassembling.

 

2) DIY carbon cleaning products

There're also DIY carbon cleaning products in the market that basically follows a process similar to this:

a) warm up the engine

b) with the engine idling, slowly spray the DIY cleaner into carburettor

c) raise engine speed to approximately 2000 rpm until a cloud of white smoke come out of the exhaust

d) shut off engine, allow time for the chemicals to act on the carbon deposits, sometimes overnight (depends on product)

e) when soak period is completed, start engine and rev it to burn off remainder of chemical in the engine until the white smoke is gone

f) let EO settle in bay and change EO to remove any chemical residue

Very important! Engine may be damaged if not done properly.

 

3) Blow soot

Lastly, some jokers call it the "blow job". Blowing soot is a very popular method as it is free, allows them to have a run and also very convenient since it can be done "on the way" during cruises. Idea is to run the engine to high enough revs and temperature to burn the soot together with combustion. High revs also creates high internal pressure that squeezes the burn soot out of the system. Some agree, some are skeptical of the effectiveness of this method.

 

Myself? I practice blowing soot

[Wormz]

Idea is to run the engine to high enough revs and temperature to burn the soot together with combustion. High revs also creates high internal pressure that squeezes the burn soot out of the system. Some agree, some are skeptical of the effectiveness of this method.

 

 

I see... So theoretically we can also clear carbon in spore by traveling at around 80km/hr in 1st or 2nd gear...

[pergilahsayang]

Im more interested in DIY metrod ( no 2 ) . Neva eva see tht kind of product since i was born.

 

 

 

----> Wormz. i think ha, no need to rev low gears and whack ur engine kaw kaw lol. Later ur engine might b clean, but end up with a severe damage. AS i told u be4 in earlier post bout my friend "experiment", he juzz hit da express way, and cruising in a speed not below 95 -110 kmh for a couple of day. ANd check bak da engine... cant say its totaly shiny, but cleaner den be4...

[josephsbs]

traveling at around 80km/hr in 1st or 2nd gear...

hmmm... i don't know what bike u riding, but if i tua my 200cc phantom around 80km/hr in 2nd gear (don't think 1st gear can hit), no need to worry about carbon coz engine very soon need overhaul liow. i usually use 5th gear around that speed. normal gearing is good enough coz revs are already pretty high for small bikes at those speed.

 

i think for small or "city runner" bikes (e.g. spark, wave, phantom, pulsar, rxk, etc.), little need to worry about carbon cos their engines/carbs are designed and tuned to perform as commuters. even if get a bit in the city, once we hit the expressways, the revs required to get us to 80-90km/hr should be sufficient to purge it out. more attention should be placed on 2T, 4T, spark plugs, air filter, etc. for better performance. engines of high performance sports bikes (e.g. r1) are designed and have carbs/EFI tuned (fuel-air ratio) to optimal performance at high revs (high speed). these engines are more prone to accumulate carbon when their engines are running at low levels.

 

Im more interested in DIY metrod ( no 2 ) . Neva eva see tht kind of product since i was born.

many available overseas and also can order via internet... but don't think i'll ever try them

[kito]

guys e blowing soot method is an effective way(to me )..but control is e most important factor to always keep in mind during those high speed with this method..also..do and always do remember to check ur side mirrors..juz in case u see some blinking lights getting closer!!

[mkhairi]

so, riding at 80-90kmph is enough for a 2b bike? kinda missing something here..

 

some friend told me wacking the engin in the name of clear carbon is urban myth.. just an excuse for them to speed..

 

i dont know.. the pressure created during high speed to clear the carbon part make sense though..

[josephsbs]

actually no need high speed to get high revs... just use lower gears and your engine will ROAR!!!

 

but watch out for over heating and ending up with a clean but worn out engine

[ghost04]

after clearing ur ride will be smoother. u can feel it. very obvious one.

[pergilahsayang]

Mayb u shpuld take a look at dis? taken from This site also... pinned section one...

 

 

Ride it, don't tickle it

Engines are built with a particular duty cycle in mind. Lawnmowers are designed to run at one speed all day, but bike engines aren't. They're designed to rev (crusiers excepted). So you won't do your GSX-R any favours if you never take it above 6000rpm. Dave: "Engines last better if you use them fairly hard, and especially if you rev them throught the gears (not redlining, just letting them spin) instead of short shifting. It keep them clean and healthy. There's more damage done by people who sit at 60 all day than by lads doing track days." Watch out on down changes, though, change too early and you could over-rev the engine, bending valves in the process.

 

 

 

Any connection? . i dun think this "blowing soot" is totaly myth lah. Beside, already told my experiance in my earlier post.... althought this method is not 100% effective. But stil can see da diffrance. Especially 2 stoker which produce lots of carbon built up...

[mkhairi]

actually no need high speed to get high revs... just use lower gears and your engine will ROAR!!!

 

but watch out for over heating and ending up with a clean but worn out engine

 

hmm.. i wonder how auto scoots were to 'blow' carbon.. cant get high rev unless speeding mah..

[ghost04]

centerstand then rev lor...

[pergilahsayang]

centerstand then rev lor...

 

 

Later ppl make a police report cuz too noisy hahaha.

 

---> Scooter? full throtle for a long distance lah hahahahaha

[josephsbs]

Later ppl make a police report cuz too noisy hahaha.

brudder, ride to somewhere remote like lim chu kang end then rev n scare the birds lah. bring umbrella in case the birds come back n sh1t on u... hahahaha

[Demon]

We have all heard that once in a while we need to ride our bikes fast and hard (preferably at 2nd link) in order to "clear carbon" because carbon will build up during normal city riding.

 

You don't need an excuse to ride at speed excessively but if you do, you have just found one

[ghost04]

if scared noisy u can just hit the highway...no cars behind u then clutch in n rev for a few secs...

[snowparang]

summary of what I could gather:

 

How to clear carbon or soot?

 

1) Pay & let the pros do it:

There is a standard maintenance cleaning called a carbon treatment, usually done at bigger automobile maintenance or service stations. The process help clean the carbon from inside, all the way through the intake manifold to the exhaust, cleaning valves , ports and more on the way. Personally, I've not heard of anyone doing it and don't know where it can be done in Singapore.

Another more tedious and time consuming method is to strip the affected parts for manual cleaning in solvents and brushing before reassembling.

I do it by this method, except I didn't send it to the shops. Strip the engine (combustion chamber will do) and clean the hell out of it using petrol and wire brushes. Especially the exhaust valves.

 

Mine's a 2 stroker btw. I have doubts you need to do this for a 4 stroke frequently, which burns so much more cleanly. Going at high speed does helps a bit but it doesn't clean all, just make the thick carbon deposit thinner.

 

And lastly, I think it's not entirely clear why 'dragging' at 2nd gear will damage the bike. There's no difference at 10k rpm in 2nd gear or 10k rpm in 6th gear. Actually, the engine works harder at 6th gear. However, if you go at 10k rpm at 6th gear, your cooling is defintely much better since you're travelling at a much higher speed.

 

my 2 cents.

[Guest Valarie]

To address the carbon issue on my 2 Stroke bike, I have it Torque service once every 6 months and decarbonize my pipe at the same time.

[hotbladerz]

Interesting topic discussed here. Well, as for me, carbonizing my pipe & full service it every few months will do it great for my bike. Riding Japan RXZ. & I will make sure I use the right 2T & 4T Oil. Synthetic oils would be good enough.

& make sure the oils pump properly to lubricates the engine parts. Surely, a smooth performance ahead!