carbon clean out?

[rickssubie]

Haven't been on here for a long time. Bought my '92 Loyale some 5 years ago with 136k miles, joined the forum, and haven't had enough issues to need help. It now has just shy of 177k. awesome little car!

Anyway, I've pretty much always had to run mid-grade gas in it all along, or it knocks and pings and rattles. Did a tune-up, with not much change. I'm thinking it just must be carboned up bad. Tried additives, which help in the short term. Is there a good way to blast the thing out? Or do I just need to yank the heads and scrape away? BTW, it gets driven an easy 30 miles a day on a nice flat hiway at 55-60.

[casm]

I'm thinking it just must be carboned up bad. Tried additives, which help in the short term. Is there a good way to blast the thing out? Or do I just need to yank the heads and scrape away? BTW, it gets driven an easy 30 miles a day on a nice flat hiway at 55-60.

 

Seafoam. Works great for de-carbonising the intake, valves, etc., and can also be used in the crankcase to clean out any sludge lurking in the oil system. Search for it; there are a couple of threads on it with varying opinions, but I've used it in both my current and previous Brat without issue as well as my other vehicles. Quietened the engine considerably and freed up a sticking lifter quite nicely.

[rickssubie]

Thanks! I have heard of that stuff on another forum. Forgot about it.

[Quidam]

Hey Rick,

 

I suggest an "Itallian" tune up, if you haven't done that. I suggest that you run whatever grade fuel that it needs too. Any ping is BAD.

 

Some folks around here will tell you that car is junk, or that you should EJ it.

 

Hard to say, it may have vacume leaks, or failing valve seals. How do the spark plugs look?

 

Doug

[Niku-Sama]

arlington hmm, i was up there for a little while, on the other side of the I5 off of pioneer hwy. that is if its the same arlington.

 

any way when i got mine it knocked and pinged a bit, not too bad but my PCV was shot and had been for a while and blew alot of junk into the system and clogged up the pipes, a screw driver and some solvent fixed it and it helped alot, might check it out. i bet even though if you've replaced the PCV about 20 years of bulid up could still happen

[rickssubie]

Yeah, I replaced the PVC valve soon after I bought it. Front plugs were nearly white, back ones were nasty(or was it the other way around?). My Check Engine light is on about 50% of time, and the code showed something about PVC solonoid. Solonoid checked out ok, but the PVC valve itself was a mess. It ran better for awhile, then light started coming back on, and it went back to knocking. I've just lived with it since. Mid-grade gas seems to keep it fairly happy, but I just would like to get it right.

I'm at a cross roads with the thing. I'd like to replace it. It's getting tired. Body is still mint, I.E. no rust. Interior is clean. But the A/C is in it's last gasp, power windows are nearly kaput, I hear that right front inboard CV joint clattering again(why DO they hang the cat-convert right under a CV??!!).

But it just keeps chugging along, getting 30 MPG, and is awesome in the snow( I've since moved to N. Utah) So.......:-\

[NoahDL88]

Check the ignition timing, if its too far advanced you'll get some ping. should be at 20 BTDC if memory serves.

 

+1 on seafoam, works a mint