Carbon buildup

[PMF1984]

I pulled the head off my Westerbeke 100 to replace the gasket. It’s at the shop, getting fixed this week.

I noticed some of the piston heads have some carbon deposits, and all the cylinders have a ring of carbon at the top.

Is there a way to remove the carbon deposits. I was ready to dig in with a brass brush on a Dre Mel, but then decided to ask first.

John

 

[Ski in NC]

There are carbon solvents in spray cans meant for two-stroke outboards that will soften the carbon. Yamaha, Merc and Evinrude make them, not sure of the brand name but outboard shops know exactly what it is.

Also, ten minutes at 3/4 power once a day or two cruising will burn most of that off.

Don't recommend the dremel, slung bristles can hide and make havoc.

 

[syjos]

Walnut blasting is used to remove carbon build up in direct injection automobile engines.

Spraying carbon removal spray into a running turbo engine is not recommended. The spray dislodges particles of carbon, which are hard and abrasive. A loosened carbon particle can travel out of a cylinder and if big enough cause havoc in the turbo.

 

[Lepke]

Don't remove the carbon while the piston is in the motor. Unless you can be sure none gets between the piston-rings and the cylinder wall. It's abrasive and will lower the lifespan.

Burning it off under load is a better way.

 

[BDofMSP]

I understand how you would burn it off as suggested on your mains, but how would he do that on the gen? You only have so much load onboard right?

 

[rslifkin]

I understand how you would burn it off as suggested on your mains, but how would he do that on the gen? You only have so much load onboard right?

If you can't get the generator up to full load, it's probably too big for the boat. Getting my 6.5kw up to full load is pretty easy.

 

[psneeld]

Max load is easy (temporarily).... I can switch everything aboard on and max out pretty quickly...but then the biggest users, air or heat, cycle on and off and after a short time, depending on environment... stay off too long in my opinion to keep the genny running hot long enough. Could be wrong..not sure.


So finding max, continuous load for my genny requires bringing additions demands aboard which isn't real convenient when cruising. As a twice a year thing...no a huge deal though.


Yet my genny is set up for those surge times so it doesn't trip when 3-4 major users kick on at the same time. I am not switching gennies because the PO set it up that way and I upped the 2-30's to a 125/250V 50A shore power panel.

 

[rslifkin]

A/C cycling is a good point. Given a warm enough day, open the boat up a bit and I can keep at least the big 16k BTU unit running non-stop. Fire up some burners on the electric stove and at least 80% load can be achieved continuously, more if I can keep a second A/C on without it cycling.

 

[C lectric]

If it really is a problem then go out and purchase an electric heater or two and use those to load the generator. At 1500W each it should not take a lot.

Even baseboard heaters are good, actually better to me, but may be a problem to store when not needed.



Almost forgot. NO SCOTCHBRITE either. The grit is silicon carbide and you will not get all the loosened grit out so it will then remain to grind at the cylinder and the pistons.

 

[syjos]

The OP has the head off his engine and asking about wire brushing the carbon off.

As long as you are vacuuming the debris out while brushing, should not be a problem.

On walnut blasting set ups, there is vacuum connected to the adapter in addition to the hole for the blasting gun nozzle. The blasting media and carbon bits are sucked out in conjunction with the walnut blasted in. Constant motion.

 

[psneeld]

If it really is a problem then go out and purchase an electric heater or two and use those to load the generator. At 1500W each it should not take a lot.

Even baseboard heaters are good, actually better to me, but may be a problem to store when not needed.



Almost forgot. NO SCOTCHBRITE either. The grit is silicon carbide and you will not get all the loosened grit out so it will then remain to grind at the cylinder and the pistons.

I usually use 2 electric heaters, could use a 3rd or 4th, but as a liveaboard in warm weather.....

 

[PMF1984]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have so far gotten that that I should not use a brass wheel. But I can if I vacuum it out. I should use the spray stuff. But maybe not. I should buy a bad of walnuts. (That one I don’t get, but if I suck at the same time it might not go down all those holes in the head.

Oh, and I need a second electric heater.

But seriously, since I prefer almonds..... Ski, if I use a vac to clean out the hole is a brass wire wheel ok. You are right that the wires come off and fly in every direction. I imagine I should block all those other holes up while this is going on. Yeah some of the carbon will end up in the tiny gap between the cylinder walls and piston.

Seems like the most fool proof way is to just run it at 3000 rpm. Yeah. Just thinking out loud here.

 

[OldDan1943]

Run the gen at 3/4+ and over time, the problem will be resolved.
Sounds like someone has been letting the gen run either unloaded or lightly loaded too long.
That is just my opinion.

 

[FF]

The simplest way I know of to de-carbon an engine is an old style insect sprayer (a Flit gun) .


With the engine warm simply spray a fine water mist into the intake till the engine begins to stumble, advance the throttle to about 1200-1500RPM keep it up and stumbling for about 5 min.


Done!

 

[PMF1984]

Just to prevent thread drift (as if that is possible) the engine I’m asking about is a Westerbeke 100. It’s the main propulsion engine. Not the genset.

 

[sunchaser]

Ok, the engine was running fine.

You changed out a gasket and noted carbon buildup in a few spots, check.

Is the carbon a problem? Maybe but not now. Check

Crush the walnuts and put them into chocolate syrup for the ice cream

Follow Ski's advice in post #2. Done

 

[Kapn]

I have yet to see an engine fail due to carbon buildup. Even on generators, anytime one is getting replaced at a boatyard it’s never due to carbon buildup, but other neglect or it was commercially used and has 20k++ hours. With pleasure boats there are lots of discussion about it on the docks, but like so many things in life, something else will kill the engine before carbon buildup.
Kinda like a Cigarette smoker switching to organic milk for health benefits.

 

[Baker]

Since it is on the main propulsion engine, just run the hell out of it every now and then. That Pilgrim should be a perfectly fitted boat for that engine.....or the other way around... .