On 8/23/03 10:35 AM, in article bi81lm$679b0$1@ID-177997.news.uni-berlin.de,
"bob zee" <cam509@linuxmail.org> wrote:

>
>
>
> "E. Meyer" <e.meyer@ieee.org> wrote in message
> news:BB6C4C80.D56B%e.meyer@ieee.org...
>
>>>
>> Blowing out the carbon ceased to be necessary when they switched to
> unleaded
>> fuel. That being said, I still do it whenever I get the chance, just
> 'cause
>> its fun.
>>
> not to pick on *you* directly, mainly i needed to put my opinion out there
> for the world to see. :~)>
>
> there has NEVER been a reason to blow out the carbon on any engine. if it
> is tuned right, it will never have any carbon to deal with! this is true
> from the ancient in-the-block-valve technology of my lawnmower right up to
> the I-VTEC technology of my honda. carbon is an symptom of a problem
> elsewhere. mixture too rich, engine never up to operating temperature, etc.
>
> oh yeah, since i brought up the briggs & stratton engine, ever notice the
> spark plug on your mower just loaded with carbon? yes, they set them things
> up at the factory to be extremely rich. how do you blow the carbon out of
> it? :~)>
> they are set rich so that they run cooler (ever notice your mower seems to
> cut better when it is cold outside?) a lean briggs on a 95 degree (F) day
> will melt in no time!
>
> my wife would never buy the 'blow the carbon out' trick...

You obviously never owned a '55 Oldsmobile back in the days of leaded gas.
Two weeks of city stop-n-go driving in that car and you were lucky if 6 of 8
cylinders still fired. The '63 was no better. I used to enjoy watching the
local cops floor the '66 Dodge patrol cars at each traffic light to try to
blow them out. But all that ended in the early '70s when the switch was
made to unleaded gas. No more lead deposits in the cylinders.

I agree with you now. Modern engines (using unleaded gas) do not build up
carbon deposits anymore unless they are seriously out of whack.