Has anyone ever heard of doing a "ring job" by dumping Bon Ami down the carburator? A couple of old timers told me about this 20 years ago and I've never tried it. At the time, I had an old garden tiller that burned large amounts of oil, (it was an old tiller from the late '60's, early 70's). I was complaining about this one day when one of them told me to crank it up, run it at high idle and pour Bon Ami down the carb. They said this would "re-seat" the rings and break the glaze on the cylinder walls. After this "treatment," I would have to changing the oil, but it would stop the oil burning, (or at least slow it down). I never did do it as that season the motor threw a rod. Just wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this and tried it.
Ring job with Bon Ami
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I have heard simmiliar stories
heard those tricks many, many moons ago, just another housewifey's tale.
Fact is, Bon Ami is abrasive and will scour the cylinder wall with vertical grooves (same direction as the piston travels), causing oil burning down the road.
Back in the old days: such trick isn't gonna matter much, citing: most engines seldom lasts more than 50~70k before a rebuild is to be put into order due to combustion chamber deposits (carboning), oil control rings stuck due to rapid motor oil decomposition( pre SAE-SA days), and excessive valve guide wear, loss of compression due to cylinder wall scouring, etc.
Besides: it's normal to burn a quart of oil every 1~2k on a healthy engine back in those days...
(*and the list goes on and on..*)
Q.
Fact is, Bon Ami is abrasive and will scour the cylinder wall with vertical grooves (same direction as the piston travels), causing oil burning down the road.
Back in the old days: such trick isn't gonna matter much, citing: most engines seldom lasts more than 50~70k before a rebuild is to be put into order due to combustion chamber deposits (carboning), oil control rings stuck due to rapid motor oil decomposition( pre SAE-SA days), and excessive valve guide wear, loss of compression due to cylinder wall scouring, etc.
Besides: it's normal to burn a quart of oil every 1~2k on a healthy engine back in those days...
(*and the list goes on and on..*)
Q.
have heard it in the 60s. STILL dont think its a good idea.
When I was a kid, one of the neighborhood teenagers insisted that you could "clean out an engine" by putting a little uncooked rice down the carb.
I think he overdid it.
It backfired through the intake and shot uncooked rice everywhere like No. 9 birdshot. Lucky he didn't get blinded.
No word on whether or not it actually did any de-carbonizing.
I think he overdid it.
It backfired through the intake and shot uncooked rice everywhere like No. 9 birdshot. Lucky he didn't get blinded.
No word on whether or not it actually did any de-carbonizing.
I drop a pack of firecrackers down my carb to blow away carbon. It works, really, I do it once a week. Well it works most of the time. The only problem I had was that one time when my carb blew up. And set me on fire. And set my dog on fire. And my house burnt down.Other than that it works great.
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Back when the small block Chevy was first having teething problems (circa 1955-1957), it had a problem of seating the piston rings on new engines. Chevy told the mechanics to use some Bon Ami to help seat the rings. There is an old local retired Chevy mechanic that told me about it probably a dozen years ago.
I'd only do it on an engine as a last resort, though, and I mean the very last.
I'd only do it on an engine as a last resort, though, and I mean the very last.
"Bon Ami still uses the trademark feldspar and limestone as gentle, effective abrasives, but now combines them with even more sustainable cleaning agents from renewable corn and coconut oils. Plus we’ve added a touch of baking soda to help absorb odors."
I don't see how feldspar and limestone could make anything better. Would scratch/scuff/wear down the cylinder hone and rings. Get up in the valve stems/seals/seats wearing them out too. The reason for its use - lack of compression or oil consumption means feldspar and limestone would mix into the engine oil causing wear on every moving part.
Am I wrong?
I don't see how feldspar and limestone could make anything better. Would scratch/scuff/wear down the cylinder hone and rings. Get up in the valve stems/seals/seats wearing them out too. The reason for its use - lack of compression or oil consumption means feldspar and limestone would mix into the engine oil causing wear on every moving part.
Am I wrong?
Caterpillar at one time had it in their parts catalog.
While I can't remember the name of the product, I do remember years ago some auto parts stores sold a "re-ring your engine" product. It consisted of little black balls, (enough to do eight cylinders), a cardbord tube and a can of very heavy "STP" thick oil additive. The balls were a little smaller than a marble. What you did was remove your spark plugs and with the little cardboard tube, dropped a certain number of these balls into the combustion chamber via spark plug hole. Then you added the heavy oil to your motor oil, started the engine and drove. While you drove, the miracle product would bond in a super fantastic way to the cylinder walls giving you super fantastic mileage and super fantastic compression reducing your oil consumption to new super fantastic lows. I actually tried it on an old '69 Buick I owned in High School. The results were less than super fantastic. One of the spark plugs crudded up with the little ball stuff and I had to buy a new spark plug. It didn't help the motor but it didn't seem to hurt it either. Hot rodded that thing all through High School.
63, I'm curious, do you light the firecrackers before you drop them down the carb or do you simply drop them in and allow combustion to do the rest? I really want to try this since I don't own a dog.
If you Google enough you come across a newspaper clipping of Car Talk on this issue. One points out the Bon Ami would dry your cylinder walls of all oil for a period of time.
Anyway, if you Google long enough the legend seems to converge on a mid '50's Chevy V8 engine.
Anyway, if you Google long enough the legend seems to converge on a mid '50's Chevy V8 engine.
Bon Ami was used a lot in the old days to help free up rings and cut cylinder glaze in diesels that had idled way too much or overheated a few too many times.....the trick was to get just the right amount in it (impossible) or risk making the problem much worse (which happened most of the time). It certainly adjusted blower rotor clearances in two-stroke DD's very nicely.
There was once a video of a Cummins NH220 that showed a mechanic pouring sand in each of the intake snouts from a modified intake manifold....the sand was actually Bon Ami. The video was intended to show how minor amounts of "sand" would affect blow-by and eventually lead to a worn out engine. Cummins used to show the video at their training classes.
There was once a video of a Cummins NH220 that showed a mechanic pouring sand in each of the intake snouts from a modified intake manifold....the sand was actually Bon Ami. The video was intended to show how minor amounts of "sand" would affect blow-by and eventually lead to a worn out engine. Cummins used to show the video at their training classes.
I let the combustion take care of it, but you gotta look out for the dreaded carb backfire!!! I think that's where I got in trouble.
The first SBC, the 265 ci , introduced in '55 Had problems with the rings seating properly. The Chevvy dealership solution was Bon Ami.
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