Has anyone had success with an additive to spray or pour in the cylinder? I have identified #7 on a Ohv V8 as the weak cylinder allowing some oil past some sticky rings? Valve job was the last thing done. After that the car has sat off and on for the last 40 years. Also tried a pcv valve. It helped but more pressure than that could control. Smoke mostly noticeable from blowby vent (not exhaust).
I heard car Lot's would tip Clorox cleanser(not bleach) down the carb running...said to ruff up cylinders, No I'm not recommending it, But it was something that was done many moons ago... Note:Car lot!
Try ATF and Acetone, half and half, in the bad hole, put it at bottom dead center and fill it up thru the spark plug hole, let it stand for a week or until it empties. It works to loosen up the rings. I f you can get a wood dowel thru the plug hole to the top of the piston tap it to jiggle the rings while it's full of the ATF and Acetone. Could be a stuck valve which means you'll have to pull the head, pour the juice on the stem and tap on it til it's free.
That's the Bon Ami tune-up. Supposedly recommended when the new SBC came out and rings weren't seating. Supposedly. There was a thread not too long ago on snake oils. Surprisingly a number of posters said the Lucas oil treatment worked wonders. I think this is it. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/snake-oils-or-not-snake-oils.1082062/
Id go with ATF / acetone soak to loosen the rings up, pull the plugs and get it all blown oit and running again. Then run it at 2500 rpm and trickle water down the carb, knocks a lot of carbon loose. Used the water "cleanse" a few times, also saw it frequently in army motor pool. If that doesnt clean it out, go for more aggressive action. Never heard of bleach.
That's the Bon Ami tune-up. Supposedly recommended when the new SBC came out and rings weren't seating. Supposedly. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/snake-oils-or-not-snake-oils.1082062/[/QUOTE] This dates back to at least 1941 when "the cure" appears in Buick or Chevrolet service news as a ring seating operation for slowly driven cars not broken in. It doesn't work on worn out stuff. Whoever did the heads without at least ringing it probably parked it soon ...
I had a beater with the same problem. I tried several motor honeys, etc. They helped a bit but the fact is the only solution is a rebuild.
I have also tried RESTORE and it worked pretty well.Only problem is has to be used continuously,not just once.
What do the plugs look like right now. Oftentimes mistuned carburetors will tend to foul the cylinders and possibly "wash out" rings or contribute to cylinder glazing. Don't want that because it is basically irreversible. Make sure ignition is hot and carb is adjusted proper. Can use some of that marvelous mysterious oil in both the fuel and crankcase oil as per ratio directions on the can. The beauty of that stuff is if it's going to work, it should work pretty quickly, within a tank of gas easy. Get it good and warmed up to speed on the highway and vary the load and decelerate etc. Drive the piss out of it. Worth a try for sure.
Yes, while not a "pour-in", it's called new piston rings, valve guides and seals. You really think some snake oil additive is gonna "fix" things. A thick oil/STP may disguise things for a while, but thick oil doesn't flow very well, especially on cold days..! Mike
I had a couple old engines that had been sitting for a while, and needed to drive 5000 miles. The first one wouldn't start, the rings were stuck, not enough compression. I took it apart, and put rings and gaskets in it, fixed it right up. The second ran but smoked like crazy (less than 100 miles per qt oil), and I took it half way apart, replaced the rings and the cylinder jug that was seriously rusted, and it ran great and didn't smoke any more. So, my answer is "no". Fix the thing. You don't need to replace every part in the engine, just the rings and gaskets.
Spark plug is more of a charcoal black rather than gray. I does not have any excessive carbon deposits. It is definitely firing as their is a slight change in rpm when disconnected (100 or 200 rpm). The other cylinders drop 400 to 500 rpm. I have a bottle of Rislone Piston Seal on the shelf. I will do a little experimenting with that and see if she will kick the habit! Thanks for the replies.
Nobody here is claiming an additive will repair worn out piston rings though, are they? When I read the original post he was asking about stuck or gummed up rings. Solvents will take care of that. Maybe something else is going on here, but that is what he asked about.
I don’t think he was looking for a permanent fix, nor was anyone saying rebuild in a can is that type of fix. I’ve limped along a lot of winter beaters with luckas and Barr’s stop leak etc to get 3-6 months of driving out of them. You want a correct rebuild after adding luckas and Barr’s to an engine you repaint it, get the cheap chrome dress up kit for it and some moroso and auto meter stickers and go racing !
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