# Carbon Buildup



## ut1205 (Apr 14, 2007)

Is there any product/additive that will slow the carbon buildup between the piston and rings? I have two Craftsman leaf blowers that are used alot. When new, I could get two to three years before cleaning/replacing the rings but now it is an annual event.


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## usmcgrunt (Sep 16, 2007)

I have had good results by using synthetic oil and Seafoam in always fresh gas.Seems to reduce allot of the carbon build up.The engines running to rich,which is better than to lean,also contributes to carbon buildup.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

To remove carbon build up.
If you have models that will idle, create a mixture of 1/2 fuel mix and 1/2 Chevron Techron, only enough for it to idle about 30 minutes, set it outside on some newspaper or something, the carbon and junk will start dripping/spitting from the muffler, "DO NOT REV IT UP", the carbon will come loose in chunks a create big problems, when the mix is used up refill with regular mix and let idle for 10 minutes and you are good to go. If you remove the muffler and look inside it will be spotless. Have a good one. Geo


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## ut1205 (Apr 14, 2007)

Thanks for the replies!! I'll give it a try.


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## E_Net_Rider (Jun 4, 2010)

Craftsman, probably is a Poulan. I have good luck with synthetic oil as well. I do wish my old Poulan blower was not so heavy. The WeedEater/Poulan trimmer I was given had wrong plug, busted ring, & carbon buildup to the point it scratched piston and head. I slapped new ring in it almost 20 years ago. Two of my saws are Poulan. The bigger also sold as a Husqvarna and it had an engineering mistake, or maybe manufacturing. The model had no fuel tank vent system although one is shown on diagrams. This created issues with getting mix set properly because it would pull a vacuum on the tank. A year ago, heavy use seized ring to piston and believe it was because it pulled to vacuum and ran lean. Cleaned up minor scratches, replaced ring, added fuel vent. It is running great. I have a near 30 year old Homelite XL and no carbon problems with it either. I always use quality fuel and synthetic oil. My biggest issue is that after a few years the clear fuel lines and some fuel filters start to break down and plug screen in carburator. Two cycles are supposed to run rich, but not too rich. The amount of oil should be measured accurately, not too much. These old engines call for mixes of 16:1 all the way to 40:1 with older conventional oils. I run the synthetic 50:1 in all of them.
I was just given a second smaller Poulan saw. He moved to Hawaii. He thought it would not start because he left fuel in it for a year. Inspection revealed chains run to tight, a rotted fuel line, loose muffler, and the dirtiest plug I've ever seen on a two-cycle. To my surprise, when redoing the muffler I looked in checking piston and almost no carbon buildup. Unfortunately I don't know the history of it.
Although cleaning muffler is often maintenance, I have found that Poulan bolted on mufflers get loose bolts. There is a third bolt inside which will back fully out. The looseness eats the exhaust gasket but also changes the exhaust gas flow and gases scavenging which may lead to other problems. I used a bit of Loctite on threads the last go around but have not yet learned if it will hold. It was not high temp type.
Chevron did have a product for small engines, 2 & 4 cycle.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Chevron Techron Concentrate is not recommended for air cooled 2-cycle engines as a normal application. However, the above suggestion is not a normal application, I have had good success on weedeater/blowers that will "idle", I also used it on an old lawnboy which had no throttle control and it came apart. Have a good one. Geo


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