The Ford Barn

rivcokid · 08-13-2021, 04:58 PM

My garage floor has a very discernable spray of carbon dust below the tail pipe of my 31 Town Sedan. This seems to be deposited upon startup. It is dry, extremely fine, almost like graphite. And recently, the plugs have been fouled with carbon.

I keep the GAV valve set to around 1/4 turn from off - any leaner and the car doesn't like it.

Any ideas on how I'm getting this stuff, and what I can do to remove it?

Thanks, as always!

Werner · 08-13-2021, 05:06 PM

That's is normal. Without a catalytic converter, a lot of soot comes out of the exhaust pipe, especially when the engine is cold, due to incomplete fuel combustion.

That's why I roll my cold car out of the garage without running the engine.

Soot can be removed very well with "brake cleaner".

rivcokid · 08-14-2021, 07:33 AM

Danke Werner!

Big hammer · 08-14-2021, 12:59 PM

You don't need harsh chemicals to clean it up, water moved it out and on to your floor, at little soap and water will clean it up ( with some elbow grease) !

rivcokid · 08-14-2021, 04:31 PM

Oh, yes. The "stain" is fine and comes up with household cleaners as you said. My question is - what is causing this? My roadster blows out nothing. The fordor blows out carbon and the plugs got fouled. So, something is causing this - I just don't know what.

Werner · 08-14-2021, 04:56 PM

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N'Abend,

the main reason is incomplete combustion of the fuel. At "richer" are the fuel/air mixture, so greater is the emission of wet soot.

This is normal when the engine is cold. But it's when the engine is heated, the mixture is too rich, you have to set it leaner.

Bob Bidonde · 08-15-2021, 08:40 AM

This may help. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Ivan in southeast va. · 08-15-2021, 02:16 PM

That's normal, put cardboard sheets on the floor. As soon as I get it started, I move it out of the garage and let it warm up.

1crosscut · 08-15-2021, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivcokid

Oh, yes. The "stain" is fine and comes up with household cleaners as you said. My question is - what is causing this? My roadster blows out nothing. The fordor blows out carbon and the plugs got fouled. So, something is causing this - I just don't know what.

I guess your roadster is abnormal.

On your fordor are you running an air cleaner? Maybe too restrictive if you are.
Plugs gapped correctly?
Correct plugs?

Just some ideas.

rivcokid · 08-15-2021, 10:07 PM

Thanks so much everybody. Had a member of the club over today (and he knows infinitely more than I do!) The carb was running rich via the idle screw, the points were off, and the spark plugs were all a bit too wide. After getting all of those worked on, it runs like a top. I managed to get it out and up to speed a few times so I think I got some of the carbon blown out. Will see tomorrow when I go back. Thanks again!!

08-13-2021, 04:58 PM	#1
rivcokid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 174	Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe My garage floor has a very discernable spray of carbon dust below the tail pipe of my 31 Town Sedan. This seems to be deposited upon startup. It is dry, extremely fine, almost like graphite. And recently, the plugs have been fouled with carbon. I keep the GAV valve set to around 1/4 turn from off - any leaner and the car doesn't like it. Any ideas on how I'm getting this stuff, and what I can do to remove it? Thanks, as always!

08-13-2021, 05:06 PM	#2
Werner Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Germany, near Aachen Posts: 1,159	Re: Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe That's is normal. Without a catalytic converter, a lot of soot comes out of the exhaust pipe, especially when the engine is cold, due to incomplete fuel combustion. That's why I roll my cold car out of the garage without running the engine. Soot can be removed very well with "brake cleaner". __________________ Beste Gruesse aus Deutschland, Werner Ford Model A, Roadster, 1928 Citroen 11 CV, 1947 Hercules W 2000, 1976; (with NSU-Wankel Rotary Engine), Canadian version

08-14-2021, 07:33 AM	#3
rivcokid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 174	Re: Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe Danke Werner!

08-14-2021, 12:59 PM	#4
Big hammer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 3,131	Re: Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe You don't need harsh chemicals to clean it up, water moved it out and on to your floor, at little soap and water will clean it up ( with some elbow grease) ! __________________ Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap get a bigger hammer tap done

08-14-2021, 04:31 PM	#5
rivcokid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 174	Re: Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe Oh, yes. The "stain" is fine and comes up with household cleaners as you said. My question is - what is causing this? My roadster blows out nothing. The fordor blows out carbon and the plugs got fouled. So, something is causing this - I just don't know what.

08-14-2021, 04:56 PM	#6
Werner Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Germany, near Aachen Posts: 1,159	Re: Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) N'Abend, the main reason is incomplete combustion of the fuel. At "richer" are the fuel/air mixture, so greater is the emission of wet soot. This is normal when the engine is cold. But it's when the engine is heated, the mixture is too rich, you have to set it leaner. __________________ Beste Gruesse aus Deutschland, Werner Ford Model A, Roadster, 1928 Citroen 11 CV, 1947 Hercules W 2000, 1976; (with NSU-Wankel Rotary Engine), Canadian version

08-15-2021, 02:16 PM	#8
Ivan in southeast va. Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Portsmouth, Virginia Posts: 303	Re: Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe That's normal, put cardboard sheets on the floor. As soon as I get it started, I move it out of the garage and let it warm up.

08-15-2021, 10:07 PM	#10
rivcokid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 174	Re: Carbon Dust from Tail Pipe Thanks so much everybody. Had a member of the club over today (and he knows infinitely more than I do!) The carb was running rich via the idle screw, the points were off, and the spark plugs were all a bit too wide. After getting all of those worked on, it runs like a top. I managed to get it out and up to speed a few times so I think I got some of the carbon blown out. Will see tomorrow when I go back. Thanks again!!