Evening Chevy Fans:

I have a story and a problem and then a question.
A couple of years back my transmission seal failed and I "burnt" up all my transmission fluid through the cylinder and the car blew black smoke until the fluid was gone and the car wouldn't move anymore (no more transmission fluid). The mechanic fixed the seal and no damage was done. (Thank God). However, the mechanic commented that I had the cleanest internals now because the transmission fluid would have burned and cleaned off the valves and pistons and also the spark plugs.

Now my problem, I have been driving the car for the past month to take my daughter to school. It is a very short drive only 2 miles round trip. (that is the only driving the car gets) The car barely even gets warmed up. I have always run the carburetor pretty rich because it seems to like it that way and has a lot of punch all the way to top speed. But, I think the richness and the short drives have fouled out one or more spark plugs. The car starts fine but runs very rough until I drive it again on the weekend for a 10 miles (hot engine) drive. This seems to be a short term fix only. I have screwed in the two adjustment screws on the carb (4 barrel) one full turn each. And that seems to have reduced the problem but it still exists.

Now the question, Could I run a bottle of transmission fluid through the gas tank and the car engine to clean the cylinders and the spark plugs? Or must I pull all the plugs and get new ones. (A job I don't have time for and don't have the money to buy plugs (really tight times here on the home front).

Comments more than welcome, Am I crazy in my thinking?

Thank you, Ryan

Pull the plugs, check them out, and if you cannot afford new ones, clean (wire wheel) and regap the old ones and reinstall. Any GM dealer sells a product called Top Engine Cleaner that would do the job you ask about as far as cleaning the internals...it costs about $8 a can.

whatever you do, dear lord in heaven, do NOT put tranny fluid in your gas tank. I dont know who put that idea in your head but that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

As far as tranny fluid in the engine oil, I have heard that a tablespoon or so, then run for a SHORT time before an oil change can indeed help clean out your engine a bit. The higher detergent content of the tranny fluid (which is why it lifts paint off shop benches) can clean your engine internals more powerfully than the stuff in regular oil.

I ran transmission fluid through the gas tank and never had any problems. It doubles as a top end lubricant so I've heard. I don't do it anymore, but not because it caused any harm.

No offense man, but if you can't afford a set of plugs, you need a new hobby. $8-12 should get some good Delco or NGK plugs...

And see about running her some more to get her good and warm now and then. That helps the engine burn off crud and evaporates water that condenses in the crankcase. I'd go the scenic route at least 1 time a week if its not getting warm the other days.

Why Spark Plug type decision

Well, I called around to the auto parts stores and they have 3 basic types.
a) standard hot #26
b) platinum
c) split fire

There prices are:
A) $ 1.29
B) $ 2.49
C) $ 4.59

Which one should I go with, please?


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Stick with the standards.

From the HP book "How to Hot Rod your small block Chevy" (circa 1976)
<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">
In desperation, others have installed "guaranteed, life time, more horsepower, mileage and engine life" trick plugs. Don't bother. No one winning any races uses them - so why should you? Most of these plugs, easily identiied by the full page adds used to advertise them, appeal to the "something-for-nothing" owner who thinks that screwing in new plugs will give instant and enormous improvements in HP and mileage. We all know that this is impossible and so do you. But, Barnum was right, there IS a SUCKER born every minute. </font>

Unless your cylinder pressures are something akin to a big shot of nitrous, or 13+:1 compression to where you 'NEED' a race plug, Stick with A and tell the counter help to stick those shitfires up their ..... That's the most insain marketing gimmic I've ever seen. And the sad part is they have made billions off of it. Their what's called a 'feel good item'. It makes you feel so good to have thrown $40 at your baby that you convince yourself that it runs better.

[This message has been edited by Marv Davis (edited April 07, 2005).]

A good old set of AC delco R45TS is what you want.. Don't buy into the snake oil of "great wonder plugs" that gives HP, MPG, and last 1000,000,000 miles.. It's all BS

The only plugs I will run in mine are AC delco standard stock type plug, or NGK V power plug

Well, my hands show the wear of tight clearance between the headers, spark plugs and other car parts under the hood. (scratches on both hand). The plugs are replaced with Autolite # 26 at $1.29 each. The plugs in the car were #16, Autolite. Now we are using the hot plugs. It took 2 hours and 10 minutes working from both above and below the car. However, it was worth it the cars runs great. Thanks for you input. I most have been crazy not going ahead and doing the work weeks ago. http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/smile.gif

Smart move. and in the future, if your plugs get fouled, remove them and either clean them or replace them. I think you have just learned, that with all the pain and scraping, you might as well put in new ones. Save the tranny fluid for the tranny. And I only use plain 'ol Delco's myself. The shitires are like fishing lures ..... deigned to catch fishermen, not fish.

Also, adjusting the screws on the front of your carburetor only adjusts the idle mixture and has nothing to do with "running" mixture. You do need to make a 20 mile drive at least once every tank of gas to boil off the water that condenses in your oil. It will help the plugs out a little too. Be careful with changing heat ranges on your plugs. I know you're trying to keep them cleaner. I would set the carb correctly (choke, idle mixture) and see if that's fouling your plugs.

[This message has been edited by need-for-speed (edited April 10, 2005).]

i got the accel header plugs, like said above no power gain but they will clear your headers and keep you from melting wires.

ryan,

If you want to do what you asked about in the first place it is FINE to periodically add half a small bottle of good old, "snake-oil" named Marvel Mystery Oil to both your oil on top of a change AND the rest in your gas tank at fill-up!!

MMO is what is called an old-fashioned "top-oil" that cleans and lubes both the inside of the motor as well as the combustion chamber and valves, guides and rings. (Both the oil side AND the air/fuel side!!)....

Grab a bottle at Walmarts or wherever and read the back of it b/c it does just what it says!! (And another good OLD top-oil product is "Bardahls" if they still sell it???)

I don't use it every oil change but rather every third or so..

Been using it off and on for more years then I want to remember..

pdq67

Damn PDQ,

I remember as a kid we had an old International Farm truck that had a Marvel Mystery Oil injector on the engine! That was a LONG time back, didn't even know they still made the stuff.

my grapdfather used Bardahls religiously in his '62 Biscayne and the riding lawn mower.