I heard Click & Clack on CT today, 10/25/2014, suggest to a caller to remove the spark plugs and put pellets (from JC Whitney) into the cylinders to stop engine smoke and losing oil. They explained that it coats the cylinder walls with metal thereby convincing me they weren’t joking. I searched the internet and found these are called Yale Engine Overhaul Pellets but can’t find them anywhere. Do they really exist, work and where can I get them? I have a 98 Honda Accord that loses a lot of oil and I must keep it another winter. Anything that can slow the loss of oil is greatly appreciated.
Looks like even J C Whitney quit selling them. Must have been real garbage if J C Whitney gave up. But I did find an ad for them from 1955.
http://books.google.com/books?id=y9wDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=Yale+Engine+Overhaul+Pellets&source=bl&ots=ntqDqNGlRn&sig=tMSVCUTwcvT3L5XjXgAfRBTHo_M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2s9LVJeiO7DC8gGzrID4Aw&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Yale%20Engine%20Overhaul%20Pellets&f=false
I’m not familiar with the pellets you refer to, however there are additives at the parts store to reduce oil burning in worn out engines. I would never recommend an additive as a fix to a problem, but in your case, to squeeze another year out of a worn out beater, I think they’re well worth trying.
By the way, C&C have long since retired. I suspect they were kidding around when they made that suggestion, as they often did. The pellets may not even exist anymore. They were probably a farce when they were on the market, just a quick buck for a less-than-scrupulous seller. They may have never actually existed in the first place.
Tom and Ray frequently recommended " one the fine chemical elixirs in a can" to people who had worn out or leaking cars that were not worth the cost of proper mechanical repairs. They did this ont the basis that they didn’t cost much, probably won’t hurt and might help some. They never promoted tested or endorsd any specific products.
Try this: http://m.autozone.com/autozone-mobile/en/accessories/Rislone-4-6-and-8-cylinder-compression-repair/_/N-260b?id=198850 I’ve heard decent things about it.
Give Restore a try.
http://www.restoreusa.com/?gclid=CLeQ7a-jyMECFc1AMgodJhEALQ
I’ve used it in a couple of engines that burned oil with good results.
Tester
I would also try using a can of Seafoam per the directions on the can. You engine may be suffering from stuck oil control rings, and a Seafoam treatment may free the rings up and reduce oil usage.
After the Seafoam, I would then try the Restore and/or the other elixirs mentioned above. But try Seafoam first. It’s good stuff.
http://seafoamsales.com/sea-foam-motor-treatment/why-sea-foam-motor-treatment-works/
I looked up the Yale and it said it was just wax balls. I have never believed in additives, but I looked at this video and previous videos and it took his compression up on the bad cylinders.
I don’t recall these but pellets that I called “Magic Beans” were supposed to go in the fuel tank. You were supposed to fill the tank from the garden hose creating “Magic” gasoline. What I have always found disturbing is that some idiots probably tried them!
The guy in that video thinks that 120 is fine and acceptable? Hardly; that motor is gone Restore or not.
I wouldn’t recommend using a chemical to raise the compression or somehow bring an engine back from the grave but over the years there have been quite a few desperate people show up at my shop looking hopefully for some secret elixir that would get them a few more weeks of life out of their car as they hoped to reach the pot of gold, or even just a good job soon. I suspect that the number of desperate people has not declined in recent years.