Coca-car engines?

[Fluffyudders]

Is it true that Coca-Cola was originally invented to clean the carbon out of car engines, or is that a horror story to try (and fail) to save kids teeth?

[doristwonk]

Well it is sort of true. It all came about because of an experiment carried out by a Bertram Scrufflheimer in the good ol' U S of A in the early 1900s. He was trying to get an engine to run on snuff. He reasoned that if he could get snuff into the cylinder just as the piston was rising it would cause it to sneeze. This sneeze would then force the piston back down again and, hey presto, he would have a replacement for the petrol engine. Far sighted Bertram realised that if something was not done about fossil fuel usage later generations would be plagued by legions of childless, one parent, lesbian, vegetarian, unemployed (but seeking work), chattering, egocentric ecopeacers claiming global warming/cooling/destruction/save-the-whale. What he finally acheived was just what he intended, and he ran his snuff engine round Southbendfork Creek for a number of years until on day it seized up. The whole thing was blocked by snuff. He had pinched Herr Diesel's fuel pump idea without realising the full implication of the dry nature of snuff and its effect on the coefficient of friction. He was therefore obliged to create a fluid to remove his problem. This he did. He was unsure of what to call it, but having used a toothpast called Pepsident he thought, " Oh sod it, I'll just call it Pepsi", and the rest,as they say, is history.

[incitatus]

that is without doubt the largest heap of shash i have ever heard. both pepsi and cola were originally invented as tonic (stimulant) drinks.

[doristwonk]

Well fancy that, Incitatus, and there I have been all these years trying to perfect the art of poking smoke up a cats bum with a pin!!

[robber1]

I tried using a pin and the cat scratched me.

[gmc2002]

I seem to remember it has been used to remove oil from clutches on racing cars as an emergency measure, but I don't think it was designed for the purpose, it may be an urban myth