Fuel injection cleaners

[theclaw]

The Bentley manual states,

"Carbon deposits on the fuel injectors and the intake valves will affect the way the engine idles and runs. Even a a 10% decrease in the amount of fuel that the injectors deliver can cause driveability problems. A car that is predominantly driven on short trips around town or in city traffic seems to increase the likelihood of deposits forming.

Light carbon can usually be removed using a fuel additive....." BINGO!

Does it make sense to put some STP in the tank now and then? If we all run the top of the line stuff at the pump, does it matter?

['71 911E Coupe]

I put all different kinds of cleaners for my injectors in the tank. But I think the only real way to clean them is to take them out. Mine are the old MFI style, I'm sure all types get carboned up.

[imcarthur]

Techron additive gets the nod from many as a DIY. And change the oil after.

Ian

[rusnak]

Try BG 44K at least once a year, and Techron every 3-4 months

[Oh Haha]

SEAFOAM is what I have been using in all of my vehicles and my lawnmowers. It seems to work great and it is supposed to stabilize fuel.

I only run it through the fuel system.

[KTL]

Berryman B12 Chemtool rocks. It cleaned my exhaust ports in one application.

[theclaw]

The only consensus is that some type of additive is worth it. What the brand is up for grabs.

[Nickatnyt]

So, all the brands of gas that say they have additives are lying? Or, is the additive they are adding crap? Several mechanics whom I trust with all my vehicles say the same thing to me. Avoid the 'plain jane' gas sold at Costco, Safeway, 7-11 etc and instead pay a few more cents a gallon for Chevron, Shell, etc. Does someone have a link to a scientific study which suggests otherwise?

I once sold a 302 V8 to a friend of mine. When they tore it apart they could not believe how clean it was...there was no evidence of carbon anywhere on the valves or heads. My big secret? I poured 2 quarts of water down the carb about 4 times a year while holding the throttle just open enough for it not to stall out.

[KTL]

Water does work. Many have mentioned the same thing- the superheated water strips the carbon right off. Water's easy to do on a carb'd car. Need to get a little more creative on a fuel injected car- supply the water AFTER the airflow meter!

As far as the additives in fuel from the pump, it's an arguable amount to make a big difference. In a car that is already suffering from carbon build-up you need more. I have had great success with the Berryman B12. And you can't beat the price. One bottle to treat the 911 is something like $4-$5 from Pep Boyz or even cheaper at WalMart.

[T77911S]

i have read about the "water thing" on the volvo boards. they say to do it to the 960's, which i have, because they are prone to carbon buildup. i would to see it done before i attempt it myself. i would like to more about it if anyone knows.

[ljowdy]

About 6 years ago, my uncle gave me his 1992 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas sedan. It was pretty thrashed as he lived next to a golf course and it had a whole bunch of golf ball divots plus some fender bender damage. I totally re-did the body and had it painted to it's original color. The engine only had about 80,000 miles but ran like crap.

I took it to a local Jaguar independent mechanic and he felt that the injectors were plugged so, he dumped a bottle of Motor Purr in the tank and magically, by the time I got home, the car ran absolutely great.

I've used it in other cars with the same success.

http://www.motorpurr.com/products.html

When I had my 2.4 CIS engine before switching to a 3.2, I added this product in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and used it to clean my injectors. Worked fantastic.

[Sunroof]

Okay Claw............here we go.

CHEVRON TECHRON

I owned a 1985.5 944 for 12-years. In the those twelve years I added a longneck bottle of Chevron Techron to my gasoline several times a year or a few hundred miles before changing the oil each time. I firmly believe that this additive provided enough cleansing benefit that I got 345,000 miles out of it without any engine work aside from a replaced head gasket! Could be a record for a 944.

Years ago Porsche put out a tech. bulletin about the benefits of Chevron Techron. The key was to change your oil within so many miles (hundreds) after application. Techron will not combust, rather it cleans the injector of tenacious deposits and weeps past the rings and into the pan. You can smell the stuff on your dip stick and see how it thins out the oil.

I have never heard anything negative about Techron or of any posted complaints. I will use Techron with back to back doses once a year in my mini-van and thus far I am at 164,000 miles on my Plymouth Voyager (3 liter) with no engine issues.

Simply, let your gas gauge get down to 1/4, add a long neck bottle of the Chevron Techron injector cleaner and add gasoline to the 1/2 mark. Drive normally (whatever that is meant to be!) as you do not have to go over a 100 MPH all day for the benefit.

Thats my testimony and I am sticking to it! And no, I do not work for Chevron, formulate the stuff in my garage or get a kick back for advocating its use. Hey, the stuff works...................

Bob
1973.5T Sepia of Course

[Por_sha911]

1) There is a difference between cleaning the injectors versus maintaining a clean system. I totally agree with Bob for keeping the system maintained. If you have a problem, you may need to be a little more radical: double the amount of Techron in a smaller amount of fuel to give the concentrated cleaner more ability to work. If you do this, you definitely need to change your oil after you refill the tank and run it to get the cleaner out of the system. Seafoam and B12 are also more radical cleaners if put into the system via a vacuum line. Having said that, there is a reason that they can charge a bunch more to clean injectors out of the motor. Besides better cleaning, you will have them checked for flow.
2) The water treatment (kind of like Water Boarding for your car) is effective BUT be careful not to put too much in there and hydro-lock the motor (can you say bent valves?)
3) I am picky about what I put in the tank (or oil). Super duper fix in a can stuff usually is snake oil. Spend the extra couple bucks and buy a quality cleaner like the ones above.

[ljowdy]

Originally Posted by Por sha911

Super duper fix in a can stuff usually is snake oil

It's good to see that we have an absolute authority on "Super Duper fix in a can stuff"

Just out of curiosity, have you tried "Motor Purr"?

[charleskieffner]

Originally Posted by ljowdy

It's good to see that we have an absolute authority on "Super Duper fix in a can stuff"

Just out of curiosity, have you tried "Motor Purr"?

I feed my kat "Motor Purr"! not my porsche! LMFAO!

in no way shape or form is a can of "ANYTHING" going to repair "ANYTHING" if its in need of repair. PERIOD!

thru normal use injectors get dirty. how i havent a clue since they are AFTER the fuel filter, which is supposed to filter all impurities.

i have never run anything but chevron premium(my only gas credit card) and SUNOCO RACE FUEL. ran leaded race fuel (no cat)and tempted fate with O2 sensor and so far no problems. tail pipe was perfect tan from race fuels.

when i first bought car ran long bottle of chevron techron and it did improve its zip. more than likely because car had sat and fuel had turned to varnish. read that as it liquified the varnish and it passed thru. but after running a number of laps at calif . mtr speedway we did notice some fuel feed problems.

pulled fuel filter off and me and my spiritual guru cut open fuel filter and found quite a bit of crud in it. this was my second fuel filter in car in a matter of months.


soooooo we surmise btwn chevron techrolen/race fuel/leaded/unleaded/ and steep banked turns and lots of twist and shout hang it all out on the track..........that we finally loosened up all the crud that sooner or later settles into everyones gas tanks after 20 some odd years.

so what did we do????

changed fuel filter and when installing tarret adj. sway bars and tank removed, we flushed the tank. end of story.

my car doesnt sit enough to allow fuel to varnish as it had with previous owner so for me it was a couple of bottles of chevron and all is good.

i would fer sure have a spare fuel filter and wrenches around when playing with "MOTOR PURR" and other assorted "FIX IT IN A BOTTLE" type snake oils, as im sure you will loosen somethang at the most inopportune time.

and from now on i will keep my cat(kat) happy with "MOTOR PURR"!

[ljowdy]

Again, it's great that we have another knowledgable person that hasn't tried a product but is able to give great reviews.

[911quest]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Try BG 44K at least once a year, and Techron every 3-4 months

I think this the absolute best product.....all of BG products are awsome

[charleskieffner]

Originally Posted by ljowdy

Again, it's great that we have another knowledgable person that hasn't tried a product but is able to give great reviews.

ahhhhhhhh lil grasshopper you doubt my words> since i have to deal with multiple multiple collector vehicles on a daily/monthly/yearly basis and then get to deal with all my vehicles,bikes,quad at home.........their are (2) solutions to fuel.

run stabil in cars with cats and aviation fuel in cars with no cats. period.

im sorry my porsche isnt covered in STP fuel treatment stickers as yours probably is. or for that fact "MOTOR PURR RACING" steekers.

if a vehicle sits long enough with fuel in it it turns to varnish. PERIOD! if it stays too long you are SCREWED and injectors or carb must come off for cleaning. no ifs ands or BUTTS! PERIOD!

be it a half tank of fuel or a full tank. sooner or later turns to the lovely turpentine smell we all love. the only thing a full tank does is disallow rust and condensation which causes rust in first place.

when the fuel has finally degraded to turpentine smell you are screwed bottomline. if there was an easy "REPAIR IN A BOTTLE" i would be buying cases of it.

our solution once again.........full tank of av. gas(stabilizers) in non cat vehicles. full tank of fuel in catted vehicles with stabil added. hook battery charger to it after driving and bringing vehicle battery to full charge off of alt. and then 2 amp trickle charger.

then we wait a few months and we drive them. and then refill with fresh fuel and the ordeal starts anew again .........over and over and over.

obviously you have never seen a lawnmower or dirty bikes carburator after it has varnished over after sitting for ever.

now imagine a bosch injector with a fuel delivery orfice smaller than one of your hairs on your head(if you have any) and just imagine just how teensy weensie itty bitty of a particulate it will take to clog injector and make vehicle run like crap!

now with a carb your better off because jet orfices are not so small and will allow larger particulates to pass thru and be combusted.

so yes a bottle of snake oil whomevers brand may solve a short term storage problem of a sticky clogged injector or fouled carb jet and the consumer thinks he has found a "miracle in a bottle", but reality is when fuel finally turns to turpentine...........you are screwed big time.

reality is you loosen a lot of crud in your tank and you will be changing fuel filters alot until you drain your tank of all sediments.

and this is why anything that is museum bound has all fuel drained from vehicle. old oil drained and new oil added. and thats how we play with vintage anything that sits more than it runs.

you would be very surprised at how much crap is in your gas tank sitting at the bottom. clear white plastic dirty bike fuel tanks are always fun to stare at in bewilderment. "WHERE DA HELL DID ALL DAT COME FROM?"

[ljowdy]

Thank you Mr. charleskieffner
First of all, I'm not a lil grasshopper. I'm 6'1", weight 210 in great shape and I'm 60 years old.

And, No, I don't doubt your words I just feel that if you've never experienced something then you have no right to provide a detailed review of your imagined mis-givings of the product.

A simple, "I've never tried it but have had great luck with "brand x" would have sufficed.

Your ignorance, arrogance and insulting verbiage is a credit to your vast personal data base of knowledge.

It just amazes me that someone such as yourself has to hide behind a computer screen and whip out condescending insults and act so "superior"
I usually refer to such a person as an "Internet bulletin board troll"

Maybe we should all reserve our opinions and solely rely on your vast experience with every and all products available in the free and not so free world. Your response is much like a 3 year old that won't eat a particular kind of food because he "knows he won't like it" even though he's never tasted it.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I've had mine soaking in Seafoam for a few weeks. There's a pretty significant amount of carbon crud at the bottom of the jug they're sitting in. I'll report when I get everything back together.