Injector cleaning

[blkfordsedan]

Anyone have a suggestion or recommendations from experience on an injector cleaning kit? I know the big $3K machines that clean the entire system work best, but I'm thinking of one of those refillable canister kits with a hanger, press gauge, adapters, etc..
Some of the OTC, NAPA and 3M ones are like $300-$400, is there anything out there that works for around $150 or less?

I have a lot of EFI Fords (an '86 and a '97 5.0L, a '97 5.8L, a '97 4.6L Mod, an '04 4.6L and of course a '93 Festiva) and all except the '04 have over 100K. I think it would be a good investment. Currently I just use Chevron Techron in the tank, clean the TB with spray cleaner and inject Sea-Foam through a vacuum port.

[jglutz]

I use a bottle of GumOut once or twice a year.

It has always been my experience/opinion that if you use clean gas and change the fuel filter every year or so...you should never have to have the injectors cleaned.

If I have an injector out of the car...I'll soak it in some carb cleaner.

[eurotiva]

I have a homemade way of doing it.

1 Take the fuel pump fuse out.
2 Take the injectors out.
3 Put some inj. cleaner in them and use an airhose with a rubber tip and 100 psi. While holding the pressure to the inj. have someone turn the car over (which pulses the inj open)
4 Look at spray pattern
5 Reinstall.

I have used this technique for years and it has always worked. I even made a small plug so i can pulse them myself on the bench.

[Kraig]

I use a 9 volt battery to hold them open and spray cleaner through them. You can see the pattern change as they get clean.....I do this on low impedance injectors...not sure if the high impedance injectors can handle "100% duty cycle" for any length of time.....

[FestYboy]

if your injectors are out of the car,sending them out is cost effective and turnaround is usually 1 day, plus they can balance them for you as well.

[jglutz]

plus they can balance them for you as well.

What the heck...I never new such a thing existed....how do they do that?

[blkfordsedan]

if your injectors are out of the car,sending them out is cost effective and turnaround is usually 1 day, plus they can balance them for you as well.

I saw that on EBay when I searched for injector cleaning kits. Looks pretty cool, plus they send you a flow results sheet that shows before and after!

I guess I'm not just thinking of the injectors, but the fuel rails, intake tract and IAC as well.
I stopped at NAPA today and bought a $49 kit from 3M that had a bottle of "Super Concentrated" cleaner to dump in the tank, a spray can of Throttle Body cleaner and a pressurized bottle of intake wash solvent. The washing solvent uses a length of small (1/8" OD) poly tubing with a 180 Deg bend at the end. You are supposed to stick it into the throttle body opening, pinching it between TB and the rubber intake hose. They said the local repair shops all swear by it. When I got out to the car I opened the package and there was no poly tubing. The solvent can had a puncture top like Freon cans, and it said "tubing adapter kit #XXXX required". I went back inside and they looked it up and came back with a box with 36" of poly tubing and a brass adapter with a needle valve. It looked like an ice maker installation kit from Home Depot, except it retailed for $139! Needless to say, I exchanged the $49 kit for a bottle of Chevron Techron, A can of TB cleaner and a can of Sea Foam and got change back.

I need to figure out a way to pressurize a refillable container and find some small poly tubing. Then I can just use Sea Foam.

[worfdog]

Harbor Freight sells a refillable aerosol can that can be pressurized with a air hose. It might work. I bought it last year to mix my on lubes and paint to spray. Has worked pretty good for me.

[blkfordsedan]

Harbor Freight sells a refillable aerosol can that can be pressurized with a air hose. It might work. I bought it last year to mix my on lubes and paint to spray. Has worked pretty good for me.

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out!

[mattswabb]

http://www.witchhunter.com/