Cleaning fuel injectors

[perucho]

I'm almost ready to swap a BP on my Festiva. Got the head back from the machine shop and assembled most of the engine this weekend. I wanted to clean the fuel injectors and make sure they work okay before putting them on. Checked the resistance and they were all fine. Still wanted to clean them out and make sure they operate well. So I ended seeing a video of someone cleaning his injectors and thought is was a clever idea so decided to something similar. I used two test leads with alligator clips that will connect to a car battery and a fuel injector plug I got at a JY. Spliced a switch on one of the leads to turn on injector on and off (open/close). Then grabbed a cheap dropper (the kind you get for free at the pharmacy) and hot glued a carb cleaner spray tube. The dropper fits perfectly tight on the bp injector end without the o-ring.

To use it, put the dropper on the injector, connect the spray tube to the carb cleaner can, put the injector plug on the injector, and hook up the leads to the battery. Turn the switch on and start spraying. The pressure from the spray will clean the injector nicely and you can see the spray pattern. If you do this, make sure you tape all the wiring ends well to minimize the risk of things exploding

It worked great and I cleaned the injectors in less than 5 minutes.

[wybnrml]

Cool, thats a great idea.

[NovaSS]

ultra sonic sink with seafoam works great too

[perucho]

ultra sonic sink with seafoam works great too

Yes, but this way you can see that the injector opens and closes properly and how it's spraying. Plus the ultrasonic cleaner that I have at home is only a 2 quart one that my wife uses to clean jewelry and stuff like that and I hate cleaning it after I put greasy stuff in it

[gestiva]

ok, might have done something wrong, but im having trouble wth this.
turned switch on and heard one click.
pressed spray can and my tube popped off from pressure.
nothing went thru injector...
did this to all 4 injectors,(all clogged?)
my wiring was excatly like yours, so there mut be something wrong with injectors?

[perucho]

^ Sorry I missed your reply. I also had the tube pop off from pressure but it was because I forgot to turn the switch on. Once the switch is on and the injector open, the cleaner should go right through. Did you try to switch on and off while spraying? Try spraying just a little bit at a time so that the tube doesn't come off.
Also, measure the resistance on the injectors to make sure they are still good.

[NeptuneZeek]

gotta say Perucho you have been a life safer on my project

[bhazard]

Wouldnt you want to spray into the outlet of the injector, kinda like backflushing a cooling system?

[perucho]

Yeah, you can spray it both ways. The switch only opens the injector.

[NeptuneZeek]

what should they be shaped like when the jets come out?

[perucho]

Can't remember now LOL. Maybe a flat V pattern?

[guzzirik]

A cone.....If you want to clean them w/o removing them add 1 qt of odorless mineral spirits to a tank of gas. Do it twice for really bad hesitation....

[Kraig]

I use a 9 volt battery to hold them open....figured it would be impossible to fry em that way...and spray cleaner till you get a nice pattern...you can see it change as you spray!

[Kraig]

Most cars use high impedance or "saturated" injectors that are not designed to operate at 100% duty cycle (which is what you are doing when you hold them wide open while you're cleaning them) and I think 9 volts is safer. For cars with low impedance "peak and hold" injectors, they are designed to operate at 100% duty cycle (Like my SVO Mustang....) and 12 volts is probably fine but I use 9 volts anyway.

[NeptuneZeek]

ok i cleaned mine and they still come out in a straight stream?