pkrbkr13

Does anybody know or have a preference of a good quality fuel injector cleaner that you add to fuel tank?

Whaleman

Most agree that Techron is the best. Dan

novaks47

Redline SI-1. Best cleaner all around, helps to clean pretty much everything. Stick to the dosage amount on the bottle, as less is more with this stuff. I believe it's 1.5oz per 10 gallons, so the bottle will last quite a while.

ctmccloskey

I agree with the suggestion of the REDLINE Products, they work very well and are not very expensive. The very best fuel injection cleaner I have used if made by BG Products and is called BG 44K fuel system cleaner. It costs about $20 a can and it REALLY works. The BG 44K is used at many dealerships and gas stations to clean the fuel system in any car. I have two or three bottles of it on my shelf and I use it in every vehicle I have. I would swear by the stuff if I swore...

Lucas Oil Products makes a good fuel system maintainer that you can add every 2000 miles and it will keep your injectors cleaner. But for my own cars I would stick with the BG 44K. They make a three can pack that has a throttle body cleaner, BG 44K and a vacuum ingested material to clean the entire intake system and the injectors. The set is more expensive and may be useful on a badly maintained car. I have only used the three can system twice on cars other than Corvettes and it too is very effective

If you stick to a trusted name in gas and use that continuously your car might not even need to use a fuel system cleaner, I only use 93 Octane Sunoco Fuel in my two Corvettes and it has been a good experience. My C3 has a 12.25-1 compression ratio and really wants 106 octane and it likes the Sunoco 93 and does not ping unless it gets really hot outdoors. My C4 could use the regular grade but I don't drive it that often so I use the 91 octane for it.

I hope that this helps you a bit! I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year with many smiles per mile in your Corvette!

aklim

What are you working on? If your injectors are Multec, I wouldn't put any of the snake oils in your car since it could corrode the windings in the coils. If not, well, someone needs to keep the economy going. Regardless of who swears by what or at what, ask for a laboratory test that shows it helps. Otherwise, it is a psychological need it serves and it belongs in the lavatory. If you can't find one, ask why they rely on testimonials instead of laboratory tests.

A good test should show "before and after" and have at least a decent sample. A lousy "test" relies on SOTP feelings.

novaks47

Pretty sure polyetheramine has been thoroughly tested, far from snake oil. Of course, there's different types of PEA, but they're all pretty similar. All it does is clean, nothing more, nothing less.

pkrbkr13

As far as i know, these injectors have never been cleaned. My car starts right up, but when the engine is slightly warm it takes longer
to fire up. I don't know if it has Multec injectors. Its a '88. Thanks for the info, and i will check on the tests they run.

aklim

If you are a peddler of these things and there was a test done by a laboratory using generall accepted testing methods, would you not tout them for the world to see? I would, that is, unless the test results weren't favorable to sales

aklim

If you have Bosch I'd clean it if the price is right FIC can clean it. You can see what it tests out before and after. Or you can buy a reman set. I have tested injectors before sending it to him and after to verify his results and he checked out a couple of times already

pkrbkr13

I just went & looked. I have the Bosch. I'm going to try a cleaner before i yank them out. There isn't to much of a problem
starting, its just more of a perfectionist problem. I see you are in Hartford, WI. I'm in Green Bay. To cold to drive today.
Merry Xmas & thanks

ctmccloskey

Hello again pkrbkr13!

I have a 1988 C4 Coupe and I have had plenty of experience with it's peculiarities. Has there been anything modified on this engine of yours? How many miles do you have on it? How long has the warm starting issue been around? How long have you had this Corvette?
On my Coupe the engine idles a bit off for a while and I tried the BG 44K and it helped a bit but the burble was still there. It turned out that my EGR system had failed.
In the years since then I have become pretty good at the 1988 and would be happy to help you in any way I can.

aklim

Not really perfectionist problem More of a skeptic problem. First off, it is cheap and easy so I automatically distrust unless you prove it. Second thing, if you can't prove it, I'm not going to be the sucker that buys it. BTDT and not going there again.

Too wet to drive because of the salt but if it is dry, I'll drive it.

Tom400CFI

^This^

I posted pics RIGHT HERE to show that. Pics are of my ~150k mile 'Vette (at the time) and later in the thread, pics from my brother's Subaru. Have a look!

aklim

Depending on how many miles I get, IIRC about 5 to 15 percent difference after the injectors have been cleaned and tested WRT before. I would say most of the gas is from a Top Tier gas station FWIW. I checked before I sent it and after. Didn't mark the injectors but the numbers FUC supplied matched mine from the test bench, within reason.
​​​​​​
As to pinging, unless it is so bad that you can hear it because the ECM can no longer compensate, that is a meaningless test since it would be hard to isolate the sound with the background noise of the engine and road noise and rattles

pkrbkr13

I was talking about me being the perfectionist and expecting to much from a machine.

aklim

Got to have a standard. Shoot for 100% but be realistic about how much you will actually achieve and settle for

novaks47

I see where you're coming from, however, marketing in the real world doesn't work like that. People like us that want proof, are in a very small minority. Think of the average schmuck that is behind the wheel. They don't know an injector from a spark plug. That's who you're advertising to. Marketing is usually aimed at the lowest common denominator, or the idiots if you prefer. Just look at how cars are sold : they talk about cargo room, features, accessories, not vehicle weight and hp and torque. Post lab proof with the methodology used and numerical results, and 95%+ of the public's eyes will glaze over as their brains shuts off, and they'll move on to the next thing. So, they may very well have done testing, but they're not going to waste money getting it out there, so we have no choice but to rely on individuals testing it out on cruddy engines and comparing results either via bore scopes or tear-downs. Plus, there are lab results of PEA interacting with carbon deposits, and how it breaks it down. Now, if you want to see real snake oil, just look at any "leak stop" products, or octane boosters. Talk about bunk!

Agreed on the top tier gas usage. Use that, and you'll likely never have a problem, and have negligible build up. Oh, and top tier gas typically uses PEA(which Chevron's marketing named "Techron", again with the marketing).

aklim

You are right about the average driver. They are morons and deserve to be raped left and right and then again. OTOH, I really think that if they had proof and posted that, you are right that 95% will not read it but will cite it with no understanding of what the implications are.

Any results on PEA affecting the build up on the injectors? I am getting build up which restricts flow within 100K for sure and that is with mostly TT gas since that is what Costco and Kwik Trip sell. Costco is so stupid cheap, I can't afford not to go there when I can and KT is on my way anywhere I go outside my house.

Now just you hold off on that a minute. If I were selling that stuff, you bet I will tell you how great it is because my brother's friend's sister put that in her car instead of a $10000 repair and the car still runs to this day, 300K later.

pkrbkr13

I've had this car a little over 5 years. It has 76k miles on it and as far as i've known nothing has been altered on the engine. The hard
starting has been like that since i've had the car,

pkrbkr13

Nice article and very informative. Thanks