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Has anyone ever used one of those injector cleaning apparatuses where you hook it to the fuel rail? Did it work well? Does it enter the rail through Schrader valve where you test the fuel pressure? I’m toying with the idea of getting a cheap one.
*Edit*
I found the feed line where it goes to the rail. I think in the near future I might give it one of these a try. Now to find the appropriate juice. I hear a 50/50 mix of Seafoam & gas can be used but I think Seafoam is kind of weak sauce.
Last edited by Y2K_Frenzy; 05-29-2024 at 08:49 PM.
Which of these would you go with? The second one is only 8oz and it says to mix it with gas. I believe the first one you can run “straight.” The price gap is fairly wide between the two. What I’ve noticed so far about the injector cleaners that are designed to be fed into the fuel rail is that they don’t contain PEA like the “better” ones that are designed to be poured into the tank. Maybe it’s because PEA is a detergent and not a solvent? I don’t know, maybe a bottle of Redline mixed with gas would work ok. I realize this isn’t the usual, “what injectors do I need for 1k horsepower” thread. My apologies.
Here’s another one. This one is from Berryman. It’s they call it Thru The Rail Cleaner.
Last edited by Y2K_Frenzy; 05-30-2024 at 09:14 PM.
Gunk problems immediately followed the advent of direct injection and the Top End Cleaner is GM's answer. Not all solvents work the same. The chemicals that go directly in the rail are very good. When GM started using the Top End Cleaner, they also encountered problems with oil leaks. (I recall that the stuff may also dissolve deposits helping fill gaps in old gaskets and seals.) This is probably why GM is not concerned with putting anything in the gas tank. The recommendation has been to only do this cleaning if one has driveability issues.
Gunk problems immediately followed the advent of direct injection and the Top End Cleaner is GM's answer. Not all solvents work the same. The chemicals that go directly in the rail are very good. When GM started using the Top End Cleaner, they also encountered problems with oil leaks. (I recall that the stuff may also dissolve deposits helping fill gaps in old gaskets and seals.) This is probably why GM is not concerned with putting anything in the gas tank. The recommendation has been to only do this cleaning if one has driveability issues.
I ended up ordering the Motorcraft brand. My car set for an unknown amount of time prior to me getting it. It has only has 30k miles on it but when I got it the idle would surge once it was up to operating temp. Several tanks of various in the tank injector cleaners containing PEA fixed it to where it doesn’t surge enough to make the tach needle move. But watching the scanner I can see that it’s fluctuating 30-50 rpm. So I figured I’d see what happens if I run some cleaner through the rail. My folks are coming to town Father’s Day weekend so I figured I’d wait to do it then so dad and I have something to tinker with.
I think a lot of the cleaners that are designed to go through the rail might have been banned due to EPA regs or something. There aren’t a lot on the market and a lot of the ones that I did find said they were out of stock or currently unavailable. The Motorcraft cleaner says to mix the 8oz cleaner in 32oz of gas but the deal I ordered only holds 33 ounces. Do you think I should only use half of the cleaner or go with the full 8 oz? As far as the GM Top Clean goes were they talking about using it in the fuel or through a vacuum line? I’m looking to clean the rail & injectors not the piston tops. Fun fact about Seafoam (naphtha I believe), it burns white. Once upon a time the wives tale was that the white smoke was carbon burning off.
*Edit*
It looks like GM Top Engine Cleaner is also Naphtha. A more expensive Seafoam.
Last edited by Y2K_Frenzy; 05-31-2024 at 06:57 PM.
I'm not sure about the Motorcraft stuff. There are some other threads that you can search for and find members who have used it and have experience. I recall that the GM top end cleaner was intended to be used with a special tool/rig but (as you are on to) its just a chemical and people have been using it as such. The cleaner is probably more efficiently dosed and used with the proper tools.
Has anyone ever used one of those injector cleaning apparatuses where you hook it to the fuel rail? Did it work well? Does it enter the rail through Schrader valve where you test the fuel pressure?
I have an old ****** On fuel injection cleaner...
It does work very well...hooks to the fuel rail via the Schrader valve like you mentioned, compressed air into the fitting on the right.
As wssix99 mentioned, the best stuff I've used is GM Top engine Cleaner.
It does work very well...hooks to the fuel rail via the Schrader valve like you mentioned, compressed air into the fitting on the right.
As wssix99 mentioned, the best stuff I've used is GM Top engine Cleaner.
GM Top Clean is naphtha just like Seafoam is. I’ve used them both through vac lines in various vehicles but I can’t say they made any noticeable improvement on anything. I used the GM paint thinner once and Seafoam paint thinner quite a few times through the years. Seafoam in the gas, in a trans, in a power steering.. The seafoam Trans Tune that is marketed for transmissions, power steering, and hydraulics in general is also naphtha it’s just dyed red.
Last edited by Y2K_Frenzy; 06-18-2024 at 07:26 PM.
05-29-2024, 06:01 PM
In car Fuel Injector Cleaner “Machine” 
