Are clogged injectors more of a gasoline issue vs a diesel engine issue?

[The motor guy]

I've heard on diesels you need to get the egts over 1,000 degrees and keep them there for a good 30 seconds to burn the carbon off. I'm not sure if hot rodding a gas engine will do much for cleaning the injectors. Had this issue on my Ford ranger that was gutless and a friend gave me a concoction of like 3 different types of fuel additives and within like 50 miles that truck was running great

 

[oldhp]

Use Top Tier fuel. Use Techron fuel cleaner. Port injectors are cleaner and help the intake valves stay clean. Direct injectors do help performance but are more maintenance if you use cheap fuel and they don't wash the intake valves. One of this and two of that. Pick your poison.

 

[billt460]

If you're worried about it, just throw a PEA based fuel injector cleaner in the tank once and awhile. (There are several good one's like Gumout Multi-System Tune Up). I know a lot of people say to only use it on the last tankful before an oil change.

But I doubt that it's going to do anything harmful to the oil itself. Especially if all this supposed "Top Tier" gas contains it. So I'm not seeing where a 12 or 16 ounce can of it in a 20+ gallon tankful is going to cause any concern.

 

[Jetronic]

If you're worried about it, just throw a PEA based fuel injector cleaner in the tank once and awhile. (There are several good one's like Gumout Multi-System Tune Up). I know a lot of people say to only use it on the last tankful before an oil change.

But I doubt that it's going to do anything harmful to the oil itself. Especially if all this supposed "Top Tier" gas contains it. So I'm not seeing where a 12 or 16 ounce can of it in a 20+ gallon tankful is going to cause any concern.

top tier gas contains maybe 10% of what a bottled fuel injector cleaner contains. PEA doesn't readily burn, and increases the nitration of the oil. It's a cause of deposit formation.

 

[billt460]

top tier gas contains maybe 10% of what a bottled fuel injector cleaner contains. PEA doesn't readily burn, and increases the nitration of the oil. It's a cause of deposit formation.

Even if that's true, it's not a concern. Gumout say's right on the can it can directly be added to the oil itself. "Add one ounce per quart of oil. Immediately start engine and run for 5 to 10 minutes to mix completely."

It's not going to hurt anything.

 

[cptbarkey]

There is lots of redneck advice out there to rev your diesel engines. I usually give mine the beans at least a few times during an operating session. If you have emissions equipment though, you are cursed to unreliability.

In the early 90s when I was a teen I remember our 1990 Caravan broke down supposedly due to bad gas. Of the 60 some odd vehicles I've owned (majority flipped), havent seen a single clogged injector.

If you find any actual case studies, do share the info.

 

[billt460]

...... If you have emissions equipment though, you are cursed to unreliability.....

Isn't that the truth. It's unbelievable how they managed to choke those engines up so badly. They violate the very fabric of why people purchase a Diesel to begin with....Long term reliability.

 

[supton]

I've heard on diesels you need to get the egts over 1,000 degrees and keep them there for a good 30 seconds to burn the carbon off.

Isn't that more for blowing out the exhaust? not that I follow the coal rollers but on my VW "giving it the beans" was good for the turbo. Nobody talked about it being good for the injectors. I'm not sure how sooty the injectors get, if anything, aren't they always good and hot, being close to the fire and all? They clog up due to fuel quality and miles, that's my guess.

 

[wwillson]

Take a look at this post concerning diesel injectors:

Thread 'Duramax L5P rough idle fixed with Power Service Kleen Diesel additive'

Jun 11, 2022

Our Duramax L5P has 19,000 miles on it now, mostly pulling our 5th wheel trailer. Since about 10,000 miles I have noticed a small lope in the idle, which progressed to what I would call a slight miss in what felt like one cylinder. I noticed no difference in power or fuel economy while pulling. The miss was much more noticeable at a cold idle than it was after pulling. Almost all fuel was purchased at either TA or Petro truck stops.

I haven't run an fuel additives in this truck, but decided to try a fuel injector cleaner to see if it made any difference. We just pulled the trailer 1,300...

• wwillson
• Replies: 14
• Forum: Fuels and Fuel Additives: Gasoline and Diesel

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[Jetronic]

Even if that's true, it's not a concern. Gumout say's right on the can it can directly be added to the oil itself. "Add one ounce per quart of oil. Immediately start engine and run for 5 to 10 minutes to mix completely."

It's not going to hurt anything.

View attachment 247823

It depends how hot the oil gets, if it regularly gets to 300°F (not the bulk, but in places like cylinder wall, under piston, turbo, valve stems maybe) the nitrates can be stopped in their varnish forming, but then oxidation becomes an issue. Adding stuff like that directly to the crankcase is not something I would do.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I've heard on diesels you need to get the egts over 1,000 degrees and keep them there for a good 30 seconds to burn the carbon off. I'm not sure if hot rodding a gas engine will do much for cleaning the injectors. Had this issue on my Ford ranger that was gutless and a friend gave me a concoction of like 3 different types of fuel additives and within like 50 miles that truck was running great

IMO...Injectors which flood the cylinder with fuel are a bigger worry. That's bye bye engine.

 

[JohnnyG]

Diesel fuel injectors can go bad too. Just ask any OTR trucker. Most of the time, these days, diesel injection systems won't tolerate any contamination over 5 microns! Then there are the people that put the blue urea into the fuel tank! That's a costly repair, like $10,000 min.
Combine that with biodiesel and there's a potential for lots of problems.

 

[Astro14]

I've heard on diesels you need to get the egts over 1,000 degrees and keep them there for a good 30 seconds to burn the carbon off. I'm not sure if hot rodding a gas engine will do much for cleaning the injectors. Had this issue on my Ford ranger that was gutless and a friend gave me a concoction of like 3 different types of fuel additives and within like 50 miles that truck was running great

I don’t see how EGT‘s have anything to do with how clean the injectors are. Either the fuel running through them keeps them clean, or it does not.

The exhaust gas temperature is a function of load. So, by getting the EGT high, you’ve moved more fuel through the injector, but whether or not it gets clean as a result of that is anyone’s guess.

They sure are some weird beliefs out there.

The fact that cleaners in the fuel actually cleaned the injectors on your Ranger proves what, that cleaners clean, maybe?

But I really don’t see how EGT cleans anything.

 

[The motor guy]

I don’t see how EGT‘s have anything to do with how clean the injectors are. Either the fuel running through them keeps them clean, or it does not.

The exhaust gas temperature is a function of load. So, by getting the EGT high, you’ve moved more fuel through the injector, but whether or not it gets clean as a result of that is anyone’s guess.

They sure are some weird beliefs out there.

The fact that cleaners in the fuel actually cleaned the injectors on your Ranger proves what, that cleaners clean, maybe?

But I really don’t see how EGT cleans anything.

I think it has to do with the tip getting clogged up with carbon from people who run to the grocery store all the time.