Using an Ultrasonic cleaner to clean Injectors?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
593
Location
Balto, MD
Im still trying to find information on which chemicals can be used to clean the innards of the injector... There is literally nothing on the net explaining what can and cant be used. [censored] nothing even on HOW to do it. But I thought, why not check here? So any help??
 
Beats me about ultrasonic but Ive hooked injectors to a battery, stuck them in a syringe that fits, and hooked that contraption to a can of carb cleaner.

Spray the carb cleaner to "pressurize" it and then cycle the injector on a battery until all the pressures lost, repeat many times both ways through the injector.

As for ultrasonic, no idea but thats what chemicals I use.
 
There is more to cleaning an injector than sitting it in a bath of chemicals in an Ultrasonic cleaner. Injector cleaning machines use chemicals and pressure to clean them, and measure spray patterns to test them and to see if they are working properly after the cleaning job.

I'd shoot Trav a PM, he has the equipment to clean them properly. He'd probably be able to point you in the right direction, and advise you. He's a great guy and knows his stuff! If I were you, I'd send him the injectors they'll come back like new. JMO
 
When I did my engineering thesis on inlet manifold flow and direct injection test rigs (22 years ago...), the guy previous to me had used methanol through the system, and the Bosch injectors (mechanical) were all plugged and dribly.

Ultrasonics didn't do much.

Ultrasonics and CRC System 1 injector cleaner got them flowing a tad. Massively overdosed (10 time recommended treat rate) CRC System 1 and RUG you could see the spray improving all the time, and 5 litres of fuel through each had them performing well.
 
Get an answer from Trav, he is in the injector cleaning business. I would +1 on what he says. But there is also testing and replacing certain parts. I personally once I went through the trouble of taking them out would send them for cleaning. If you can have a car down for a few days. I think I saw a cleaning machine at a local NAPA, but I never asked if they did injector cleaning.
 
Ultrasonics do work well at cleaning injectors but...
These are powerful units with multiple transducers using multiple frequencies and are heated. They are powerful enough to pepper tin foil full of holes in seconds.

I use three different units with different chemicals, i buy these commercially but the one for carbon and varnish needs to be vented and is hazardous the others are ammonia/soap type cleaners.
The injector nozzles need to be very close over the transducer and fired at different rates of speed at specified milliseconds depending on the type of spray pattern used.

Large single hole units respond best to slower cycles while multi hole units respond best to faster cycles.
You also need to remove the filter, this can be done with a sheet metal screw but you need to be careful, i use a special tool with a flat thread screw that levers them out.

Getting a ultrasonic unit and just throwing the injectors in will not clean them internally.
It may take a few hours to bring clean the injectors to spec with proper equipment but you need to flow check after using calibration fluid.

I don't want to put you off from trying to do this but the results maybe disappointing, there is a lot of expensive equipment and knowledge required to get the desired results.
PM me if you have any questions.
 
I've cleaned injectors at home. I have access to an ultrasonic cleaner and a variable voltage source.

The way I clean is as follows:

- Connect the electricals to the injector.
- Place a length of clear tube over the nozzle side of the injector.
- Immerse the setup in an ultrasonic cleaner with an alcohol bath.
- Turn on the ultrasonics.
- Fill the tube halfway with alcohol.
- Crank up the voltage until the injector just opens.
- Blow the alcohol through the injector for reverse flushing.

It's satisfying to see the dark crud come out of the top end of the injector. Remember you can't put 12v (battery voltage) through the injector or else you'll fry it. They need less (3v?) to open.

The big problem with homemade setups like mine is that you can't verify the injectors are clean by flow testing, nor can you flow balance among the injectors. This is where it's worth the money to pay Trav to do the work.
 
with a darlington transistor, a schmitt trigger (or similar, whatever you have on-hand) and a DC power source: you can make a pulse driver to drive the injector to open while immersed in an untrasonic bath...that way: the likeliness of burning out the coil would be low.


** and yes: do not give the injector coils a direct 12V DC hit. It will burn it out in no time**

(*did this back in the days of ultrasonically cleaning the mixture adjustment tubes for carb'ed (emission controlled) tercels in the early 90s...works wonders.*)

Q.
 
How do you test flow and spray pattern, after cleaning them with an Ultrasonic cleaner? I'd hate to spend, in my case 3+ hours pulling injectors, thinking I have them clean and working properly, only to find they're the same or worse as a result of my attempt at cleaning them. Testing them and seeing if they're up to spec is an important part of the job, and requires the proper equipment. I'd have pro do them.
 
How much should you expect to pay to have injectors done by a pro company?
Would there eventually be any docs to certify the results/flow? Thanks!
 
Originally Posted By: NattyBoh
Im still trying to find information on which chemicals can be used to clean the innards of the injector... There is literally nothing on the net explaining what can and cant be used. [censored] nothing even on HOW to do it. But I thought, why not check here? So any help??

I have heard, and read in the operations manuals, that you are not suppose to use flammable liquids in an ultrasonic cleaner, but I worked at a place that had been using acetone in Ultrasonic cleaners for about 20 years with no explosions. When I had one, I used Dawn or Ajax dish soap with hot water. I sometimes used flammable liquids in a separate container sitting in the water. My U-S tank was large and filling it with solvent was expensive. I would put small parts into a glass jar with the solvent, then put the jar in the U-S cleaner. It worked fairly well. They make special cleaning fluid; some of it contains acids. If I left brass parts in too long they would turn pink because the zinc was being removed from the surface leaving just copper.
 
Originally Posted By: jllgd
How much should you expect to pay to have injectors done by a pro company?
Would there eventually be any docs to certify the results/flow? Thanks!

Contact Trav. This is what he does. He should be able to answer all your questions.

As far as using volatile chemicals in ultrasonic cleaners, the danger is leaving the unit on and forgetting about it. With time (many hours), the solvent heats up and can flash into a fire. Properly attended, it's harmless. The better units have a timer. I've been using ultrasonic cleaning with solvents on a daily basis for over 30 years.
 
Kestas
I'm looking for an ultrasonic cleaner I can put my pistols in. The only ones I have found have been for empty brass shells for the folks who reload their own ammo.
Any ideas where I could look for such a unit?
Steve
 
Originally Posted By: jllgd
How much should you expect to pay to have injectors done by a pro company?
Would there eventually be any docs to certify the results/flow? Thanks!


$17-$25 per injector, depending on which place you send them off to. Almost all will send the injectors back with a flow chart showing injector flow both before and after cleaning, along with comments on what the spray pattern looks like.
 
I charge $16.25 each. That includes..
Initial external cleaning or bead blasting and electrical test.
Initial flow bench and spray pattern testing and observations.

Cleaning in 3 ultrasonic tanks while being triggered at different RPM. Each bath has different chemicals for different types of deposit removal.

Retest and repeat if needed.

Painted or polished (stainless) new filters, o-rings installed and final test.
Fit any mounting seals run a protective oil though them and package in heat sealed plastic bag with desiccant and a pack of clear O2 sensor safe installation grease.

Before and after reports with all the details.
Boxed and shipped $8.00 shipping fee.

As of this month all standard (90% of all units use these) filters are being upgraded free to a stainless steel basket type instead of the plastic ones, these offer better filtration and a much larger filter area.
Standard o-rings have also been upgraded to Viton 75 at no charge.
Turn around 24-48 hrs depending on how dirty they are.

Pm for more info
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
I charge $16.25 each. That includes..
Initial external cleaning or bead blasting and electrical test.
Initial flow bench and spray pattern testing and observations.

Cleaning in 3 ultrasonic tanks while being triggered at different RPM. Each bath has different chemicals for different types of deposit removal.

Retest and repeat if needed.

Painted or polished (stainless) new filters, o-rings installed and final test.
Fit any mounting seals run a protective oil though them and package in heat sealed plastic bag with desiccant and a pack of clear O2 sensor safe installation grease.

Before and after reports with all the details.
Boxed and shipped $8.00 shipping fee.

As of this month all standard (90% of all units use these) filters are being upgraded free to a stainless steel basket type instead of the plastic ones, these offer better filtration and a much larger filter area.
Standard o-rings have also been upgraded to Viton 75 at no charge.
Turn around 24-48 hrs depending on how dirty they are.

Pm for more info


I wish I had known this a few weeks ago when I had the rover torn down. I'll keep you in mind from now on.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top