Welcome to the Corvette Forums at the Corvette Action Center!

Fuel Injector Cleaning Services

Ken

Gone but not forgotten
Joined
Jan 30, 2001
Messages
8,236
Location
Hermosa Beach, CA
Corvette
1987 Z51 Silver Coupe
Fuel Injectors: Clean 'em instead of replacing 'em!

Lately I've been noticing an ad that runs in National Dragster about a service provided by a local southerrn California company, Engine Performance Injectors, who clean and rebuild fuel injectors at much less of a cost than buying new injectors when your's get dirty or fouled.

The following is directly from their web site:
  • Injector tested on a flow bench before cleaning and rebuilding. (Results are documented.)
  • Injector is disassembled; filter basket, O-ring, and pintle cap.
  • Injector ultrasonically cleaned, pulsed and back flushed.
  • Injector is reassembled with new filter, O-ring and pintle cap.
  • Injectors are cycled through a 10,000 RPM stress test.
  • Injector re-tested to insure that they are performing properly and checked for leaks. (Results are Documented.)
  • Any injector still showing irregular spray pattern, leaks or poor flow rates should be replaced.
  • Each injector is hermetically sealed for shipping, to insure injector remains free of debris and moisture until it is installed.
  • 95% of injector problems can be solved by proper servicing so long as they are electronically and mechanically sound.
  • Should be a part of every major tune-up.
  • Many hours are wasted in E.F.I. fault finding. Eliminate the fuel injectors as a potential fault.
  • Prevent lean cylinders and warranty claims when fitting rebuilt engines by insuring proper and even flowing fuel injectors.
  • Increase your PROFIT, PERFORMANCE, AND FUEL MILEAGE.
  • High Performance customers can be assured of having even flow to all cylinders and therefore maximum power potential.
  1. Any irregularity in the flow of the injectors will affect the entire engine management system.
  2. Injectors must operate as a balanced unit, matching each other's delivery quantity, spray pattern and air/fuel mixture.
  3. Injectors very seldom fail all at the same time. They simply clog up and the injector's performance deteriorates.
  4. Less than 5% of injector failure is mechanical or electrical. The other 95% of failures are restorable to as new condition by our service.
  5. Fuel gradually contaminates the inside of the injectors, leaving a residue which restricts fuel flow.
  6. Flow rate can be reduced by up to a quarter by as little as a 5 micron film deposit inside the injector.
  7. A ten percent restriction in flow rate is enough to cause a noticeable deterioration in performance.
  8. Filter baskets inside the injectors with 30 to 40 micron screens will filter objects larger than 20 microns. This will help protect the injector from becoming clogged by bigger deposits, but can limit flow as the basket fills up.
  9. With the area between the pintle and seat being as little as 6 microns when the injector is open, filter baskets cannot provide full protection, injectors become clogged and the spray pattern is distorted.
  10. Intense heat can cause oil films, varnishes, lacquers, tare and carbon in the fuel to accumulate on the pintle and seat.
  11. Leaky valve seals allow oil to build up. Injectors are subjected to exhaust gas recirculate through the intake system.
  12. Any deterioration of injector performance, particularly in the hyper-sensitive closed loop catalytic systems which are common today, can lead to a reduced fuel economy, flat spots and weak acceleration, excessive exhaust emissions, poor starting, jerkiness, backfiring and poor gas mileage.
  13. Fuel activities can slow down the buildup within the injector but any solvent strong enough to dissolve all debris is going to destroy vital elements such as solenoid bobbins, the O-ring seals within the injector and plastic pipes in the fuel delivery system.
  14. Injector replacement is available, but diagnosis by substitution is primitive and costly and does not address the root of the problem. Replacing only some of the injectors does not achieve any balancing of the injectors within the set.
  15. This deficiency is equally true of engine management systems, whose oxygen sensor is unable to identify poor performance by individual injectors, so it will adjust all injectors uniformly, having detected either too lean or too rich a mixture. This still leaves an imbalance across the cylinders, that can only be corrected by the proper cleaning process, which is performed by utilization of the latest state of the art equipment.
  16. Ultimately, servicing the fuel system and injectors must be the ideal solution!

Now, I have never tried this service, but I don't think I'd hesitate to utilize their services if the need ever arises. ;)

Check them out by clicking the links.
 
Ken thanks for the link. I just got off the telephone with them and they sounded very knowledgeable and helpful. They also recommended changing the vacuum lines, fuel filter, check for sludge or water in the fuel tank (not sure how easy that will be), check the regulated fuel pressure and see if the vette has a cold start injector. The rebuild and test cost $189 plus a small shipping and handling charge, 24-hour turn around, and a $35 charge for the cold start injector if so equipped. They explain the importance of a full fuel tank and utilizing an injector cleaner on a regular basis. Recommending a preventive maintenance program, from a company that makes money if you don't, gives them high marks in my book.
 
That's great news! Thanks for filling us in with a first-hand report of dealing with them. :upthumbs

The cost appears to be very reasonable as well. :cool

_ken :CAC
 
Interesting service, but, regarding using injector cleaner, doesn't Probst (the GM guy) specifically recommend against it in his book on fuel injection/engine mgmt? I thought I read that in his book. Seems he says just use good fuel.

Something about hurting the newer type injectors w/ the cleaner.
 
I recently answered that question regarding the comment in Probst's book, but now I can't remember where it was. If I remember correctly, he was speaking of the in-tank cleaners and how it is unecessary to use them on any kind of regular basis, as long as you were using good gasoline.

_ken
 
Hi Ken,

I think it's like #13 in your original post. If the cleaner is strong enough to REALLY work, it'll damage soft parts like orings & seals.

I'm sure this company does a cool job but I'd really have to think about it a while vs. slapping in some of those Ford injectors. Supposed to be identical. Anyone ever done it? Results?
 
New (Close to the Heart) injector service!

I just noticed that we have with us as a member, switch, who has a fuel injector cleaning service - WitchHunter Performance:
WitchHunter Performance offers complete fuel injector balancing and blueprinting services. We provide ultrasonic injector cleaning and can flow up to 8 injectors at once for an accurate comparison. And the best part is... You don't have to pay $30 each!

Seeing as how Gordon is a fellow member, if you have fuel injector problems or are in need of service, please check his business out. :upthumbs

_ken :CAC
 
Excellent Service

Ken said:
I just noticed that we have with us as a member, switch, who has a fuel injector cleaning service - WitchHunter Performance:

Seeing as how Gordon is a fellow member, if you have fuel injector problems or are in need of service, please check his business out. :upthumbs

_ken :CAC

Just used Witchhunter to clean up a set of four injectors for the kids' MR2. Excellent Job! Sent them off Monday individually wrapped and numbered. Received them back Friday still individually packaged and numered along with flow test results before and after and removed/replaced parts.
 

Corvette Forums

Not a member of the Corvette Action Center?  Join now!  It's free!

Help support the Corvette Action Center!

Supporting Vendors

Dealers:

MacMulkin Chevrolet - The Second Largest Corvette Dealer in the Country!

Advertise with the Corvette Action Center!

Double Your Chances!

Our Partners

Back
Top Bottom