FUEL CLEANER ADDITIVE ? GOOD IDEA OR BAD ??

[Steve Retfordlad]

Hi - Considering adding a bottle of cleaner additive to my fuel - the usual STP complete engine cleaner - my beast is a 1973 ex military series 3 - what Id like to know is is this a mistake on an engine this old ?? Will it clean years of gunk where I might not want it cleaned and open otherwise well-sealed-against-leaks areas ? Its the original engine not a blue painted recond job.

She runs well - does not like starting first time in the cold ( dont we all ? ) and tends to idle after switch off a couple of times. I think a new distrib. might cure that as timing has been adjusted several times but she tends to lapse back after a few months to old habits !!

S.

[BackInA88]

Hi -
She runs well - does not like starting first time in the cold ( dont we all ? ) and tends to idle after switch off a couple of times. I think a new distrib. might cure that as timing has been adjusted several times but she tends to lapse back after a few months to old habits !!

S.

Added a soleniod fuel cut off to my Weber and it completely stopped the dieseling after shut off.

[badvibes]

S-

This is the only brand I've used before. I went with the advice of the gurus from another board, Off-Road.com. I don't remember the details as to why they felt it was a decent product, something about it wasn't a corrosive/solvent type product. I used it and didn't see the result I was hoping for. My problem wasn't a dirty carb but blockage in the pick-up tube in the gas tank. But when I rebuilt my Rochecter carb it was pretty clean on the inside.

J

[jp-]

It won't do any harm. However, the only kind that I have found that actually works is the Techron stuff.

[greenmeanie]

Fuel additive experiments:
- Techron is about the only thing I will put through my wife's fancy smanshy Audi. If you go to a dealer and they tell you that they need to clean your injectors that's all they do anyway. This is the same stuff as they have in the Chevron fuel and all you are doing is super concentrating it. I think it is rather overkill for the old LR boat anchor but it won't hurt either.

- Seafoam. This is good stuff. I also can't remember why but if you want a one shot cleaner for an old engine this works. The world will love you for the clouds of smoke and the neighbours will report you to the Department of Homeland Security.

- For long term general maintenance I throw a couple of ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in a tank of fuel about once a month on my daily driver. It is paraffin based so does not harm anything and any time I strip the fuel system it is nice and clean. I think it may also help keep the cylinders clean but am not in there often enough to be sure. A big bottle of this stuff lasts a couple of years, costs about the same as the other potions and with a name like Marvel Mystery Oil it MUST be good for your engine! (Cough)

- There may also be some benfit to throuwing in about 2-3 onces of acetone in a tank of fuel on a regular basis but I'll leave it to the audience to do your research and form your own opinions.

- I have never found the STP stuff worth the money and would buy the Techron instead.

After all of these I can't really say I noticed a drastic difference. When the Marvel is in the tank she runs a bit smoother but that's just the octane changing altering the combustion characteristics.

Cheers
Gregor

[jp-]

Acetone = bad idea.

Marvel Mystery Oil = Automatic Transmission Fluid, no more mystery.