Fuel system additives? Options

[D-Man]

Okay, it seems that people are putting all kinds of stuff into their fuel systems to clear out all the unwanted material, and to improve MPG.

I've been hearing of Sea-Foam, Lucas Oil, and Various other detergents/cleaners. I wanna get this ball rolling so we can figure out what is indeed best for our systems.

So, What are ya'lls opinions?

Personally, i use a detergent based injector cleaner every few months or so, not that it causes a big difference, but i like to think that that 6-7 bucks keeps my injectors clean so that i wont have to notice a big difference, and prevent problems before they occur.

This post has been edited by D-Man: Mar 19, 2008 - 2:05 PM

[95st-celica]

seafoam FTW....i think it works best and really cleans out your engine for the money

[DEATH]

This gonna end up a fight over whether or not they're even worth it unfortunately.
For my part tho:
STP Injector Cleaner every oil change keeps my injectors working well + I swear by Chevron gas [whether or not it's any different it keeps me from having problems just by keeping me away from bad gas - Houston has waaaay too many places that give bad gas]

[GriffGirl]

^you're just spending too much time at Denny's it sounds like

[D-Man]

@ griff's comment!

Yeah, i usually use the STP or the Chevron w/ Techron additive. (that's what they sell at my gas station) i dont even sync it up with oil changes, i just grab a bottle when ever i'm about to fill up every other month or so...

But bad gas is not a laughing matter in Houston... Some places add random substances to the gas to make more profit. Usually water or some crap... terrible....

This post has been edited by D-Man: Mar 19, 2008 - 2:29 PM

[D-Man]

What does FTW stand for?

[DEATH]

What does FTW stand for?

For the win meaning he thinks that's the best solution

[D-Man]

THANKS!!

i thought it was for the wreckerd.... but that's not how you spell Record...

This post has been edited by D-Man: Mar 19, 2008 - 3:10 PM

[playr158]

BG 44k

This post has been edited by playr158: Mar 19, 2008 - 4:18 PM

[D-Man]

44k? Is that a brand name?

[Remy]

Gumout Complete Fuel System Cleaner (goldish bottle) did a test increase mpg by 4 and car picks up alot better after use yes I noticed the difference not just in my head.

Edit: Results very though...

This post has been edited by Remy: Mar 19, 2008 - 4:18 PM

[D-Man]

okay, so lets see the score so far...

Seafoam is FTW, and backed by one person.

Lucas Oil isnt even on the map.

Detergents have 3 Votes, and (unverified) proven results.

44k has been thrown out there. But nothing is known about it, and there are no details pertaining to it.


So far it looks like Detergent based cleaners are the best. Opinions? Anyone? I know there is only like 4 people logged in to 6gc right now, but common. lol.

This post has been edited by D-Man: Mar 19, 2008 - 4:24 PM

[k-weaver]

There was a previous post on seafoam, alot of people there were swearing by it. I myself have never heard of it nor would I know how to use it. I do however plan to try it out. As far as the others, I don't normally put any additives in my gas but seems like it should help something...

[D-Man]

There was a previous post on seafoam, alot of people there were swearing by it. I myself have never heard of it nor would I know how to use it. I do however plan to try it out. As far as the others, I don't normally put any additives in my gas but seems like it should help something...

The problem with sea foam is that it makes your exhaust nasty black for a while, and here in Texas we'll get a ticket for that...

[GriffGirl]

Seafoam won't make your exhaust black if you add 1/3 of a can to your gas tank to clean your injectors. I've used Seafoam this way (and in the intake - smokey exhaust for a few minutes) and have had great results.

Google 44k, it's easy to find info on it. I've never used or heard of it until the other day when it was first mentioned by the same guy. I've never seen it around, so I'm not going to look into it any further. If I see some, I might pick it up and try, but meh. Whatever.

[alltracman78]

I've only had good results with 2 things.

None of the bottled stuff you get at auto stores seem to do much of anything, but in all fairness I've never done any kind of scientific test to check.

Seafoam is good stuff. I usually don't put any in the gas, and never put any in the oil. It cured a 2 year misfire back when I first got my current Alltrac. For those of you interested Deep Creep [ http://www.seafoamsales.com/deepCreepTech.htm ] is a spray version of Seafoam, and will clean some things better [because it's aerosoled].

But hands down BG is the best. I'm not talking about the 44K stuff, I've never used it. I mean the shop stuff. Take a look at BG 9210 Inject-A-Flush® Apparatus and BG AIS Cleaning Tool [along with the cleaners used with them]. This is what we used at the last dealer I worked at. Because we were curious, we took a before and after borescope [looked at the inside if the cylinder and head] on a late 90s Camry 4 cyl [5SFE]. It went from being covered in carbon to looking almost new.

A lot of the success is how it's put into the engine.
It's actively sprayed [pressurized and sprayed out a nozzle], which mixes it better with air, while the fuel injector cleaner is forced in through the fuel line. No gas, just the cleaner, so it's not diluted at all.

[GriffGirl]

^ I read all about that stuff you're talking about when I googled 44k, and I thought it looked like good stuff but WAY over my head. Question is, is it? Are the Inject-a-Flush and Cleaning Tool and cleaners something that is relatively consumer-friendly? Or are they more suited for professional use?

[alltracman78]

Much more suited for professional use, you need some kind of compressed air to use it.

You could use a pressurized tank instead of an air compressor though.
I'm not sure how expensive the tools are though.
I know the cleaners alone were like $45 my cost.
Not cheap stuff.

[GriffGirl]

Much more suited for professional use, you need some kind of compressed air to use it.

You could use a pressurized tank instead of an air compressor though.
I'm not sure how expensive the tools are though.
I know the cleaners alone were like $45 my cost.
Not cheap stuff.

Bummer. Thanks for the info though.

[99Celica]

I used Amsoil Powerfoam on my car. I hated using it, watching my car being molested was unbearable .
The car felt like it ran smoother afterwards though.

[joehernandez]

i use lucas oil...
i started trying it 3 weeks ago,, 3 oz for every 10 gallons i think..
the first week i didnt noticed anything,,,
so i was like "the same as the others!!" but after the first week
i really saw improvements, i used to go from my house to my work twice with 1/4 of my tank,,
now i can go three times with the same amount of gas,,
also i noticed that when i want to pass by someone,, my car picks up speed a lot faster than before and does not wastes that much gas doing it,,,
i drive around 300 to 450 miles per week at a speed of 60 to 65,

[D-Man]

okay, i like how this BG has results, however, it dosent seem to consumer friendly. Not all of us have air compressors or some kind of equivalent. What else is required in the cleaning process? Where is it sprayed (exacaly) and how is it cleaned using the tools? Do you have any pics? (i really want to get everything spelled out, letter for letter) Thanx.

As for Sea Foam, i do know that it is much more consumer friendly (like 6-10 bucks) And has alot of fans. I think i will try some soon. Can it be purchased at my local auto retailer?

I used Amsoil Powerfoam on my car. I hated using it, watching my car being molested was unbearable .
The car felt like it ran smoother afterwards though.

??? ???

Molested your Car? You really need to elaborate on this one...

[Jeunesse]

You can get seafoam from NAPA.

[D-Man]

Thanks Jeunesse, I'll pick some up on my way home.

[99Celica]

when you use the foams they make your car sputter and maybe stall.

[alltracman78]

The engine sputters while the Seafoam is going through the intake.
ANY engine cleaner that is run through the intake will effect run quality during and for a short time afterwards, you're taking O2 from the intake stream and adding something else [plus the crap that is broken free], it stands to reason it's not going to run right.

Once it has ran through the engine should run as good or better than before.

Depending how dirty your engine is inside, you might want to change your plugs afterwards.
If you're running platinum/iridium I would suggest you buy a cheap set of coppers to waste while you clean the engine.

[djyohimbe]

I tried Seafoam last weekend and I can say for $8, it's the single cheapest way to increase performance. Engine runs much smoother, especially when you are accelerating on the freeway, or taking your foot off the gas. I plan to use it every 2500 miles or so. It's a huge improvement when you have a high-mileage engine (I'm at 128K).

[alltracman78]

I tried Seafoam last weekend and I can say for $8, it's the single cheapest way to increase performance. Engine runs much smoother, especially when you are accelerating on the freeway, or taking your foot off the gas. I plan to use it every 2500 miles or so. It's a huge improvement when you have a high-mileage engine (I'm at 128K).

That's assuming the inside of your engine is really dirty.
If you do it again in 2500 miles you're not going to see much of a change [unless it didn't clean out most of it the first time].

Good stuff, but only works if there's something to clean.

[djyohimbe]

I tried Seafoam last weekend and I can say for $8, it's the single cheapest way to increase performance. Engine runs much smoother, especially when you are accelerating on the freeway, or taking your foot off the gas. I plan to use it every 2500 miles or so. It's a huge improvement when you have a high-mileage engine (I'm at 128K).

That's assuming the inside of your engine is really dirty.
If you do it again in 2500 miles you're not going to see much of a change [unless it didn't clean out most of it the first time].

Good stuff, but only works if there's something to clean.

I guess I have my doubts that it will clean everything out the first time. But it certainly works very well after only one application!

[Rusty]

I've used octane boosters, didn't feel a difference. though I was using 91 back then, now I use 95, so maybe?

[cochise]

I've used octane boosters, didn't feel a difference. though I was using 91 back then, now I use 95, so maybe?

I'm gonna throw something old school a ya. Marvel Mystery Oil. 2 ounces per 10 gallons of fuel. Been using it in my bikes for 30 years.
Increase in HP, fuel mileage and the engine runs smoother. I tried it in my celi and got 2 mpg better mileage.

As for SEAFOAM.. incredible stuff. I had a boat that got swamped. water in engine oil, etc. Poured a quart of seafoam in the oil reservoir. ran it 5 minutes, drained oil, changed filter, refilled oil. all the water was gone!
freakin boat ran better than new!

[D-Man]

i'm liking the sounds of this sea foam.... but how would one use it without attracting attention from the local law i wonder? Because here in Houston, our local law love to F- with us...

[6G96GT]

So what about "Lucas"?? I drive tractor trailers for work and many, many truckers who put on 100s of 1000s of miles on their engines swear by lucas (especially the oil additive). Any thoughts on lucas?

...one more thing, seafoam...if you want to clean the injectors what do you do with it? If you want to clean the intake and TB...how?

[blckcelica95]

i love lucas, i run it, in all of our fleet trucks.

[joehernandez]

So what about "Lucas"?? I drive tractor trailers for work and many, many truckers who put on 100s of 1000s of miles on their engines swear by lucas (especially the oil additive). Any thoughts on lucas?

...one more thing, seafoam...if you want to clean the injectors what do you do with it? If you want to clean the intake and TB...how?

i love lucas, i run it, in all of our fleet trucks.

at least two more persons that use lucas!
i use the oil additive, it has worked for me!

[alltracman78]

I've never tried Lucas oil stuff [not a big fan of oil additives], so I can't tell you anything about it from personal experience.

But, two things to think about.
1-I've seen [online] tests where adding Lucas creates LOTS of foam in the oil. Foam is bad in the oil.

2-Truckers using Lucas in their engines isn't the same, diesels have [slightly] different needs than gas engines and even use different engine oil.

[DEATH]

I have 1 MR2T friend that swears by Lucas [and is currently on his 3rd rebuild in two years BTW] and a sh*tload of 3S friends who wouldn't touch the stuff. Not saying this is true cause I haven't used the stuff - just what I've been told by friends
i say if you're injectors are clean and you want to maintain them use Chevron Gas [93] and use the STP cleaner every oil change - this is what I do, I've had several S series Celicas and I've never had an issue with oil [knock on wood]. That's proof enough for me.
if you need them cleaned I'd pay for a professional service at a good place [preferably a good Toyota dealership] and then maintain them using the paragraph above.

This post has been edited by DEATH: Mar 26, 2008 - 3:08 PM

[joehernandez]

i am gonna try to do a little research on lucas oil,, i have to know whats true....

[Toyotacelicafan1]

I never heard of this seafoam but I would not use it sounds like a waste of money to me. my celica has 197000 miles on it and I just done oil changes and routine work when it need to be done. I had some fuel injector clean,clean the throttle body. I would before what stuff comes out it can either make or break your car in horse power of gas millage.

[pipes]

anyone try this in a turbo motor? i would think all the soot would be bad for the turbo???? anyone?