Date:         Fri, 10 Feb 1995 11:38:39 CST6CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Dan Houg" <fairwind@northernnet.com>
Subject:      Fuel Injection Cleaner

Here's one for the home tool kit that you don't need to bring on the 
road.


Gas has gotten 'better' but deposits still form on the injectors,
especially in our hot engine compartments.  Here's how to clean them
for a high initial expense ~$55 but very effective after the setup
is made.

3M makes a kit containing all the parts but it is VERY expensive.  A
cheaper route is to just buy the following:

-get just the hose from the kit, it is available separately.  this 
hose consists of a threaded adapter to go on a can of 3M cleaner, an 
on/off valve, and a brass fitting at the end.  this hose will cost 
~$35 as opposed to over $200 for the kit.

- also, while at the FLAPS, buy a can of the 3M cleaner, these are 
pricey (~$16)

-take the hose to any good hardware store that has plumbing fittings. 
 buy: a small galvanized female 'T'
          a M-M adapter (brass) that goes from the end of the 3M hose 
and threads into the 'T'
          a male thread nipple that fits the other end of the 'T' and 
terminates in a 1/4" hose barb
          a 0-100 psi water pressure gauge with a bottom thread that 
fits into the top of the 'T'
          a 2 foot section of 1/4" fuel line
          2 small hose clamps

assemble this all together with teflon tape on the threads.  use 1 
hose clamp on the fuel line to barb connection and loosely place the 
other clamp on the open end of the fuel line

To use:
 this whole setup attaches onto fuel system from the little
T-shaped thingy right by the distributor.  depressurize the van fuel
system then unsrew that tiny bolt in the top of the T.  attach the
free end of the fuel line hose from the tool you just made. 
energize the fuel pump once and then disconnect.  start and run the
engine at idle until it dies.   there are good instructions on the
can of 3M cleaner but essentially what this system does is run your
engine for about 10 minutes off of this (large) can of pressurized
injector cleaner.  when the can is empty, the engine dies and your
injectors are clean! 

This has noticably smoothed out the idle on both of my vans.  I like to do it 
about once a year.

An advantage of this setup is that one also gets to watch fuel 
pressures on the guage.  Helps to determine how the regulator is 
working.  Do not use this setup on CIS systems as the fuel pressures 
run too high. 

If this isn't clear let me know and I'll fill in the gaps.

-dan