E85 injector cleaning

dynoman

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Nov 30, 2009
Just pulled my injectors after 4 yrs ( I know I should have done this long before ) and this is what I found . Kind of scammer residue , wiped off pretty easy , sending out for cleaning . I'll post before and after results. These are 120lb injectors and I was at 82% duty cycle on a 10.3 @129mph pass , 30psi. Make it a habit to have your injectors cleaned in the off season or once a year.
 
Pictures wouldn't upload from my phone . I'll use my camera instead .
 
Must be problems with the forum right now camera doesn't work either , saying uploaded file to large for server to process , this is how I always have posted pictures .
 
The residue is likely glycerin. It's a by product of the process to make the fuel, some of the sugars that don't get fermented into alcohol forms the glycerin. It normally settles out and doesn't get into the fuel, and it doesn't mix with ethanol. But it mixes with gasoline. But it's also heavy, so it precipitates out of the fuel when it's atomized by the injector and sticks to stuff. It used to be a huge problem when E85 was new, but I rarely hear about it anymore. Most of the manufacturers have improved their processes and are shipping a much cleaner fuel now.

You can usually get rid of it by running a tank of normal gasoline through it, and you can reduce the build up by running a lower ethanol mix. Since it doesn't fall out of the mixture until it exits the injector, they're probably clean on the inside.

You'll get most of the knock protection and evaporative cooling benefit of the alcohol at ratios above ~50%. So if you can flex fuel, running about 50-60% ethanol should help keep that buildup in check. There will be enough gasoline in the mix to keep it from building up on the injector tip.
 
Mr. Leeper is know for hiding under if fuel injection bench. :p .. waiting to pounce on the next comment ...LOL... I was advised to have my injectors cleaned out ... and I sent them to him... was very surprised when I got them back ... a full report on each one ...very professional and well worth my time and money ...and he sent my old seals back for me to dispose off... a top notch gentleman ...
 
. . . So if you can flex fuel, running about 50-60% ethanol should help keep that buildup in check. . .
I asked previously and have never been able to find a table listing %Ethanol vs FEC. Are you aware of a table?
 
I asked previously and have never been able to find a table listing %Ethanol vs FEC. Are you aware of a table?

Nope. I'm sure there's a somebody that knows. Eric might, or Matt Cramer at DIYAutotune.

I'm just using the sensor and the settings Eric gave me for the ECUGN. I have sigs turned off, so I did't see the OP is running a standard TT chip. Which complicates running less than E85. Getting down close to E50/E60 is going to require fueling changes that are probably outside the authority built into the chip.
 
Thanks for the reply @Turbo6inKY

I recall reading that the percent of ethanol to FEC is not linear because it's frequency based sensor. This is likely the reason why it's so difficult to locate any info.

@Eric Stage I any info on this?
 
I'm now going to add injector cleaning to my spring cleaning every year .
 
Thanks for the reply @Turbo6inKY

I recall reading that the percent of ethanol to FEC is not linear because it's frequency based sensor. This is likely the reason why it's so difficult to locate any info.

@Eric Stage I any info on this?


I believe this should cover it. This doesn't apply to the ecuGN, as it uses the inverse of that number.


fec.JPG
 
Just pulled my injectors after 4 yrs ( I know I should have done this long before ) and this is what I found . Kind of scammer residue , wiped off pretty easy , sending out for cleaning . I'll post before and after results. These are 120lb injectors and I was at 82% duty cycle on a 10.3 @129mph pass , 30psi. Make it a habit to have your injectors cleaned in the off season or once a year.
I predict your injectors will flow the same before and after they are cleaned. In other words,they're just fine.
 
Must be problems with the forum right now camera doesn't work either , saying uploaded file to large for server to process , this is how I always have posted pictures .
I had the same problem. I went into the settings on my phone camera and selected a lower resolution and retook photos and was able to load photos after that.
 
So all the injectors were flowing inspect even though one had carbon build up?
 
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