Can I clean my own 1.8 injectors?
 

Hey guys,

So last summer when I was reinstalling my rebuilt head I threw in some 1.8 inj that I had from my old Protege GT. The more I think about it I would like to clean them up before I really get on the boost this summer.

Is this a DIY job or do i need to send them out?
How much am I looking at to have 4 inj cleaned?

Thanks

urine will clean them. Just urinate in the fuel rail and get back to us.

you could also ship them to CD's to get them cleaned, they do a really great job.

Deatschworks is a vendor here on this forum that specializes in injectors. Check the vendors section. They are very reputable and reasonable. I have seen before/after data on how poorly some injectors perform after they get a little time on them. You can easily blow your boosted motor and not know why by just having one down 20%.

Yes you can clean them yourself, but you'll have to invest a lot of time in research and money in various testing equipment, tooling, chemicals, and whatnot to build something to clean and test them, test being the key word. If you "clean" them, but don't do before and after testing, then you don't know if your cleaning did anything.

personally i have had good luck with witchhunter.com, they have done two sets of injectors for me. quick turnaround time, and $18 ea plus shipping last i checked.

they also fully rebuild them with all new screens, spacers, and o-rings.

blue89, the answer is no, you cannot clean your own injectors. Send them out to a respectable company or see if you can find a set of a wrecked newer Miata with low miles.

Mr. Injector or some similar name sells injector filters and o-rings on ebay. A google search will turn up some people who have cleaned them at home using a bit of juice to open the injector so they can squirt some cleaner thru them in addition to soaking them in cleaner overnight. Don't know how effective any of that really is.

for the peace of mind I'd spend the $20 or so each and send them out to Deatschwerks of witchhunter and know it's good...

Change the filters, caps, and spacers. Run some seafoam through a tank of gas. Done.

I am willing to bet its the filters that are responsible for the crappy flow more then the injector itself.

Sure you can clean them, why couldnt you? Use a rag and some sort of solvent to remove the build up on them, scuff them with some steel wool, and paint with your choice of paint. After you mask off the important parts of course.

OH, "clean them". No

I'm with you on this. If they are not completely stoped up. Which you would know at idle. Or driving heavy without boost.
I would run some (gum out, is what I used) cleaner through them. I mean like a bottle of gum out to 5 gallons. ( I have no ideal about ratio for sea foam. I heard it is good though.)

Dont get into boost until the cleaner and gas is ran out.

But I didn't have any problems with my injectors. But remember you get what you pay for.
I was too cheap for cleaning. And was very care and listening for knock while getting into boost.

I'm not one to believe in snake oils. But I have to admit after pouring half a bottle of Lucas fuel injector cleaner in my gas, my idle improved noticeably. Might do it again and see if it further improves, but I can only assume it cleaned up an injector that wasn't working well.

i am cheap, so i have cleaned mine before. hook up power to open the injectors and spray some carb cleaner threw them.

You are a cheap asshole, so I'm not surprised. :fawk::fawk::fawk:
I would do the same thing...

i see your super secret voodoo text :giggle:

Send them out, it's not that expensive!
 

I too have had good service with witchhunter, but am always trying to support forum vendors...

Witchhunter hooked me up on a set of used and cleaned injectors for my TII when I had it.

I might do that to my 550's before throwing them in. They were professionally cleaned about 2 years ago so they probably aren't even dirty.

Seafoam works great for carbon build up, but I wouldn't trust it to do a great job cleaning injectors.

I have a set of '99 1.8 injectors that i had serviced, they flowed within 0.8% of each other afterwards. $100 shipped and they're yours.