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How To: DIY - Injector cleaning

1M views 1.6K replies 436 participants last post by  cfell  
#1 ·
This is a great way to clean your injectors and improve your balance rates.
First go to your gm dealer and buy the GM upper engine fuel injector cleaner p/n 88861802, about 15 bucks. This CAN NOT be run through the fuel tank. To run this cleaner you have to use the quick disconnects at the rear of the engine.

1. Remove the quick disconnects at the rear of the engine, you will need a set of quick disconnect line tools. the return line is 3/8 and the suction line is 1/2.

2. Once lines are disconnected, install rubber fuel hose to the lines with hose clamps. You will need 3/8 hose and 1/2, about 5 ft of each.

3. use 1/2 gallon of clean diesel fuel and mix 13 oz. of the injector cleaner in a container (I used an old rotella 1 gal. bottle)

4. put both the return and suction lines into the container and place container out of the way of engine. (sat mine on a step ladder next to truck). you can set it on the floor but will need about 8-10 ft of hose.

5. start the engine, check for leaks. run all of the the diesel fuel in the container out, will take time. (mine sat at idle for 1.5 hours). if the truck dies, no big deal, just prime it once you reconnect the fuel lines.

6. once fuel is gone, reconnect the fuel lines, should hear a snap. and done. make sure to check for leaks when finished.

hope this helps some people. my balance rates are much better now, and the engine runs much smoother. maybe try this first if you think you have an injector going bad.
 
#898 ·
Next to the glow plug module
arent there several pics of it already in this thread?
 
#904 ·
Just started the process on my '03...

$15 for the cleaner
$11 in Hoses
$12 for a gas can (apparently the only crap I don't save is old jugs that may actually be useful)
< $5 for fuel and hose clamps.

Less than 20 minutes setup and the truck is purring away while I'm watching... 10 minutes so far, no smoke, no rough running.

Took pictures of the process will post those, and before and after shots of the fuel injector information I found... not sure if it is the RIGHT things that I took pics of but what the hey...
 
#905 ·
DIY Injector Cleaning

Just finished mine, here are the pictures of the process including before and after balance rate adjustment pictures.

1) Fuel Quick Disconnects are located drivers side just behind the boot coming off the Turbo, just behind the brake reservoir.



2) Close up of the fuel line quick disconnects. For guys like me with big hands it's kind of a bear cat to get to... It's a little blurry but notice the shinny metal clips, you have to remove those before you can use the quick disconnect tool.





3) I used a Matco set of quick disconnect tools borrowed from my Uncles shop. Here the 3/8" one is installed and ready to go. I rotated left and right, pushed toward the engine, then pull back and it clicked right off.



4) Return Line Removed



5) 1/2" fuel line removal tool installed, same routine, left, right, toward the engine then pull back and it clicked right off.



6) Supply Line Removed



7) Here I installed the 1/2" Supply Line. NAPA didn't have 1/2" fuel line on hand so I used 1/2" heater hose instead. Figured since it wasn't for "continued use" that I should be just fine in using it.



8) 3/8" return line installed.



9) ACDelco - Upper Engine and Fuel Injector Cleaner - X66P (Part #88861803) Purchase from local GM Dealership. They didn't question my buying it at all. However I was buying it through my Uncles Auto Body Shop Account so that may have had something to do with it.



10) I ZipTied the two hoses together about an inch apart to keep the lines snugly together in the fuel jug.



11) Here is a picture of the final set up. I primed the truck until the primer was firm, started it and it ran just fine...



12) Got bored while I was waiting so had a beer or two. I used my garbage can to hold the fuel jug because it had a tapered top as you can see so the fuel would pool on one end. If you zoom in you can see that I also added a ziptie to the top of the handle to the fuel hoses. this held them tight up and down so it would suck every last drop of fuel out. Sucker ran for 2 Hours and 5 Minutes before it quit. Didn't chug even once just quit...



13) Here is where I got lazy and stopped taking pictures. It didn't help that it was pitch black out before the truck quit... Once it quits disconnect both rubber hoses from the truck and hold them up to drain the fuel back in to the fuel jug.

14) Reattach the quick connects to their respective fuel lines and reattach the metal clips.

15) Prime the engine and fire it up.

16) Here are my balance rates BEFORE the "procedure..."



17) Here are my balance rate AFTER the "procedure..."



So for those in the know, how do my Balance Rates Look?

Thanks for any input!

JP
 
#907 ·
I thought that too, so I went back and double checked the time coding on the two different pictures and they are in the right order on here... I'm confused... They weren't really too bad to begin with I don't "think." But I'm pretty religious about running SeaFoam through the fuel tank on a regular basis...
 
#908 ·
im hoping he got those pics messed up, if so that seemed about right

i just got a bottle of the cleaner today, tomorrow gonna pick up some hoses and a small jug to buy some diesel in so i can do this

has anyone been putting the whole bottle in with 1/2 gal of diesel or still using just the 13oz like originally stated?
 
#909 ·
I was hoping I did too...

But I just double checked the time coding on my phone from when I took the pictures...

The before picture was taken at 1815 CST...
The after picture was taken at 2052 CST... and shows worse balance rates...

I would be the one unlucky SOB that does this and actually gets WORSE results...

:(
 
#910 ·
Yea man they got worse. That's really strange. But I've never heard of anyone running seafoam in a duramax. You need to ditch the seafoam and run diesel kleen and hope those rates get better. Your balance rates were almost perfect before you did the cleaning. I'm sure they will go back down

I used the whole bottle of cleaner with like 3/4 of a milk jug full of diesel. It made my rates a tad better. My injector 6 is sky rocketing by the month though so I plan on doing this cleaner again soon.
 
#911 ·
Yeah, I have access to that same scan tool whenever I need it so I'll just keep an eye on them.

The SeaFoam is for gas and diesel engines, and the balance rates weren't screwed up until after I ran the AC Delco stuff through....

Either way I think I'll switch to Diesel Kleen...

Have been thinking I'd like to do this on my Diesel Jetta that has 210K on it, but if my Dmax ran for 2 1/2 hours on a half gallon of fuel I'm almost afraid of how long my TDI would run on a 1/2 gallon... Probably take all day!
 
#913 ·
Mine got worse as well on 3 of my injectors.
 
#926 ·
so after 94 post your saying 1/2 gal diesel 13 oz of cleaner 2 hoses 3/8-1/2 and clamps cool might try it