Okay, here’s my blog post about cleaning fuel injectors. It's gonna be a bit rough around the edges, just like my actual experience was!

Alright, so I finally got around to cleaning the fuel injectors on my old pickup truck. It’s been running rough, especially at idle, and I figured it was worth a shot before dropping a ton of cash on new ones.

First Things First: The Research

• I spent a solid evening watching YouTube videos. Seriously, there are tons of them! Some guys build crazy elaborate rigs, others just use spray cans. I decided to go somewhere in the middle.
• I read up on the different types of fuel injector cleaner. Seafoam? Lucas? BG 44K? Everyone has their favorite. I ended up grabbing a can of Berryman B-12 Chemtool. Heard good things, and it was cheap.

Building a Makeshift Cleaning Rig

This is where things got interesting. I didn't want to buy a fancy fuel injector cleaning machine, so I pieced something together myself. Here’s what I used:

• A can of that Berryman stuff.
• Some rubber hose. I snagged some fuel line from the auto parts store. Make sure it's fuel-resistant!
• A couple of hose clamps. Gotta keep those connections tight.
• A 9-volt battery and a connector. This is to pulse the injector open and closed.
• And most importantly safety glasses. You don't want that spray in your eye, trust me.

I basically connected the hose to the fuel injector, then attached the other end to the spray nozzle of the cleaner can. The 9-volt battery was used to click the injector open while I sprayed the cleaner through it. Pretty janky, I know, but it seemed to work.

The Cleaning Process: Messy but (Hopefully) Effective

Here's what I actually did:

1. Removed the fuel injectors. This was probably the hardest part. They were stuck in there pretty good. PB Blaster is your friend!
2. Set up my "rig." I clamped everything down and made sure all the connections were secure.
3. Pulsed the injector. I'd tap the 9-volt battery connector to the injector pins to open it. Then I would spray the cleaner through it in short bursts.
4. Observed the spray pattern. The first few pulses looked pretty rough – uneven, dribbling, not good. After a while, it started to clean up and the spray pattern became more even and atomized.
5. Repeat! I kept at it, pulsing and spraying, until I was happy with the spray pattern.
6. Let them soak. After cleaning, I let the injectors sit in a container of the cleaner for a few hours, just to really loosen up any remaining gunk.

Reinstalling and Testing

Putting the injectors back in was way easier than taking them out. A little bit of lubricant helps. Then, I crossed my fingers and started the truck.

It actually started up smoother than it has in a while! The idle was still a little rough, but definitely improved. I took it for a spin, and it seemed to have a little more pep. Overall, I'd say it was worth the effort.

Was it Worth It?

Yeah, I think so. It wasn't perfect, and I might still need to replace the injectors eventually, but for a couple of hours of work and a can of cleaner, it made a noticeable difference. Plus, it was kind of fun tinkering with the engine. If you're having similar issues, give it a shot. Just be careful, work in a well-ventilated area, and wear safety glasses!