OTC 7448A Fuel Injection Cleaner Tool

lothian

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Anyone have experience with the OTC 7448A Fuel Injection Cleaner tool?

This thing is purpose-built to connect directly to the fuel rail (or just at the damper with an adapter) where it bypasses the fuel system and delivers fuel injector solvent under pressure (either their propriety brew, Inject-R-Kleen, or any similar product; eg: BG 44K, Chevron Techron, etc).

The thing requires an air compressor to work. You hook-up shop air to the canister and dial-in the rail pressure for your vehicle. You then disable your fuel pump. fill the canister with solvent and hook up the delivery hose to your car's fuel rail via a quick-connect adapter. Open the valve, start the engine, and let it run until the canister is emptied (indicated by a stalled engine). Repeat with another can, or schedule another session twice a year or so. Cool huh?

I'm not a fan of gas-additive fuel injector cleaners, nor am I keen on the onerous chore of removing each injector for direct cleaning. At just over a measly hundred bucks for the 7448A (plus another twenty or so for the adapter), this seems like a reasonable regular maintenance tool for the home shop.

Anyone care to vouch for the OTC 7448A tool?
 
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Nam1911a1

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Never even heard of it. I have always just used the injector and fuel system cleaner to the fuel. Then again I have never experienced dirty or clogged injectors.

I feel like injectors that aren't worked at full performance of the vehicle tend to get clogged and dirty more than injectors that are ran hard. I have always had the mantra of "Redline a day keeps the mechanic away" lol.

My 95 Camry went 244k miles before I sold it and still ran like a champ. My 98 explorer with 160k miles ran great if I gave it a seafoam treatment Every oil change and still ran great even after it was totaled after being rear ended. My 2007 Tundra 5.7 with 175k miles runs like the day it came off the factory line. And my 98 accord 2.3 with 240k miles is my current daily work car and gets to see 6k rpm daily.

Not sure if it's relevant to injectors but I know turbo diesels if not ran hard now and then get soot and carbon build up on the vanes of the turbine so a good hard run now and then helps break that loose and keeps the fins clean.
 

chaby_91

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I got to use this device or a similar one during my car mechanics courses. I used it to clean the injectors on my car. The engine had less than 90k miles, ran well and was still very clean so it didn't make much of a difference. I'm sure it would have more effects on engines that had seen more miles than mine had
 

lothian

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Thanks for your reply.

Since you have some experience with this tool, do you think the expense of owning the thing would be offset by used as part of a routine maintenance regime; like use it at each oil change, for example?
 

chaby_91

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I really don't think you need to clean your injectors every oil change. In fact I think cleaning them once a year is plenty. Most people never do it. Plus the fuel you get at the pump is high quality.

If you wish to keep you vehicle's engine at the utmost level of efficiency all the time, cleaning the injectors often will help.

If you'd regularly go to the shop to get you injectors cleaned anyway, yea, buy it.
 

lothian

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Thanks for the follow-up.

I'm honestly not certain of the consensus regarding the interval between this sort of service; though I'm certain solvent retailers would eagerly recommend frequent dosing.

What I'm trying to garner is the efficacy of this sort of solvent delivery method on the entire intake system. As I said in my initial post, I'm suspicious of tank-additives. I'm not convinced solvent products injected into a running engine is significantly effective on removing the pervasive strata of carbon deposits. I hoped that someone might change my mind, though in the context of using solvents via the OTC 7448A, or similar tools.

Apart from the expense of consumables (solvent is expensive), the OTC 7448A--and others like it--actually adds complexity and hassle to a routine maintenance regime for us 6th-Gen necromancers: the banjo fitting must be removed from the FDP block, replaced by the OTC adapter, and the fuel pump must be disabled--all of which must be reversed once the job is complete. (This procedural circumstance is due to the fact that the fuel rails lack a Schrader-valve service port. Stupid Honda.)

Ostensibly the value of tools like the OTC 7448A offer a better "overall cleaning" on our J30A1-3 port-injected heads when compared to vacuum-introduced solvents. (Reasoning: the solvent theoretically contacts the back of the intake valves and stems, valve seats, and that area of the plenum in addition to the injectors and cylinder). But again, what do I know...
 

chaby_91

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When I did it on my car I cut the flexible fuel line at the rail then fixed it with a brass fitting and clamps. I don't remember if I disabled the fuel pump at the fuse fuse or connector.

Regular fuel keeps the intake valves clean-ish. I'm also convinced fuel additives don't work. Look on youtube for injector cleaning. There is a ton of videos on the subject
 
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