Hoo boy, this should start a thread (politics, anyone?).
MTUO (My Totally Unscientific Opinion): Short answer: no.
There's something about "magical" additives that appeal to all of us
(ask any marketer, or just check the shelves at your favorite parts
house). Additives (gas or oil) may have been useful at one time, but
now, gas and oil are both so standardized and generally good that there
is no need (the recent thread on ZDDP is the exception that proves the
rule, IMO). FI cleaner was actually useful at one time, as earlier gas
formulations which worked fine for carburettors didn't have
enough/proper cleaners for FI when it first became common, but that
problem has been addressed.
Anecdotally, I've disassembled SU carbs and fuel pumps several times
over the last 25 years and have seen no evidence of any sort of gum or
varnish buildup. I also keep a 2g can of gas for my lawnmower that
(maybe) gets filled once a year and the unlined, mild steel inside is
perfectly clean. Also, my new Mustang's owner's manual states
unequivocally "do not put any crap in the gas or oil or your warranty's
history" (well, something like that).
BTW, I hope you run the FI cleaner BEFORE changing the oil; I believe
those are corrosive and some of it--or its byproducts--may end up in the
sump.
bs
T W wrote:
> I usually dump a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in the gas tank of my other
> cars when I change the oil. With our old lbc's, is it a good idea to run
> some carb cleaner or fuel system cleaner thru? I figure a good cleaning
> can't hurt, but I don't want to dissolve 40 years worth of gum and varnish
> and really gum up the works.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> - Tom
>
***************************************************************
Bob Spidell San Jose, CA bspidell@comcast.net
'67 Austin-Healey 3000 '56 Austin-Healey 100M
***************************************************************
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