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Dry-Gas, Which type is better?

gary_jabo

CEG'er
Joined
Mar 26, 2002
Messages
39
Location
Atlanta
While in the store yesterday I wanted to buy some Dry Gas.
I live now in Georgia (USA) now but I grew up in New York.
I know the value of these gas line anti-freeze products.
But I saw two versions of the popular "Heat" product.
Taking a close look at the back of the bottle I discovered the difference.
One is Methal(sp?) Alcohol and the other is Isopropal(sp?) Alcohol.
The Methal is less expensive by about 35 %.

So - is there any real difference?
The bottle of the more expensive one says it absorbs 5X more water.
Also, do I really have to pay the high price for this stuff.
Can I go to the drug store and get rubbing alcohol? Is it the same?

Any comments.
Gary -- Atlanta
 
While in the store yesterday I wanted to buy some Dry Gas.
I live now in Georgia (USA) now but I grew up in New York.
I know the value of these gas line anti-freeze products.
But I saw two versions of the popular "Heat" product.
Taking a close look at the back of the bottle I discovered the difference.
One is Methal(sp?) Alcohol and the other is Isopropal(sp?) Alcohol.
The Methal is less expensive by about 35 %.

So - is there any real difference?
The bottle of the more expensive one says it absorbs 5X more water.
Also, do I really have to pay the high price for this stuff.
Can I go to the drug store and get rubbing alcohol? Is it the same?

Any comments.
Gary -- Atlanta
you live in Georgia. dont worry about it.

most gas, espicially the winter formulations, already contains up to 10% ethanol mostly to absorb any water that may end up in the fuel system.
 
Hi - and thanks for the info.
I forgot that pump gas has an alcohol content,
so I don't think I need an additive.
What's your opinion on additives for injector cleaning?

Regards - Gary in Atlanta (snowing here right now).
 
Hi - and thanks for the info.
I forgot that pump gas has an alcohol content,
so I don't think I need an additive.
What's your opinion on additives for injector cleaning?

Regards - Gary in Atlanta (snowing here right now).
IMO, most in tank injector cleaners dont do anything but cause more trouble. typically they will clean out any gunk that may be in the fuel lines (although there shouldnt be any in the first place but its not unheard of) and push it up to the injectors, clogging them more than they may have already been.

the best way to clean injectors is to take them out and get them sonic cleaned. now its obviously not very cheap so the next best thing is what a good shop will do. they take a canister and put a small amount of highly concentrated injector cleaner along with some fuel in it. they then put the lid on, hook up the air hose, and hook it up to the shrader valve near the fuel rail. they then proceed to run the car off that small canister without the fuel pump until its empty and the car stalls. this method works extremely well. so well that landrover actually does it as regular maintance to all their vehicles.
 
I used to work for a major oil company and was responsible for the national distribution of the detergent additive that was added to the gasoline when the tank trucks were loaded for delivery to the retail gas stations.

All gasoline sold since about 1993 has to have some amount of a fuel injection cleaner added to it. The better know brands have more added as well as the higher octanes. IF you use brand name gasolines and put the higher octane in it as well you'll doing about as much as you need to do. The one major brand of fuel injection cleaner you can buy is made by Chevron, called Tectron. It is usually the most expensive but you get what you pay for.
The reason I think it the best is Chevron makes gasoling detergent additives for many gasoline marketers. I know the company I worked for bought it from them.

The worst thing you can do to your fuel injectors is to take many short trips. Each time you stop a small amount of fuel is left on the tip of the injector and in the intake passage as well as inside some of the cylinders that haven't had the intake close when you shut off the engine. The fuel turns in to a vapor and then condenses onto anything that is cooler. The back of the throttle plate is a favorite place and the injectors as well as the fuel still in them will cause them to cool faster then the intake manifold. This fuel condenses and then later evaporates leaving deposits that cause the problems.
 
Thanks for all the advice on dry-gas and fuel additives.
I've been buying Chevron w/Techron for a long time now, not because
I wanted the additive but a Chevron station is near my house and the
next closest is a long way away.

I've seen the kits that attach a detergent canister to the fuel rail.
I guess they work pretty well and not that expensive to perform.
For my Eclipse (please forgive me for talking about an import car here)
I took out the injectors and sent them to a cleaning service.
I don't know how hard it is to do the Coutour, but with the Mitsu
the injectors are burried deep under the intake manifold and on the
firewall side. So when I had to replace the intake gasket I did the
injectors by sending them out.
4 injectors cleaned and rebuilt with new screens - $50 /including shipping.
They even give you the pressure settings and a flow chart.

I'm not advertising here, I'm just saying that I used them and they
did a satisfactory job for me.
http://www.fuelinjectorclinic.com/index2.htm

Gary - Atlanta
 
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