Lucas deep clean fuel system cleaner

[coastalguy]

Does anybody have any first hand experience with Lucas Deep Clean Fuel System Cleaner.
I like to add a PEA based cleaner before each 4,000 mile oil change on my 2005 Camry
with 105,000 miles. Also do you think an UCL is really needed on a car like this? Just
looking to keep things clean through preventative maintenance, no particular problems now.
I can buy a 16oz bottle of This Lucas deep clean @ WM for $8.99 which is good for 2 tank treatments.

Mobil Super HM 5w-30 Always run on Shell mid grade occasional tank of V power.

Thank you Coastalguy

 

[Donald]

Stick with a PEA based cleaner.

 

[y_p_w]

coastalguy in Colorado. OK.

A lot of people do categorize a lot of what Lucas Oil sells as snake oil. That being said, it's probably just another polyether amine based detergent additive. This is for their 5.25 oz bottle, which is supposed to treat up to 15 gallons of fuel. This is more concentrated than their 16 oz bottle to treat 30 gallons. The MSDS for their 16 oz bottle only lists one solvent as about 50% of the contents and list nothing else. This is pretty common since some companies consider their "secret sauce" to be proprietary even if all their competitors know what it is. I remember there were some idiotic recommendations that one could buy a can of paint thinner and substitute it for Techron Concentrate, simply because a similar solvent was the only ingredient listed in the MSDS.

Quote:
https://www.lucasoil.com/images/medialibrary/CDE52F3E03BB7497F7898A94FE99C5F8.pdf

Distillate, Petroleum, hydrotreated light paraffinic / CAS 64742-54-7 / 0-15%
Aliphatic Solvent / CAS 64742-88-7 / 35-40%
Polyetheramine / CAS N/A / 35-45%

I'd probably just get Red Line SI-1 and use half a bottle per tank. However, I know of a place where I can get a bottle for $8.99.

 

[951Indy]

I've never had a fuel problem, misfire code, or change in MPG on my 295K mile daily driver. I did change the fuel filter at 200K miles. Out of guilt.

What are people doing that makes using fuel system cleaners necessary?

 

[Nederlander75]

I doubt any of us here has. Ive only seen one time where an issue in the fuel system came up and an additive was prescribed and it worked. That was with BG4K which I was turned on to long ago in my BMW days and the car was a my sister's car who bought bad gas from the bad gas station. Tank was run out and multiple fills of good gas were used to no avail. Then BG44K to the rescue.

So, if you are going to use any maintenance type additives Id say its the best bang for the buck given the relative price differential between any of the options.

 

[coastalguy]

Where can you buy Redline for $8.99?

 

[CurtisB]

Originally Posted By: 951Indy
I've never had a fuel problem, misfire code, or change in MPG on my 295K mile daily driver. I did change the fuel filter at 200K miles. Out of guilt.

What are people doing that makes using fuel system cleaners necessary?


I couldn't agree more, gasoline on it's own is a solvent and more than competent to keep fuel systems clean just on its own. IMHO.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: CurtisB
Originally Posted By: 951Indy
I've never had a fuel problem, misfire code, or change in MPG on my 295K mile daily driver. I did change the fuel filter at 200K miles. Out of guilt.

What are people doing that makes using fuel system cleaners necessary?


I couldn't agree more, gasoline on it's own is a solvent and more than competent to keep fuel systems clean just on its own. IMHO.

Not really. What keeps the fuel system clean would be the detergent additives mandated by the EPA and other regulatory agencies. The California Air Resource Board has an even tougher standard than mandated by the Feds. Whether anything is needed on top of that is subject to debate. If someone is using a fuel with detergents above the minimum, then they probably don't need an aftermarket fuel system cleaner.

I mean - water is a solvent, but I can see the results of hard water. Exhaust valves have zero issues with carbon buildup, but intake valves can get gunky without detergents in the fuel. Injectors clog up when gasoline evaporates and leave behind dissolved gunk.

Of course there were far more issues before detergents were mandated or when the level tended to be extremely low.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: coastalguy
Where can you buy Redline for $8.99?

Vic Hubbard Auto Supply
411 West A Street
Hayward, CA 94541

It's sold in their "Oil Alley" room with lots of different Red Line products. They have tons of different motor oils and some of the obscure stuff from the big brands (like Mobil 1 5W-50), heavy duty monograde oils, and some brands that are hard to find these days like Kendall.

I hadn't bought it for a while before this year. Maybe 10 years ago they had it for $3.59 a bottle.

 

[BigCahuna]

Originally Posted By: 951Indy


What are people doing that makes using fuel system cleaners necessary?
I think it's what they are not doing, like USING their car, truck, motorcycle or lawn equipment. Anything with a carb really needs to have fresh gas ran thru it pretty regular to avoid having the carb gum up, and need to be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned.FI vehicle seem to deal with old gas better, but running some form of cleaner or treated gas thru any vehicle that sits alot, may save starting and running problems.,

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
Originally Posted By: 951Indy


What are people doing that makes using fuel system cleaners necessary?
I think it's what they are not doing, like USING their car, truck, motorcycle or lawn equipment. Anything with a carb really needs to have fresh gas ran thru it pretty regular to avoid having the carb gum up, and need to be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned.FI vehicle seem to deal with old gas better, but running some form of cleaner or treated gas thru any vehicle that sits alot, may save starting and running problems.,

If it sits a lot, then a fuel stabilizer might be the best course of action. Most sellers of fuel deal with small margins, and putting in additives is something they have to think about because it affects the bottom line.

 

[bigjl]

Fifth Gear (UK TV car show)

Did a bit of research into fettling an old car, Corrado.

They started off with a common fuel system cleaner in the UK called Redex.

On the rolling road they got several bhp increase from that alone.

They gave it time to work and the rolling road runs were done properly.

They managed to get the Corrado back to within 1or2 bhp of new with the Redex, oil and filter change a new set of plugs and HT Leads. I am certain they also did the air filter but can't remember if they also did the dizzy cap and rotor arm.

 

[coastalguy]

Just want to know if anybody has used This Lucas Deep Clean Fuel system cleaner and If an upper Cyl lube is really needed on a car like my 05 Camry?

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: coastalguy
Just want to know if anybody has used This Lucas Deep Clean Fuel system cleaner and If an upper Cyl lube is really needed on a car like my 05 Camry?

I'd say no regarding an upper cylinder lubricant. Most people would simply be using something like this periodically. Most engines are designed to lubricate the cylinders properly these days.

Of course Red Line puts some sort of lube in SI-1, but at least at one time they recommended small maintenance amounts rather than periodic treatments.