Italian Tuneup really reduces carbon deposits?

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Is there any proof that an Italian Tuneup is benefitial to an engine? Does it really reduces deposits on the combustion chamber and helps to reduce them also on the piston rings?

Would you consider a 5 minute 3500 rpm run an italian tuneup?
 
Originally Posted By: Emanuel
Is there any proof that an Italian Tuneup is benefitial to an engine? Does it really reduces deposits on the combustion chamber and helps to reduce them also on the piston rings?

Would you consider a 5 minute 3500 rpm run an italian tuneup?


No, have to drive it a LOT harder than that.

Had a car recently where I drove it so hard, it was smoking out the tailpipe after a couple hours HARD run- top speed, long Upstate NY drives at HIGH speeds, etc. No engine overheating of any kind. 4.6 cop car engine. Confirmed with the Crown Vic community that it was carbon being burned off, I really woke that car up. Nothing abnormal.

Smoking a grey-ish smoke while idling, I should say. An ITU can be beneficial.. if done correctly.
 
I know when I drove it like I stole it on a properly warmed up engine I can feel the difference in my butt Dyno.

Also I was doing a lot of short trip driving with my Journey when new and it had a pretty carboned up tail pipe from it and I drove it to Florida and back for vacation (2,000 km's about), and it was like a whole different car while there and when I got it back along with a clean tail pipe. Then it went back to short trip driving and felt different in a matter of no time again with more black soot in the tail pipe.

Now I'm at a new job with lots of daily highway miles and it feels good again. More responsive, peppier you could say and the tail pipe is clean.

Not scientific but has to be carbon.
 
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I've purchased plenty of cars where I had the wife drive behind me during the test drive. I'd floor it after it's warmed up and have her note the amount of smoke out the back. Then I'd repeat it several times. If the smoke stopped, engine is good. If the smoking persisted or got worse, I'd walk away.

My RX-8 doesn't seem to want to rev unless I run it to redline a few times and clean out the pipes. Then she revs happily. This is very noticeable.
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I know when I drove it like I stole it on a properly warmed up engine I can feel the difference in my butt Dyno.

Also I was doing a lot of short trip driving with my Journey when new and it had a pretty carboned up tail pipe from it and I drove it to Florida and back for vacation (2,000 km's about), and it was like a whole different car while there and when I got it back. Then it went back to short trip driving and felt different in a matter of no time.

Now I'm at a new job with lots of daily highway miles and it feels good again.

Not scientific but has to be carbon.


My experiences are a lot like yours, StevieC!
smile.gif
 
3500rpms is nothing for a gas motor. My mr2 does 4k at 90 on the highway in 5th. Run it like that for hours at a time. No complaints.

I'd say more like 5000rpms for 20 minutes is more like it
 
I should also add. I regularly red-line it on the highway at least once a week a few times when passing etc. followed by hi-revs engine braking to reduce speed back to the limit and I have done this with all my vehicles and they have all lasted the test of time and pass smog tests with original catalytic converters etc. I also don't use Top-Tier fuel any longer, just a quality fuel system cleaner just before an oil change.
 
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Originally Posted By: Emanuel
Is there any proof that an Italian Tuneup is benefitial to an engine? Does it really reduces deposits on the combustion chamber and helps to reduce them also on the piston rings?

Would you consider a 5 minute 3500 rpm run an italian tuneup?


I think you're misunderstanding the term. Italian Supercars are run HARD to redline. They aren't driven easy (unless it's owned by a moron) so you have to FLOOR IT and run the engine to redline in several gears are you get on the highway, for example to build up plenty of heat and actually burn off carbon with combustion chamber pressures, etc.
 
Is it still Italian in a Honda? I don't know if it helps but it is a lot of fun revving my S2000 to 9k RPM's. I read a good comparison to a door. Opening it only slightly doesn't save the hinges, maybe makes them stick. Opening as far as designed doesn't hurt anything and might make it work better. Open it too far a something may break.
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I know when I drove it like I stole it on a properly warmed up engine I can feel the difference in my butt Dyno.

Also I was doing a lot of short trip driving with my Journey when new and it had a pretty carboned up tail pipe from it and I drove it to Florida and back for vacation (2,000 km's about), and it was like a whole different car while there and when I got it back along with a clean tail pipe. Then it went back to short trip driving and felt different in a matter of no time again with more black soot in the tail pipe.

Now I'm at a new job with lots of daily highway miles and it feels good again. More responsive, peppier you could say and the tail pipe is clean.

Not scientific but has to be carbon.
So you are saying there is no need for minutes of redline and long highway drives are enough?
 
Cadillac has released a recommended procedure to 'blow out' the Northstar V-8. Basically ,you put the car in second gear and accelerate up to eighty miles an hour and then let off the gas and let the car decelerate on it's own back to twenty miles an hour and repeat. This is intended to free up the rings more than to remove carbon from the cylinders. These engines had thin, low-tension rings that were prone to sticking. Part of the reason for the Northstar's reputation as an oil burner.
 
Originally Posted By: Emanuel
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I know when I drove it like I stole it on a properly warmed up engine I can feel the difference in my butt Dyno.

Also I was doing a lot of short trip driving with my Journey when new and it had a pretty carboned up tail pipe from it and I drove it to Florida and back for vacation (2,000 km's about), and it was like a whole different car while there and when I got it back along with a clean tail pipe. Then it went back to short trip driving and felt different in a matter of no time again with more black soot in the tail pipe.

Now I'm at a new job with lots of daily highway miles and it feels good again. More responsive, peppier you could say and the tail pipe is clean.

Not scientific but has to be carbon.
So you are saying there is no need for minutes of redline and long highway drives are enough?


How long and how fast are key.

I was averaging about 115MPH in Upstate NY in regions so remote no radio stations came in. For a long time. THEN did normal speed moves with fast (90-ish, about normal for Upstate NY) and hard driving for two hours or so.

Never redlined except for short periods of time on hard acceleration.

You could really get on it for about a half hour AFTER FULLY WARMED UP and achieve an ITU. Maybe a little bit longer. A fast, LONG highway drive could achieve the same.
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I should also add. I regularly red-line it on the highway at least once a week a few times when passing etc. followed by hi-revs engine braking to reduce speed back to the limit and I have done this with all my vehicles and they have all lasted the test of time and pass smog tests with original catalytic converters etc. I also don't use Top-Tier fuel any longer, just a quality fuel system cleaner just before an oil change.
Oh I didn´t read this.

But isn´t regular redlining bad for the engine? Do your cars last more than 400 thousand kilometers being heatlhy treating them this way?
 
Originally Posted By: tightwad
Cadillac has released a recommended procedure to 'blow out' the Northstar V-8. Basically ,you put the car in second gear and accelerate up to eighty miles an hour and then let off the gas and let the car decelerate on it's own back to twenty miles an hour and repeat. This is intended to free up the rings more than to remove carbon from the cylinders. These engines had thin, low-tension rings that were prone to sticking. Part of the reason for the Northstar's reputation as an oil burner.


Northstar engines had bigger problems than that... (Head bolt studs.)
 
Originally Posted By: LaCocina27
Originally Posted By: Emanuel
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I know when I drove it like I stole it on a properly warmed up engine I can feel the difference in my butt Dyno.

Also I was doing a lot of short trip driving with my Journey when new and it had a pretty carboned up tail pipe from it and I drove it to Florida and back for vacation (2,000 km's about), and it was like a whole different car while there and when I got it back along with a clean tail pipe. Then it went back to short trip driving and felt different in a matter of no time again with more black soot in the tail pipe.

Now I'm at a new job with lots of daily highway miles and it feels good again. More responsive, peppier you could say and the tail pipe is clean.

Not scientific but has to be carbon.
So you are saying there is no need for minutes of redline and long highway drives are enough?


How long and how fast are key.

I was averaging about 115MPH in Upstate NY in regions so remote no radio stations came in. For a long time. THEN did normal speed moves with fast (90-ish, about normal for Upstate NY) and hard driving for two hours or so.

Never redlined except for short periods of time on hard acceleration.

You could really get on it for about a half hour AFTER FULLY WARMED UP and achieve an ITU. Maybe a little bit longer. A fast, LONG highway drive could achieve the same.
I think you could archieve the same results in 3rd gear if you have a 5 speed or in 2nd in a 4 spd auto at lower speeds
 
I thought an Italian tune-up was done by suddenly running the engine up to redline and holding it there a few times and that the sudden rise in temperature in the combustion chamber was the cause of carbon burning off.

In any case, maybe the Italian tune-up will become more popular with GDI engines.
 
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