Xacto
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Comes tick fix/idle smooth out!
This post delves into the use of additives. I know some of you have used different kinds of additives, and many of you think they are gimiks. (See bottom of post for rasp fix and part number)
I want to clear the air in this. Not all additives are created equal, and not all additives are gimicks.
I have run many an additive, and now know a decent amount about their effects, or lack thereof. There are pretty much additives for any fluid that is used in the car. Im sure some of you have used/heard about seafoam which is deisgned to "clean out" the combustion chambers, as well as octane boost which is advertised to "boost" the octane number of your gasoline.
What to steer clear of
Octane booster. This will do absolutely nothing in terms of horsepower. You may think your throttle response changed, or that you even gained a magical 15 horsepower. Trust me, if you want higher octane, just go to a station that sells it, otherwise you'll end up with this:
This was a plug pulled after running a tank with NOS octane boost. No bueno :thumbdown:
Google search and you will found countless thread talking about how octane boost turned their spark plugs orange.
What to consider
I have run various additives that i did not regret, some of which even made a noticeable benefit.
:blurock: Golden Touch Engine Cleaner
This additive is used by some companies that do oil changes. The way it works, is you empty out the oil, changed the oil filter, then you add the oil capacity with this cleaner. The engine is then run for 10 minutes, after which the cleaner is fully emptied, filter replaced, and oil of choice is added. When i did this, an epic amount of black shite came a-tumbling out of the drain hole. Win.
:blurock: Lucas Oil Upper Cylinder Lubricant
This comes in a little bottle and can be found at your local auto stores. The oil is added to your gas tank, and as you run the engine, it cleans out the fuel system, but most importantly, actually seeps into the cylinders and conditions wearing piston rings (for those of you boosting, may want to keep that in mind).
I ran this recently, and at $4.50, i feel it was well spent. The exhaust tick i had is reduced noticeably, and ive noticed a healthier start up and idle. There even seems to be some improvement in smoothness of acceleration and throttle response. Also, and this is huge, ive noticed a significant gain in gas mileage. Where i would normally put 70-80 miles to hit 1/4 tank from a bit above half tank, i have hit 115 miles and just now hit the 1/4 mark.
And for those of you still searching for a fix to the God-awful rasp from 2.7k-3.3k rpms, dude, just weld a mini-muffler or decently big resonator right after (i mean right after) the y-pipe flange. Something about the dynamics of the engine and the piping creates a terrible wave amplification effect at this point of the exhaust, thus enhancing that specific set of "pleasant" frequencies, otherwise known as butt rasp. Tame it down with something to absorb and cancel the waves where they propagate! The resonator I am using is this one, welded right after the y-pipe flange: http://www.mandrelexhaustsystems.com/servlet/the-148/ADD-ON-RESONATOR-OPTION/Detail
I have been through 6 different exhaust set ups, and even when i had a 12 inch resonator welded about a foot down wind of the flange, it still had that hideous rasp. For about two years i was embarassed to drive my truck at WOT because it sounded like a rice-o-matic. Once i had the 18 inch Magnaflow resonator welded directly aft the flange, all rasp and i mean ALL RASP was completely eliminated, cats or not..
Hope this helps out.
:rockon:
This post delves into the use of additives. I know some of you have used different kinds of additives, and many of you think they are gimiks. (See bottom of post for rasp fix and part number)
I want to clear the air in this. Not all additives are created equal, and not all additives are gimicks.
I have run many an additive, and now know a decent amount about their effects, or lack thereof. There are pretty much additives for any fluid that is used in the car. Im sure some of you have used/heard about seafoam which is deisgned to "clean out" the combustion chambers, as well as octane boost which is advertised to "boost" the octane number of your gasoline.
What to steer clear of
Octane booster. This will do absolutely nothing in terms of horsepower. You may think your throttle response changed, or that you even gained a magical 15 horsepower. Trust me, if you want higher octane, just go to a station that sells it, otherwise you'll end up with this:
This was a plug pulled after running a tank with NOS octane boost. No bueno :thumbdown:
Google search and you will found countless thread talking about how octane boost turned their spark plugs orange.
What to consider
I have run various additives that i did not regret, some of which even made a noticeable benefit.
:blurock: Golden Touch Engine Cleaner
This additive is used by some companies that do oil changes. The way it works, is you empty out the oil, changed the oil filter, then you add the oil capacity with this cleaner. The engine is then run for 10 minutes, after which the cleaner is fully emptied, filter replaced, and oil of choice is added. When i did this, an epic amount of black shite came a-tumbling out of the drain hole. Win.
:blurock: Lucas Oil Upper Cylinder Lubricant
This comes in a little bottle and can be found at your local auto stores. The oil is added to your gas tank, and as you run the engine, it cleans out the fuel system, but most importantly, actually seeps into the cylinders and conditions wearing piston rings (for those of you boosting, may want to keep that in mind).
I ran this recently, and at $4.50, i feel it was well spent. The exhaust tick i had is reduced noticeably, and ive noticed a healthier start up and idle. There even seems to be some improvement in smoothness of acceleration and throttle response. Also, and this is huge, ive noticed a significant gain in gas mileage. Where i would normally put 70-80 miles to hit 1/4 tank from a bit above half tank, i have hit 115 miles and just now hit the 1/4 mark.
And for those of you still searching for a fix to the God-awful rasp from 2.7k-3.3k rpms, dude, just weld a mini-muffler or decently big resonator right after (i mean right after) the y-pipe flange. Something about the dynamics of the engine and the piping creates a terrible wave amplification effect at this point of the exhaust, thus enhancing that specific set of "pleasant" frequencies, otherwise known as butt rasp. Tame it down with something to absorb and cancel the waves where they propagate! The resonator I am using is this one, welded right after the y-pipe flange: http://www.mandrelexhaustsystems.com/servlet/the-148/ADD-ON-RESONATOR-OPTION/Detail
I have been through 6 different exhaust set ups, and even when i had a 12 inch resonator welded about a foot down wind of the flange, it still had that hideous rasp. For about two years i was embarassed to drive my truck at WOT because it sounded like a rice-o-matic. Once i had the 18 inch Magnaflow resonator welded directly aft the flange, all rasp and i mean ALL RASP was completely eliminated, cats or not..
Hope this helps out.
:rockon:
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