throttle body cleaner

[240sxrunner]

do you have to use throttle body cleaner to clean it or cause you just use a damp towel?

[AZhitman]

Hoo boy.

TB cleaner - comes in an aerosol can, contains petroleum-based solvents that will eat through the varnish.

[red240ne]

might as well buy the cleaner, it's only 99 cents.

[stickgoat]

Carburator cleaner also does a great job. Carb cleaner eats through almost anything.

[red240ne]

yea, i used it on my stock wheels, and it made them actually look pretty decent.

[Holisticbeatz]

So if I remove my intake piping to access the throttle body, I can just spray that carb cleaner straight into and around the plate and throttle body housing without damaging anything?

[Meantime]

That's correct. Just did mine recently...runs much better, throttle doesn't stick like it used to.

[nissanrcer240]

i just cleaned my throttle body b/c my car was idleing real low at idle, and would sometimes cut off if it say long enough...now it runs good, it makes a big difference IMO

[Bobby_Wu]

i just cleaned my throttle body last week with some stuff i got at the local auto parts store...it works great idle is a bit more solid..

got a new avatar...haha

[driftaholic]

got a new avatar...haha

great! i love it

[+ve psi]

How were u guys able to run the motor while spraying tb cleaner into the tb? I have done this many times on other cars but my 240 has a 1/2'' vaccum hose attached to the intake tube that runs parrallel to the radiator. With that hose unplugged (necessary to spray into tb) the car will not start. So i must ask, how did u do it?

thanks

[Touchdown038]

You don't take off the vacuum hoses. You need to take off the plastic intake tube that connects the throttle body to the air filter/MAF. The rubber piece in between the plastic tube and the throttle body also needs to come off also, they are just held on by big hose clamps. Pull those off (you should be able to see the throttle valve) and spray the cleaner directly into the throttle body.

You should place a towel below the opening to catch the fluid that flows back down.

[+ve psi]

Thank you very much for the reply. I'm curious as to whether it really makes a difference whether or not u disconnect the vaccum lines. It seems to me that either way they r subjected to atmospheric pressure and not a vacuum and would still give me the problem. Now i'm wondering if this is a problem specific to my car. Any other suggestions?

Thanks:)

[Touchdown038]

I'm not really sure what those vacuum lines that run on top of the fan shroud are for, but you don't even have to touch them when you're cleaning the throttle body.

[+ve psi]

Ya, my problem is that when i disconnect the intake from the tb the car won't start...hmmm

[Touchdown038]

Oh... it won't start without the intake piping because of the MAF right after the filter. Without the air flowing through it, there's no reading from the MAF and without the reading the engine won't run.

You don't need to run the engine while you're spraying the cleaner inside it. I bet it would hardly run while you were spraying anyways.

['91 240sx]

Carburator cleaner also does a great job. Carb cleaner eats through almost anything.

It also makes an excellent bug killer, its the best 78cents I've ever spent

[Touchdown038]

It's 78 cents there? Damn, it's like 99 cents over here!!

[+ve psi]

So all the ppl that have used tb cleaner have done it with the motor off? I have been cleaning tb's for yrs and have always done it with the engine on. Not only is this recommended but it is also stated on the can, the car should be running and u should be opening and closing the butterfly manually as the revs drop due to the tb cleaner. I would love to hear some more opinions of this and possibly find a way to run the car!

[Touchdown038]

That's funny... on my can it says to turn the car off, disconnect the intake duct, and spray while moving the butterfly back and forth.

Do you do that work on cars that don't have MAFs?

[+ve psi]

Yes, i wonder if there is a way for cars with MAFs, it makes a HUGE difference the way it cleans. With the car running it will efficiently clean the manifold, runners and valves. I can't c it doing as good a job with the motor off.

[AZhitman]

Here's a trick - Puncture the intake in an inconspicuous location right near where the intake connects to the TB. Insert the spray nozzle tube into the hole about 1-2", aim it towards the TB, and spray while the car is running. Manually work the throttle to rev the engine, and use short bursts of TB cleaner.

When you're done, put a small piece of electric tape over the little hole (or don't).

[+ve psi]

nice, and ghetto too

[AZhitman]

Yep - If it's good enough for my $54,000 Q45, it's good enough for anything.

[driftaholic]

i took my intake off to clean the tb and the motor ran fine (until i started spraying, then it would bog down)

[TurboKA37]

hmm im gonna have to try this "trottle body cleaning" sounds like its worth the 99 cents

[+ve psi]

driftaholic, i'm curious as to how you did it? Did u disconnect the intake right at the throttle body? Was it disconnect before or after you started the car? I tried both ways, if i took it off before the engine was started it wouldn't run and if i took it off after the engine would die.

[driftaholic]

i don't think it would make a difference, but i have an injen intake, without the cai. i have an s13 too, kade

i took the intake off right at the tb first, then started the engine.

hmm now that i think about it, maybe i disconnected the intake, but all the hoses attached to it didn't let me move it very far, so maybe it was like half covering the tb or someting, just enough to pull a little air past the maf.... possible.... try that