Italian tune up...

This is not something I've considered before, owning cars that generally didn't have engines larger than 2L meant that they always got quite the 'workout' in the RPM department.

Now I own a V8 that spends much of it's life pootling along under 2k RPM, nearly 1/4 million miles on the clock and for the last 6 months a pretty much permanent P0430 code. I say permanent, in the last couple of weeks I've had occasion to floor her a couple of times getting onto the interstate, SC has some pitifully short on-ramps, after which time the code and check engine light clear for over 60 miles.

New O2 sensors waiting to be installed but I reckoned that it is probably the cats on their way out.

Which brings me to our Italian friends and their methods of clearing carbon.
It suddenly occurred to me this evening that perhaps all need to do is just rev the bollox off my engine once in a while. Could it be that the sudden high revs are cooking carbon build up off the cats and freeing them up?
Thoughts anyone?

 

Oxygen sensors may be gone, once you swap the upstream ones, the code may be gone. cats may go if you're burning oil.

 

Gunning it once in a while on a freeway on ramp will help get some carbon out but if it's pretty caked up you may benefit from a fuel additive for a tank or 2 to help loosen it up.

 

"Italian Tun-Up"...I haven't heard that in decades

 

@Darkness lives on

 

Engines are made to run through their rev range. If it only lives in a small portion it is sad and depressed. Throttle therapy is never a bad thing.

 

No burning oil, engine runs sweet as a nut. Just doing the O2 sensors on bank 2, I'm one of those who will always replace O2 sensors as a pair. If it is the cats giving up then I kinda expect grief from bank 1 once bank 2 fresh sensors are on. And then, if cats, it should go back to throwing bank 2 codes after a short while.
I've got no smoking, no rattling (indicative of internal breakdown), a nice tinny sound when I tap them rather than the dull thunk I'd expect from clogging, no sulphur stink.
My thinking was that the low revving, high highway mileage is great for engine longevity but mebbe that constant low rev range is just enough to be furring up the cats honeycomb. I know very little about cats so welcome anyone who can confirm or poo-poo that theory of mine

 

I've always thought that stuff was about as good as snake oil, mebbe it's about time I should try a bottle or three...

 

It's not that it gets driven like I'm a fuddy duddy, it has been known to exceed limits, and get ticketed for doing so...
Gets regular outings into the Blue Ridge mountains and is usually lugging around about 1000lbs of tools and materials - yeah, yeah, save it for someone who gives a ...
So , it's not as though she's not getting a workout, it's just bloody hard work cranking it up to 6k RPM and keeping it there for any length of time. My old derestricted crotch rocket used to do 70mph in 1st gear but I'm starting to feel too old for those kinds of shenanigans (notice I didn't say too grown up, big difference. )

 

?

 

For sure, I'm just saying get it up to temp, and do some solid rolling accelerations pretty regularly. Won't hurt it, will make you smile, and might help the carbon.

@Darkness is a missed first gen member. He is a fan of the italian tune ups, IIRC.

 

Big fan! Had a great story to go with it.

 

Anyone else ever heard of using a spray bottle of water and misting water (or a mix of water & alcohol) into a hot engine to 'steam clean' the combustion chambers? Seemed to work a treat on my s10 blazer when i had a bore scope.

 

I’ve never met an engine that didn’t like being beat on. Diesels especially. They get grumpy if you don’t work them hard. Best thing for those is hook them up to 10k lbs and then go do some 0-60 sprints. Gassers take longer to get grumpy from lack of use but can still benefit from the same work out. Just like exercising your body.

 

Seafoam through a vac line on the intake has always served me well.

 

Definitely tuned up my moms duramax that way! Even the guys at the shop tell her to get on it and use it!!! I do enough for both of us

 

I miss Tuco and Coco.

 

Back in the day I had a CDL licence and drove 10 tonne box waggons for a courier firm, similar to UPS, you could always tell when the old boys had broken in those diesel engined beasts ,they were absolutely pokeless. Those in the know used to knock the crap out of the new waggons and they'd run great thereafter.

I haven't towed much recently but bear in mind that I'm doing at least 50k a year in her, have been known to get 19mpg out of her if I drive like I should but more often than not am getting 16/17 mpg out of her at the moment. I'm not a stranger to grand prix starts at the lights and am about to put my third vehicle over 250k miles, lack of use certainly isn't an issue with me and my American family think that I (and the rest of my family) drive with lead feet.
I suppose I should just stick her in sport mode, select 3rd gear and sit there for a while, I often forget that these autos don't get the kind of workout that a stick shift might get...

 

So, consensus of opinion would appear to be put on the new O2 sensors and then knock the bollox off her...

 

Yes. Was told it helped clear out some carbon by a gas station mechanic in the late 70’s. My engine was making some new noise, so he slowly poured some water into the carb, stopped before it died and told me to rev it. Repeat 3-4x and off I went.

 

I find a load is more useful than just flogging on it. Hook up some serious weight and get to work. I had to be reminded of that recently with my Durango. Its got a 7 mile round trip most days on dead flat roads and the last drive through the hill country and the exhaust smelled like rotten eggs. Took constant grade changes and me enjoying the fruits of my labor with the suspension and brakes to get it hot enough to clear it out.

 

Steam cleaning the combustion chambers. I did this on a Mazda pickup that would ping. I would let it sip water from the brake booster line. Unfortunately, it didn't solve my issue, but it was interesting.

 

It kind of is as far as an "injector cleaner" but about the only thing they are good for is cleaning out some carbon. You can do seafoam too.

 

Speaking of cleaning, I suppose it's time I really should treat the MAF sensor and throttle body to their first clean, might have stretched the K&N a bit too... Bleddy 'ell, if I don't pull my finger out I'll also be looking at an oil and filter change.

 

If you have never done it, i would definitely blast the MAF sensor a bunch. You would likely notice a bump in mileage with those 2 cleanings as well. Just make sure to not push on the throttle plate too hard and fast, think that is the only way you would mess it up, unless of course you drop a rag down there or something, no italian tune will help with that lol