2012 F350 Injector maintenance

[Gradywhite04107]

I just purchased a 2012 boat with the above engine from my marina. It was previously used as part of a fleet in their boat club. Always marina maintained. It currently has 900 hrs. Marina is currently prepping boat for summer.

My previous boat had a 2004 F150. Religiously I shipped out my injectors each fall to have cleaned. I asked the mechanic if the F350 has had it's injectors removed and shipped out to be cleaned each year. His response was that they do not remove the injectors on each scheduled maintenance cycle. Rather he stated Yamaha recommends a injector cleaner to be run thru the system and that alone meets the requirements of maintenance.

What is this product he is talking about and is it sufficient?

[pstephens46]

Probably talking about something like Yamaha Ring Free. Fuel additive.

Cleaning injectors every year? Is that regular maintenance?

[rodbolt17]

probably an idiot.
Yamaha has no recommendation on injector cleaning or servicing.
there is a recommendation on servicing the VST.
did the ECU/rotor update get done??????

unless I can back it up with Yamaha documentation I don't say what Yamaha "says".

[Gradywhite04107]

Rodbolt your diagnosis is spot on. I talked to the service mngr yesterday and after some eye rolling on his part he assured me injectors are removed and cleaned on their own machine.

That's what I get for listening to someone who I failed to check out their qualifications!

[boscoe99]

Yamaha does offer a recommendation with respect to cleaning fuel injectors. Not in certain maintenance requirements but in other ways.

What Yamaha states as maintenance requirements is the minimum that should be done. I suspect that Yamaha does not have an objection to more being done if that is what someone chooses to do. More as in cleaning fuel injectors as a preventative measure as opposed to waiting until a problem surfaces to service the injectors.

It also depends on the operator. If someone uses their motor in a fresh water lake then having an injector problem is no big deal. Now if someone uses their motor to run 150 miles off shore, in a commercial application where money will be lost if a mission is not completed, then that operator may choose to perform above and beyond maintenance so as to increase the probability of their being no failures. Failures that can be costly. Possibly life threatening.

I wonder what the US Coast Guard maintenance requirements are? I suspect they exceed what the manufacturers minimum requirements are.

There are injector cleaning solutions that can be run through injectors while the motor is being operated and then there are ways of removing the injectors and cleaning them in a heated ultrasonic cleaner. Some companies will go so far as to flow test the injectors to ensure that the flow rates and spray patterns are acceptable.

What Yamaha does recommend is the use of Yamaha Ring Free Plus that acts as a continuous fuel injector cleaner. Perhaps the use thereof may result in an injector never having to be removed for a more aggressive type of cleaning procedure. This may be what you mechanic was referring to, that you mention in your first post.

[boscoe99]

From the latest F350 owner's manual. Harmful engine deposits would include deposits within a fuel injector that might cause it to not operate as designed.

[pstephens46]

Rodbolt your diagnosis is spot on. I talked to the service mngr yesterday and after some eye rolling on his part he assured me injectors are removed and cleaned on their own machine.

That's what I get for listening to someone who I failed to check out their qualifications!

I would suggest the service mgr is not telling the truth about removing/cleaning. To make you feel better. Injectors are not routinely pulled and cleaned. He should have explained how this is not part of routine maintenance and you should not expect it to be. But he took the easy way out and lied......

Gasoline is a decent solvent/cleaner by itself.

Diesel, maybe not. Typically somewhat "dirty" and then "crushed" through a 6000psi injector.

[boscoe99]

I would suggest the service mgr is not telling the truth about removing/cleaning. To make you feel better. Injectors are not routinely pulled and cleaned. He should have explained how this is not part of routine maintenance and you should not expect it to be. But he took the easy way out and lied......

Gasoline is a decent solvent/cleaner by itself.

Diesel, maybe not. Typically somewhat "dirty" and then "crushed" through a 6000psi injector.

OP says that on his F150 he religiously removed and had his injectors cleaned. In other words, that was his routine. He routinely did it.

Some shop managers will recommend the same. Most all of the injector cleaning companies recommend that injectors get removed and cleaned periodically. But I think they have a vested interest in saying that.

It is difficult to counter someone's suggestion that more service be performed than less service be performed. Are they acting in the best interests of the customer or are they doing it for more profit for themselves.

Same with Yams recommendation to use Ring Free Plus to help keep injectors clean. Is it to help the customer and his motor or is it to help Yamaha's profits?

I don't know.

[pstephens46]

One could argue that there are some systems on motors that might more sense to "over" service. Filters (might prevent ever having to remove injectors), cooling (avoid 11 year intervals on thermostats), perhaps additional oil changes. It might be helpful to assist boaters to better prioritize. Yamaha sometimes is not so helpful. Clearly stating motors are E-10 compatible. Knowing damn well marine gas is far better long term. Of course, in many liberal-minded states, marine gas is not an option.

[robert graham]

Service intervals can also depend in part to boat use age....say a single outboard boat fishing 20 miles off-shore at night might consider tightening their preventive maintenance schedule.....a boater who never gets more than a couple of miles down the river might be better equipped to tolerate a motor failure....

[boscoe99]

Service intervals can also depend in part to boat use age....say a single outboard boat fishing 20 miles off-shore at night might consider tightening their preventive maintenance schedule.....a boater who never gets more than a couple of miles down the river might be better equipped to tolerate a motor failure....

Absolutely.

When it comes to aeroplanes, twin engine airliners flying way out over the Pacific or the Atlantic are subject to much more stringent maintenance requirements than the exact same airplane when it is flown over land or just off shore. There is a big difference between having one of two motors fail 2000 miles from land and one of two motors failing when there are airports down below and near by.

Next time you are in an airport terminal, take a look at an airplane at the gate, down near the nose landing gear. You may see a sign or placard that says "ETOPS". This denotes that the airplane has been maintained to the standards such that it can be used for EXTended OPerationS. You will usually see this if and when the airplane is scheduled for a flight overseas.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

There are injector cleaning solutions that can be run through injectors while the motor is being operated and then there are ways of removing the injectors and cleaning them in a heated ultrasonic cleaner.

I asked this question on another thread with no response...

Can you immerse an injector in a Heated Ultrasonic machine without damaging the "electricals" inside it??

[fairdeal]

Can you immerse an injector in a Heated Ultrasonic machine without damaging the "electricals" inside it?

they are amazingly robust devices - I would not be surprised that they could withstand "complete" immersion -

but the photos I've seen show them sitting in a jig of some kind, so that the orifice end is in the bath, but the top is out

[TownsendsFJR1300]

they are amazingly robust devices - I would not be surprised that they could withstand "complete" immersion -

but the photos I've seen show them sitting in a jig of some kind, so that the orifice end is in the bath, but the top is out

Thanks..

I didn't know or think if the coil/electrical would like having a solvent get in there OR if it is liquid proof (especially with fuel running thru it).

Boscoe?


.

[boscoe99]

Thanks..

I didn't know or think if the coil/electrical would like having a solvent get in there OR if it is liquid proof (especially with fuel running thru it).

Boscoe?

.

I sent a message to a fuel injector man (Brucato Fuel Injector Company) on another site that I frequent and asked him about this. When he gives me the answer I will post it and appear to be smarter than I really am.

I will guess ahead of time that it is a sealed unit and can be submerged. We shall see.