About a week ago I did an oil change, and put in a bottle of fuel injector cleaner with a full tank of gas. Now, about halfway through the tank, my car has started acting up. The acceleration has become less responsive and weaker, and it misses 1st from idle (after that a burning smell like sulfur comes). Is this because of the fuel injector clogging my filters, or something else?

 

You cleaned all the garbage out of the engine, and the cat caught it all.

Good job!! At least we know that STP works.

Seriously, it could just be coincidence. The cat could just be on it's way out (the sulfur smell).

Back when I used to work for a service station, I changed the wipers on an old lady's car. About 2 days later she came in and said the wipers wouldn't work. The wiper motor went out and she tried to blame me. She said I put them on too tight!!! :sillylol:

 

Trans,

The sulfur odor can also be caused by a hot converter due to lean operation. Your injector cleaner could be loosening debris and plugging your fuel filter and/or injectors. A fuel pressure test would give you a good idea of what's happening.

 

Adding to what Vader said, bear in mind STP fuel inj cleaner is alcohol (either ethanol or methanol) and as such releases additional oxygen into the mix when it reacts...causing lean burning.

 

Since you posted first on the carb forum, I'll assume we're talking about a CC carb, not fuel injection.

It isn't the fact that it is fuel injector cleaner - it's basically the same thing as the carb cleaner that's added to the fuel tank.

As Vader et al said (and like I said on the carb forum), you cleaned out some junk from the tank and it got up to the carb. Most likely the filter plugged up first, and once it plugs, it will by-pass, sending crud to the carb. Replace the filter first, see if it improves. It may not, meaning the carb will have to be disassembled. Since this is an idle problem and not a power problem per se, I'll assume you haven't plugged the fuel pickup screen. But, that may also have happened, and if so, you're looking at dropping the tank, too.

Or, it may all clear up on its own next time you fuel up.


Flash back to 1977: Fort Carson, Colorado. Lunchtime, I get in the '57 and go to the post gas station. Get a hair and put in a bottle of STP gas treatment, fill 'er up. Go to the mess hall, eat lunch, get back in the '57 and drive back to the shop (a little over a mile). 1/4 mile away from the shop, the engine dies, won't start. I'm sitting on the shoulder, a buddy returning from lunch picks me up. After work, we go back, it sputters but starts, acts wierd for a few days until I fill it up again. Never had a problem after that. I don't recall if I even replaced the fuel filter, but I don't believe I did.

Hence my initial response on the carb forum.

 

I AM AN IDIOT! I was trying to change the fuel filter, gave it a good hard turn, and bam, one wrench gets loose and I snap the fuel line. So basically, a minor problem is now a bigger one. I'm still learning here, so what should I do next? Is there any way I can replace the line by myself, and do I have to do the whole line? How much would it cost me to get it done?

 

Go to the parts store and get a 3/8" in-line fuel filter (I prefer the metal body & nipple type). While you're there, get a mini tubing cutter and a tubing flaring tool.

Cut off the current tube at the point where the damage ends. With the rubber hose pieces from the in-line filter installed on the filter, check the distance between the end of the fuel line where you cut it to the filter nut on the carb. If you don't have enough room to make it fit, cut the line again so it sticks into the filter hose about 1/2-3/4". If the piece you just cut off is long enough, flare one end, put it in the nut from the original line (you've already removed the ruined line, of course), install it on the carb, and install the in-line filter.

If the original fuel line is not long enough to do the job because too much of it was damaged, get a length of 3/8" brake line from the parts store. It will already be flared, just cut off what you need, take off the tubing nut it came with, and use that on the carb fitting nut. If you have to bend the line, tube bending springs are very nice to avoid collapsing the line.

With a good in-line filter, you don't have to use the filter in the carb. However, the in-carb filter also includes a check valve, so if you have problems with the fuel bowl draining overnight, you might want to put a filter in there for the check-valve function (I haven't run the check valve for almost 4 years with no problems).

 

the break is right where the line begins to bend, only a couple inches from the filter

http://www.carparts.com/parts/newsea...link=0-0-0-0-0

??? Is that it???

 

That would do, but it's more than you need. The filter, two pieces of hose about 3" each, and four clamps is typically what you get for less than $10 (although the worm clamps this kit has are better than the typical spring-type clamps).

 

Okay thanks alot, I'll get that done this weekend (hopefully).