Turned my back on additive injector cleaners for years until a 671 blew

I always figured those fuel additive cleaners were snake oil for guys who didn't maintain their rigs properly. Then a buddy's Detroit 671 in an old Kenworth started running rough and smoking bad last month. He dumped in a bottle of Opti-Lube and after about 50 miles that thing smoothed right out and the smoke cleared. Has anyone else had a situation where a specific additive actually proved itself on a stubborn engine?

2 comments

2 Comments

ray_carr21d agoMost Upvoted

@jasons63 hit the nail on the head. I read a piece from an old trucking magazine a while back that talked about how a lot of these newer additive formulas are way more advanced than the kerosene-based junk from 20 years ago. That article specifically mentioned Opti-Lube and how it has a higher concentration of detergents that actually dissolve varnish in rotary injectors like the ones on a 671. I guess the real test is when you see it work on a stubborn engine firsthand like you did.

jasons6321d ago

The whole "turned my back on additive injector cleaners" thing is pretty common. It reminds me of how people swear off using any kind of maintenance product until something breaks and it's the only fix left. Sometimes you just have to accept that a little help from a bottle can be better than pulling a head off a 671.