Top End Cleaner Works!

bcfitzsimons · October 20, 2002

Yesterday I sprayed 2 bottles of Top End cleaner down the throttle body of my 8.1L that had the usual startup clatter on cold mornings. I followed the directions on the bottle, except I let the stuff sit in the engine for an hour.

WOW! That stuff really works! No startup clatter AT ALL this morning (and it's 45 degrees out), and no warm spark knock. I guess the gas we get here in Cleveland really makes for a sooty burn. Next oil change, I'm going to do another treatment but I'm going to let the stuff sit overnight.

Try this stuff before you give up hope on the cold-start knock.

Fitz.

nonstop · October 20, 2002

what was the name of the cleaner?

bcfitzsimons · October 21, 2002

It's GM's Top End Cleaner. $6 from my local Chevy dealer.

Fitz

4x4man · October 21, 2002

I am sure it probably says this on the bottle, but I don't have the bottle yet. Did you spray this stuff in with the engine running, like one bottle with the motor running, then the other with the motor off, or did you just spray both in while the engine was off, let it sit then fire it up?? Would like to try this idea out, as running a can of BG-44K at $20 a pop has only worked once out of 3 tries. Not to mention the top end cleaner is cheaper and works to boot!!

Thanks,

Bob

CMNTMXR81 · October 21, 2002

GM re-labels some good sh*t, huh?

bcfitzsimons · October 22, 2002

I'd sure as h**l say that it's good s**t, relabeled or not! I mean, I just can't believe how much quieter my engine is on a cold startup now. It's like night and day. And it just convinces me that BP gas in Cleveland burns dirty.

Go figure! I just go my BP card with 6% back on gas purchases (figured that would've worked well with a 496 ci V8)-and now I have to go and cancel it and get a Shell or Sunoco card (I guess).

You have to spray it in with the engine running. I left directions on the other post I wrote about it. It needs to be sucked through the throttle body by engine vacuum. Mine didn't stall out-but then again, I used the aerosol instead of the liquid (with my luck, if I used the liquid I would've ended up with hydraulic lock and a busted rod-I just know it).

Just make sure that when you do it MIND THE FAN-IT'S LITERALLY RIGHT THERE. I see enough chopped body parts at work-I don't need to hear about them here.

Also-I used two aerosol cans (if one's good, two's better . . . ). The next oil change I do, I'm going to do it again, but this time I'm going to let it sit overnight. It worked wonders just by sitting an hour. And make sure you change the oil afterwards.

Fitz

bcfitzsimons · October 22, 2002

Seems as if the other post I wrote about it disappeared. Anyway, this is how I did it-

Bought two aerosol cans of Top End Cleaner. After your engine's warmed up, put some weight on the gas pedal to get the engine revving to about 1200 RPM. Then, loosen the hoseclamp that fixes the air induction tube to the throttle body at the front of the intake manifold. Gently pull the tube off of its seal, but don't pull it away from the throttle body; otherwise, not enough air will be pulled past the MAF in the tube and the engine will stall out.

This is where you have to be really careful-the fan's right there. With the engine spinning, lower the tube against the outside of the throttle body about 1/2 inch, so you can see the throttle plate inside. At this point, I took a long, thin funnel and wedged it between the air induction tube and the outside of the throttle body (above the plate). The plate will be open just enough from your weight on the gas pedal that you can spray top end cleaner into the funnel and then on top of the throttle plate. Move the funnel neck back and forth, so liquid then gets sprayed on both the left and right sides of the plate. You'll see it get sucked into the engine, and then your exhaust will get thick and white. I sprayed in one bottle, and then the second. After the second, I killed the engine, and let it sit for an hour.

After an hour, I started it up, and it sputtered for the first minute or two-had to keep constant pressure on the gas to keep it running. Once it ran on its own, I took it for a really vigorous drive around the country roads here (vigorous as in gear selector in 3rd, going 65 mph, spinning 4000-4250 RPM). Watch as your gas gauge literally falls in front of your eyes. I went for a half-hour jaunt, came home, and then changed the oil and filter.

I also added a bottle of Techron to the tank.

Now it runs like a dream. And 90% of the cold start clatter's GONE!

Two points-one, I ended up using a funnel because the spray bottle nozzles can't be fitted to a straw to direct the spray-so for the first minute, because of the fan action, the spray went all over me and my garage wall instead of into the throttle body. If you use a funnel, it prevents the fan from blowing the stuff everywhere. It also lets you make sure that the stuff gets in both sides (hopefully) of your engine. Just use a long and skinny funnel, and it's easy. Second point-like I said before, the aerosol's a lot easier to use than the liquid-I think you have to be much more careful with the liquid because of the chance of causing hydraulic cylinder lock. Besides, its the same price-I think I paid around $6 a bottle for it. And remember you HAVE TO change your oil afterwards-mine was blacker than tar from all the carbon that ran past the rings (and it was only 1500 miles since my last change . . .)

Fitz

Zane · October 22, 2002

Very interesting! I might have to do that on my 95 Corvette. I know it has 60k miles, and the throtle body plates are pretty dark...

CMNTMXR81 · October 22, 2002

Just out of curiousity, was your TB dirty too when you took the intake off?

I know that stuff is pretty potent, I've seen it done at the shop. I didn't know they had to let it sit though for an hour or so.

I may do this right before the next oil change (1,500 miles or so. ).

Oh, whats the mileage on your truck. I just turned 12,000.

THE BIGPUNN · October 22, 2002

i used top end cleaner about three months ago...th knock has returned ??? . this cleaner appears to need to be added to regular maintanence.

4x4man · October 22, 2002

bcfitzsimons-

Thanks for the insight, I plan on doing this in a day or two. My truck just hit 13,000 miles.....man it is getting old now, might be time for a new one soon!!!

Bob

bcfitzsimons · October 22, 2002

Mine's got 14500 miles on it. One night at work, I was reading on either Mobil's or Exxon's webpage and it said it was not uncommon for some new engines to develop significant deposits in the first 15000 miles of use. Considering that at LEAST 60% of the miles I put on are city miles, I'm not surprised that mine has buildup.

CMNT-no, the throttle plate was totally clear. No gum or residue at all. And I've read and heard that the stuff works better the longer it sits-I guess it has more time to break up the deposits. I'm definitely going to make it part of routine maintenance. GM may be right about the clatter being from carbon buildup, but I just can't bring myself to believe that it "doesn't hurt the engine. . ."

Fitz

Fitz.