I read mixed reviews on other forums about the benefits of removing fuel injectors and cleaning them off-car. In my Volvo, doing this made a big difference in helping my car idle smoothly, despite my regularly using fuel injection cleaner in the nearly empty gas tank. I'd like to do this on the 1989 Camry. How often should I clean the fuel injectors?

Also, I found a new-in-box camshaft oil seal in my garage with a receipt from 2004. It looks fine, but what's the shelf-life of oil seals?

Thanks

 

Did you have the Volvo injectors professionally cleaned, sonic cleaner, soak in cleaner or what?

Typically Camry injectors should never need cleaning. If you take them out to clean them, take note that they may not all be the same part number (size). Keep track of their orientation.

Unless the seal has hardened, cracked, is damaged it should be OK.

 

Thanks.

I cleaned the injectors myself, after confirming their resistance was within specs.

I followed YouTube videos showing a DIY set up with aerosol carburetor cleaner and using alligator clips from a battery to power the injector.

Here's one example:


As to fuel injector orientation, do you mean put injector from cylinder #1 back into cylinder #1?

 

Good job!

The Toyota dealer cleans injectors by disconnecting the fuel line and connecting the cleaning unit directly through the fuel rail to run 100% cleaner through the injectors.

Yes, put No 1 back in No 1, etc. Sometimes #2 and 3 may be different from 1 and 4. The injectors should be color marked or something to identify a different flow rate.

 

thanks

 

On my '96 T_ercel with 146k miles, I found a fuel injector leak in #3; gas was visibly oozing down the injector and despite my poor sense of smell, I could smell gasoline. Injector #1 wasn't visibly leaking, but that o-ring at the top of the fuel rail along with #3 were fragmented.

How often should fuel injector o-rings be changed?

 

Would be rare.

Changing rings may help with the engine issues.

 

Thanks. Do you mean piston rings? If so, under what circumstances on these engines?

 

No, o'rings.

 

On the ’89 Camry, off-car injector cleaning is usually only needed every 80–100k miles or if you notice rough idle, poor economy, or misfires. For the camshaft oil seal, one that’s been sitting since 2004 is past its safe shelf life even if it looks okay, so best to replace it with a new one.