Discovered a trick to unstick a stuck injector without pulling the head

I had a 6.0 Powerstroke that was running rough after sitting for 3 months. Tried the usual stuff like fuel additives and cracking lines, but injector #8 wouldn't budge. Ended up mixing 50/50 ATF and acetone in a squirt bottle and letting it soak into the rail overnight. Next morning it fired up smooth as butter and I didn't have to pull the head or replace anything. Has anyone else tried this method or got a better way to deal with stuck injectors?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert_bell6d ago

Man that soaking trick is gold, glad it worked out for you cause pulling a head on a 6.0 is a nightmare nobody wants.

phoenix_grant347d ago

I saw a thread on another forum where a guy tried the ATF and acetone mix on a Cummins and swore by it. He said it worked better than anything he bought at the parts store. My old shop teacher used to say penetrating oil is mostly hype and that ATF is the real deal because it creeps into tight spaces. I've also heard of folks using a mix of diesel fuel and automatic transmission fluid for the same thing, just letting it sit longer. Seems like you hit on a solid homebrew method that saved a ton of work.

emery_white7d ago

@phoenix_grant34 your shop teacher knew what was up, ATF really does creep into places it shouldn't (kinda like my ex's new boyfriend at family dinners). Sounds like you dodged pulling the head, which is always a win in my book.