swerks

So, I was going to clean my trottle body today with some CRC throttle body cleaner and noticed is says do not use with Turbo chargers or super chargers. Why not and what does every one use with Turbos and super chargers??

Matt16

That's weird. I know you're not supposed to use carb cleaner on EFI engines due to electronics, but I'm not sure why forced induction would be an issue for EFI TB cleaner. Perhaps the fumes lower the overall effective octane rating and cause premature detonation. Maybe the crud from the TB deposits on the impeller in the exhaust and throws it out of balance (big problem at a quarter million rpm that some turbos experience). That's my best guess.

I suppose a more practical problem would be that it difficult to spray into the TB while the engine is running in a forced induction engine.

fireman1559

well if thats the problem then take of ur tb and clean it like that im sure thats easier said than done but i think ud rather be safe than sorry

abecedarian

mostly, it's so that in case there's a backfire you don't blow an impeller to pieces.
used to happen somewhat often with draw-through turbo'd cars where the turbo was between the carb and engine

best bet is to pull the tb and clean it off the truck, or figure out how to run the engine with the crossover tube to the turbo disconnected.

Cwaters1184

i used TB cleaner on my 3.4 S/C. I dont know what damage it actually causes but i wasnt going to be the one to fine out.. i just put it on a rag and cleaned it that way, instead of spraying it in there. never had a problem doing it that way.

Matt16

Good point. I would assume turbo impeller blades are brittle and have little flexibility so they don't deform at high rpm. A shock might shatter them.

I wonder if it were possible to design a turbo with composite blades that deform at high rpm in order to pump less air (like a flex fan). That way, you could make the turbo aggressive at low speeds, and avoid overboosting at high rpm.

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

the high speeds with a composite might do the same thing... break apart with the force that its exerting... i think that internals on a turbo, for now, are as advanced as they can get... i mean, you still see the diesel guys goin out to their old John Deere tractors and pullin some old T-4s and slappin em on a 99 dodge...

mmcpeck

I always use it on a rag and wipe out the TB as best as I can. I was taught that TB cleaner sprayed in the TB will harm the Cat when it's burned.

Used to work at a Nissan dealer and it was a Service Bulletin once, not to spray it in the TB for that reason, and just to use it on a rag.

abecedarian

it's not the cleaner that harms the cat: it's the stuff the cleaner carries with it, all the oil and gunk that doesn't burn very well in an engine that harms the cat.
another reason I recommend doing cleaning in mulitiple stages (at least 4 or so- spray some and start the engine and let it run a few minutes each time) in order to minimize overheating the converter and buring the converter up, giving the cat some time to clean itself so to speak.