Method and apparatus to clean the intake system of an internal combustion engine

• US 4,989,561 A
• Filed: 05/11/1990
• Issued: 02/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Precision Tune Auto Care, Inc. (Icahn Associates Holding LLC)
• Original Assignee: Precision Tune, Inc.
• Inventors: Hein, Steven R., Clack, Sidney R., Burrows, Joel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Application Number:
  US07/522,430
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198 A, 134/20, 134/22.12, 134/22.14, 134/30, 134/39, 134/40, 134/102, 134/169 A
• US Class Current: 123/198.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/04 Cleaning of, preventing corrosion or erosion in, or preventing unwanted deposits in, combustion engines cleaning of fuel injection apparatus F02M65/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 2007/0092 Transparent materials

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus to clean the intake system of an internal combustion engine including the intake valves. An air metering block is connected to the intake manifold of the engine by means of an adaptor tube. The only air that can get into the intake manifold of the engine is through inlet ports in the air metering block. An air adjusting screw selectively uncovers the inlet ports to vary the amount of air which can be introduced into the intake manifold. An electrically operated injector is fitted in the air metering block to inject solvent directly into the intake manifold. An adjustable injector driver varies the duty cycle or the on time of the injector to control the amount of flow of solvent into the intake manifold. A pumping unit is provided to pump solvent from a holding tank, through the injector, into the intake manifold. The normal fuel flow to the engine is disconnected such that the engine runs on combustion of the solvent introduced by the injector through the air metering block. The engine continues to operate until the predetermined amount of solvent has been burned.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning the intake system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

an air metering block having air passage means therein including an air outlet;

an adapter means to connect the outlet of said air metering block to the intake system of the engine;

air inlet means in said block communicating with said air passage means, an adjustment means within said air metering block for controlling the amount of air introduced into said air passage means;

an injector means for connection to the intake system of an engine for injecting a solvent into the intake system of the engine; and

a control means for controlling said injector means to vary the amount of solvent injected into the intake system of the engine by said injector means.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said air metering block includes an air inlet port and a plurality of air outlet ports communicating with said air inlet port wherein said adjustment means is a screw within said air inlet port to selectively cover or uncover all or portions of each air outlet port to adjust the amount of air allowed to enter said intake system.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said injector means is an electrically operated pulse modulated fuel injector.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said control means includes an electrical pulse generator outputting an electrical pulse having a adjustable pulse width for activating said injector means.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said electrical pulse generator outputs an electrical pulse only when a signal is detected in a spark plug wire of said engine.

6. An apparatus for feeding a cleaning solvent into the intake system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

an air metering block having air passage means therein, including an air outlet passage;

an adapter means for connecting the outlet of said air metering block to the intake system of said engine;

air inlet means in said air metering block communicating with said air passage means;

an adjustment means within said air metering block for controlling the amount of air entering said passage means;

an injector means connected to said air metering block for injecting said solvent into said passage means;

a control means for controlling the amount of said solvent injected through said injector into said intake system;

a storage means for holding said solvent; and

a pump means for pumping said solvent from said storage means to said injector means.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said air metering block includes an air inlet port and a plurality of air outlet ports connected to said air inlet port and said adjustment means includes a means to partially cover said air outlet ports to vary the amount of air passed into the intake system by the inlet port.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said injector means is an electrically operated pulse modulated fuel injector.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said pump means includes a pressure tight container and a means to supply air pressure to said pressure tight container to pump said solvent from said container.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said control means includes an electrical pulse generator outputting an electrical pulse having an adjustable pulse width for activating said injector means.

11. An apparatus for cleaning the intake system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

an air metering block, said air metering block having an air inlet port and a plurality of air outlet ports communicating with said air inlet port;

an adapter means for connecting said air metering block to the intake system of said engine such that said air outlet ports of said air metering block are in open communication with said intake system of said engine;

an adjustment means within said air metering block for selectively covering said air outlet ports to control the amount of air entering said intake system;

an electrically controllable injector means connected to said air metering block for injecting a solvent into said air passage;

a control means connect to said injector means for controlling the amount of said solvent injected by said injector means into said intake system;

a pressure tight container for holding said solvent; and

a pump means for pumping said solvent from said storage means to said injector means.

12. A method for cleaning the intake system of an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of:

attaching an air metering block to the intake system of the internal combustion engine;

adjusting the air flow through the air metering block to a desired flow rate;

injecting a solvent into the intake system of the internal combustion engine;

controlling the quantity of solvent injected into the intake system of the internal combustion engine; and

burning the solvent injected into the intake system within the engine.

13. A method for cleaning as recited in claim 12 wherein said step of injecting a solvent includes injecting a liquid combustible hydrocarbon blend.

14. A method for cleaning as recited in claim 13 wherein said liquid hydrocarbon blend includes dichloromethane.

15. A method for cleaning as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of attaching the air metering block to the intake system includes clamping an adapter to an intake manifold of the engine and clamping the air metering block to the adapter.

16. A method of cleaning as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of adjusting the air flow through the air metering block includes selectively covering or uncovering a plurality of air outlet ports with an air metering screw.

17. A method for cleaning as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of injecting a solvent into the intake system of the internal combustion engine includes introducing a solvent, under pressure, to an electrically controlled injector, and selectively activating said injector to allow solvent to spray into the intake system of the internal combustion engine.

18. A method of cleaning as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of controlling the quantity of solvent injected into the intake system includes sending an electrical pulse of a controlled time to the injector to activate the injector during the controlled time to allow solvent to pass through the injector during the controlled time.

19. A method of cleaning the intake system of an internal combustion engine, said engine having a plurality of fuel injectors associated with said engine, comprising the steps of:

disabling the fuel injectors associated with said engine;

adjusting the air flow into the intake system of said engine;

inserting an injector into the intake system of said engine;

supplying pressurized solvent to said injector; and

controlling the quantity of solvent injected by said injector.

20. A method for cleaning as recited in claim 19 wherein the step of controlling the quantity of solvent injected by the injector includes sending a control pulse of electrical energy to the injector to activate the injector.

21. A method for cleaning the intake system of an internal combustion engine, said engine having a plurality of spark plugs, a plurality of spark plug wires connected to said spark plugs, a plurality of fuel injectors for feeding fuel to the cylinders of said engine, a fuel supply for supplying fuel to each of said fuel injectors, an air intake manifold for supplying air to said engine, an air cleaner, a connector for connecting said air cleaner to said intake manifold, and a battery associated with said engine, said cleaning method including the steps of:

disabling the fuel supply to prevent fuel from being supplied to the fuel injectors of the engine;

removing the connector from between the air cleaner and the intake manifold;

connecting an air metering block to the intake manifold;

connecting a draw-through air flow adapter to the air cleaner;

connecting a hose between the air metering block and the draw-through air flow adapter;

inserting an injector into the air metering block, said injector having a solvent inlet and an electrical connector;

filling a pumping unit with a first solvent;

connecting said pumping unit to said injector to allow a first solvent to be pumped to the injector;

connecting an injector driver to said injector;

simultaneously cranking the engine and adjusting the injector driver to increase the flow of the first solvent through the injector, until the engine starts;

operating the engine until the pumping unit pumps all of the first solvent through the injector and the engine stops;

filling the pumping unit with a second solvent;

simultaneously cranking the engine and adjusting the injector driver to increase the flow of the second solvent through the injector, until the engine starts;

operating the engine until the pumping unit pumps all of the second solvent through the injector and the engine stops;

removing the injector driver, the air metering block, and the draw-through air flow adapter;

enabling the fuel supply; and

reconnecting the connector to the intake manifold and the air cleaner.