Is Redex really any good?

[Spanner Man]

Originally Posted by Jackie_Black

When I was younger we used to pour it directly into our car engines through the spark plug holes (engine had to be hot). Then you left the redex in for 30 minutes, cranked the motor to fire it all back out the plugs and refitted everything. When you fired the car up it smoked like a ******* for ages. I'm sure they ran better afterwards (honest). I think that was even on the instructions then, that and pouring it directly into air intake!

That was the old formula Redex. Damn good stuff in it's day.
Since Redex were bought by Holts, it's now the Pi55 thin stuff. I haven't tried it.

Some of these fuel treatments work on crudded up engines. However, on an engine in a good state of tune, & one that's run on decent petrol. I reckon that such additives have little effect.


Cheers.

[johnnyrod]

Redex alawys used to be little more than mineral oil aka fuel additives from the 70s. Waste of time with fuels etc . these days as Embee says.

After getting back from uni and leaving the Dr to sit for a few months i pop a fair bit in the tank and it helps, but its a knackered old carb and engine on that. Never noticed any difference on the sv,zxr,bmw.

Ive used it before as something to give the injectors a clean out, done it a few times when I get a new car, give it a tank of redex and it just clears some of the rubbish out of the engine, once its been cleaned out I just use decent fuel (no supermarket stuff lol) and it keeps it running pretty good

[Daveog]

Originally Posted by Jackie_Black

When I was younger we used to pour it directly into our car engines through the spark plug holes (engine had to be hot). Then you left the redex in for 30 minutes, cranked the motor to fire it all back out the plugs and refitted everything. When you fired the car up it smoked like a ******* for ages. I'm sure they ran better afterwards (honest). I think that was even on the instructions then, that and pouring it directly into air intake!

I'm looking to recommision my K2 which hasn't run for quite some time (2-3 years) and a car mechanic I know suggested this might be a good idea before trying to start the bike up. Has anyone tried doing this or can think of any reason not to do it?

[Red ones]

Ive never been convinced by it.
So I'm trying an alternative.


I have a dead weasel in the boot of my car. Seems to be working still.

[Craig380]

Originally Posted by Daveog

I'm looking to recommision my K2 which hasn't run for quite some time (2-3 years) and a car mechanic I know suggested this might be a good idea before trying to start the bike up. Has anyone tried doing this or can think of any reason not to do it?

I think you'd be better off squirting a small amount of fresh engine oil (just a little, no more than a teaspoon) down the plugholes and turning the engine slowly using the nut on the end of the crank (plugs out) to make sure it turns over OK. This will also smear some oil around the bores before trying to start it.

[timwilky]

Thinks back 30+ years when I was an R&D engineer for Leyland

Within the materials dept we had a scanning electron microscope that did some sort of fancy xray defraction to identify the element being looked at. Occasionally this very expensive tool was used to identify what was blocking injector. 90% of the time, the big jagged lump sticking out of the 10 thou hole was a piece of silica. Fuel line contamination buggering up the injection system.

No additive can cure this sort of issue.

Good to misuse the works kit and look at a fly's eye. Amazing

[johnnyrod]

Some people put a teaspoon of 2-stroke in the cylinders before starting it up to prevent cold seizing, I think I'd crank it first before putting the plugs back in or you'll be getting them straight back out. I'd also crank it by hand a good few times for good measure. It'll just burn off, hence 2-stroke is better at that than engine oil

I prefer to spend a couple of pence extra on fuel and get the premium stuff, ethanol in cheap fuel is no good in an older machine, it is hygroscopic and the moisture rots steel tanks, also older fuel lines don't like it much. The cost of a bottle of snake oil funds the extra for quite a few premium litres