My uncle swore by using ATF to free up a seized diesel injector

He told me, 'Just pour a little automatic transmission fluid in the fuel filter housing, let it sit overnight, and it'll break loose.' I tried it on a 6.0 Powerstroke that came into my shop last month with one injector stuck solid. After about 12 hours, I cranked it and it actually fired right up, no kidding. But my boss saw me do it and got mad, saying that trick can mess up the high-pressure oil system over time. Now I'm not sure if it's a legit fix or just asking for bigger problems down the road. Has anyone else here used ATF for this, or is it one of those old-school shortcuts that causes more harm than good?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella_rodriguez27d ago

Ever notice how many fixes are just swapping one problem for a future one? That ATF trick works because it's a strong detergent, but your boss is right to worry. It cleans the injector by washing gunk into other places, like that high pressure pump. It's the same as using drain cleaner that eats your pipes later. You got the truck running, but you might have just given its oil system a new diet of varnish and sludge.

holly_garcia27d ago

Yeah I ran into that exact thing on an old Duramax. Flushed the injectors with cleaner and two weeks later the lift pump started whining like crazy. Ended up having to drop the tank and clean the whole fuel system. Sometimes the quick fix just moves the clog further down the pipe lol.

matthew86416d ago

That reminds me of a guy who used seafoam to quiet his noisy lifters. It worked great for a month until all that loosened carbon wiped out the cam bearings. Those cleaners just relocate the problem sometimes.