It's an old hotrodder's trick to put about a gallon of Xylene in a quarter tank of premium before taking it into the smog check. Passes every time. Being a former Corvette owner it wasn't beyond everyone to run that.


My Series III is running a bit rich, about 4x rich and isn't going to pass it looks like. See runs like a Swiss watch otherwise. Anyone ever run the Xylene technique in an XJ6? Other issue is where to find it now that it's banned in Calif. Living close to Mexico though I suspect a taco run might be in order.

 

Skip the xylene, that stuff is nasty! How about diagnosing and fixing the problem? Check your timing, fuel pressure, battery voltage at the ECM and so on....

 

I truly love my XJ6. She's an absolute beauty and I've soaked about 3x into her for what her value is. Trying to convince the wife it's worth putting another 'yet to be determined amount' into a hole on the road isn't an argument I want to take on. I have a 47 foot hole in the water I've poured enough money into and that argument isn't going to float with the wife for much longer either....so to speak. I just want her to pass smog and keep her on the road for another couple of years. Other than the smog issue she truly runs like a Swiss watch. Not going to run the 'stuff' other than the one load. I've read 3oz of Acetone will also work.

 

<Donning Kevlar suit> I had a car once that had to pass Emissions and I suspected it it might not without *Heroic* efforts.

It happened to have 2 gas tanks (one [15 gallons] not plainly evident) and a valve under the driver seat; a sleeper as it were, and I used to run the AUX tank down to 1/4 (or less), put in a quart of Xylene, run it through the test, and Immediately upon receiving the PASS certification, change over to the "real" tank, make a bee line to the station to fill the hinky tank with regular and go about my business for another couple years.

I'm NOT saying you could do that; I'm ONLY relating my OWN experience with MY car when I encountered this issue at the time when I was new in this part of the world and up against a wall, as 'they' say.
(';')

 

Let's see; the Jag has 2 tanks and a valve....


I'm definitely craving some authentic Mexican tacos. Best place for those is of course, South of San Diego.

 

Went to Mexico today and got some 'tacos'.


Before any new mixture goes in the tank I am going to try the cardboard in front of the radiator technique to see if I can just get the engine hotter as she's running cooler with a new radiator. If that doesn't work, then the 'tacos' go in the tank

 

When I was in college, we used to go to Juarez, across the river from my home town, El Paso. after a few tequilas, rot gut whiskeys or beers, we'd have some food. The little ladies with the stands on the sidewalks. Great tacos or taquitos. Meat, don't ask. Tortillas made on the spot. Fried in what else, lard. Never got sick that could be traced to that!!!


A couple of times, I suspected my lump might not pass unless assisted. in addition to the hot run, a bit of help in the gas tank. Run one down close to empty, but not quite.
Add five gallons of Chevron's best for the Techron additive. Add a double dose of canned Techron. It did seem to perk up just a tad. Car passed nicely.


Carl
.

 

My smog check passed ok this morning. I'd put the cardboard in front of the radiator and it only went up about 10C degrees but got it to just around the 90C mark. Not wanting to have a failure, some of that Mexican taco sauce went into the tank, about a gallon of it to 5 gallons of premium that was in there. Can't say if there was any increase in the power levels however but it did pass smog!

 

xylene. paint thinner available at HomeDepot

 

Interesting. Glad you passed.

I've used toluene in my fuel before. Not for smog testing; just to "supposedly" boost the effective octane rating without being detected by the track officials. I couldn't even say if it worked that well. Engine did run a bit cooler, power seemed similar, so I quit using it.

Of course that was for a carbureted 350 sbc on a short track. Not sure how comfortable I'd feel using that on a fuel injected system.

 

way back 1950s engine manufactures did testing on additives in the fuel,conclusion was 1-2% Acetone peroxide or Amyl nitrate in fuel did to clean up exhaust emissions.

as i can remember , it would ignite easier, burn more complete, yet not effect detonation time!

also amyl nitrate is highly explosive, i'v heard,donno.

 

GREAT!! That's Just great!
I didn't use Nearly that concentration of Xylene, but Whatever works!
(';')

 

One side benefit I must note here. My fuel gauge for both tanks has been 'sluggish' and never showing all the way full. The right side tank where the 'taco sauce' was added now has a very responsive fuel reading. Full when it's full and does seem to be more responsive. Might be the left tank needs the same treatment to free up the float some. Anyone think this is possible or am I just imagining things from breathing too many vapors??

 

I once had an acquaintance who was a forensic lab tech. They used Xylene as a Very powerful solvent for removing all fats and oils from samples. It dissolved *Everything* from micro-thin samples so they could examine the cell structure closely in a microscope.

As gasoline is an oil distillate, it would make Perfect sense to me that it would also dissolve gasoline deposits and residue on gas gauge components and therefore render the rheostat in the sending unit more sensitive (Just thinking out loud here).

I would use it in my tank as my gauge only reads FULL under Extreme full conditions (I can see gas in the filler neck) using extreme care, but the PO plainly told us More Than Once that he had a slurry put into the tanks (such as is used in aircraft fuel tanks) to prevent rusting. I'm not sure said slurry wouldn't be seriously compromised by a powerful solvent such as Xylene, allowing moisture to come into contact with the steel of the tank. For that reason and that reason Only, I couldn't bring myself to use in on Nix, Much as I might want to when Emissions time comes.
(';')

 

I never heard of Amyl nitrate being used as a fuel additive, but I have mates here in Aus who used it for cheap high in the early 90's. They would buy a 25ml bottle from a sex shop and sniff it to get a short term high.

 

to much of A/P or A/N will raise hell ith most fuel system soft fibers or synthetic things ,like diaphram, rubber valves, regulaters, carb floats,etc.

because it is a powerful solvent, it will clean things out, never to be used in hi-concentrate, in bladder tanks,or poly plastic containers, especially where it ill be stored for a time.

 

if you think it messes with your head, you should try it in your engine, it goes like hell then boom, puff the magic dragon!