75ZT Community

I recently had to replace the fuel pump on my ZT (not cheap I might had so be warned) anyway the mechanic said it was gummed up? I regularly used Redex fuel additive to help keep the injectors and pipes clean.
He advised me not use these additives! What do you guys think?

Redex is an upper cylinder lubricant, not something that is necessary on a modern engine. IMHO, using such these days will as you have found leave deposits in the filtration and pump systems.

I put this in every other time I put petrol, have done for years - Habit I guess.....

STP is like adding very thick treacle to an engine, it does make it quieter...... For a while....
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I have to add that I have never used Oil Additives......

James.uk wrote:STP is like adding very thick treacle to an engine, it does make it quieter...... For a while....
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Worked in a Maxi of mine for a short while (around 90 seconds), but then sheared the oil pump / distributor drive shaft.

Ouch.I guess I should have let it idle a little after adding it to the sump.

As Mick said, these products are intended as upper cylinder lubricants. 50 years ago they contained lead and other additives which, upon combustion in the cylinders, enabled the carbon deposits on plugs and valves to be reduced to gases which were exhausted with all the other crud (fuel then had tadpoles in it), so helping to keep the cylinders/rings clean and gum free. As far as I remember they were never really intended to go into a fuel tank and d-i-y mechanics (of which there were many, because you could) knew the pitfalls of fuel tank messing-about-with (like NEVER allowing the tank to run dry!). Then the Global Warming Fanaticists poked their heads above the atmosphere, decided Space was polluted, and said NO. So other additives were 'discovered'. It was much more effective to squirt an egg-cup full into your Webbers and give it some welly. Now of course we enjoy the benfits of fuel injection. With modern engines it is really a glance-over-the-shoulder at the past as the elecrtronic management systems require no added in-fuel ingredients if all you require is a cleaner engine (when was the last time anyone did a 'de-coke'!) . In fact, and this is only my highly-predjudiced view, I believe sophisticated engines are better off without. If there is a qualified chemical/mechanical engineer on here with contrary knowledge I would be grateful to have my predjudices realigned!

I use snake oil in mine. Better than Red X. ( You know how slippery snakes are. ) Obvious really. innit ?