Is Redline Good For Your Car's Engine? Italian Tune Up

[@EngineeringExplained]

Hope everyone's having a wonderful day! I made a video a while back about why engines lose power over time (summarized with 10 reasons), which feels relevant to this video, for anyone interested. Here's the link! kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5ubmZ13n65qppY

[@twztdfmgtr]

Love your work. Was wondering if you have any plans on doing a vid on the pros and cons of an Automatic transmission with a Manual mode or not. Or if you already did one, could you provide a link? Thanks

[@Diddy_Doodat]

This video shows why a catch can is a good thing to have on your engine

[@ThexXxXxOLOxXxXx]

What if say I block most of my radiator and drive at 4th gear at above 4000rpm for a minute or two would that work? I'm just wondering xD

[@MartinJG100]

Thanks for the video. One thing that is certain in my experience is that an engine that is worked at higher constant speeds is definitely smoother and runs better than an engine that spends its life pottering around town.

[@mattycm]

What about Catch Cans next!

[@jameshunt8627]

I’m a nice guy, every time I rent a car, I do the Italian tune up for them

[@pfidze]

James Hunt thank you James Hunt

[@MiataBoy0]

Me too bud

[@vflinck1324]

You are da best!

[@RedWingsninetyone]

"What is the fastest car in the world?" A rental car.

[@beanvan99]

RedWings-44 haha

[@stevep5566]

Sorry Officer I was just cleaning out the deposits in my engine

[@MrJay_White]

next time just tell them your ea-wife ran off with a cop, and you where speeding because you thought they where bringing her back.

[@turboseize]

That actually happened a few years ago in Bavaria, just half an hour away from Munich. Cops stopped a car doing < 180km/h on a backroad (I know that road - there's a long straight with good visibility, so perfectly safe, despite the 100km/h speed limit). Driver was an elderly lady around 80years old. "Young lad, but you have to floor it from time to time, else the valves will carbon up!". According to the newspaper, cops were impressed, but fined her nonetheless.

[@AccessGranted95]

LOLOL

[@PeterOekvist]

I bet the cop sends the tickets to italy.

[@marshalllhiepler]

Officer: "That's o.k. son, the elderly lady in the crosswalk is just clearing out the deposits in her panties."

[@jefftalbot8371]

I do the Italian tune-up all the time! Step one put vehicle into “R” for race. Slam on the throttle and it feels like I am going back in time.

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

Put it up on jack stands to get the miles off the car

[@liveandletlive2894]

@@MeltingRubberZ28 cars from the '80's and earlier maybe...easier to toll by hand

[@mitchellpauna3317]

😆

[@TorbTorb]

n for nitro

[@22copes]

D for drag is not bad bad but all hell breaks loose when you put it in P for Pass

[@chrisfix]

My drift car gets an italian tune up for like 2 minutes straight... Same with the clutch and brakes lol! Awesome video Jason! I actually have been wanting to test this in real life and do some before and after pics!

[@EngineeringExplained]

That'd be awesome to see! Would love to see a demo test.

[@802Garage]

My father always told me to let the car rev close to redline at least occasionally when you are driving. My rust bucket gets close most times when I get on the highway. :P You both are awesome! Keep up the great work.

[@NFLYoungBoy223]

ChrisFix make a video soon

[@Dariovich]

Clean the goo out of that civic please!!!

[@surf3832]

ChrisFix yoo it’s chrisFix!

[@pw9404]

I paid for all my RPMs so I’m going to use all my RPMs

[@OneLeggyBoy]

Honda owners be like

[@gagd7351]

@@OneLeggyBoy Cannot blame them, if I had a k20a under my foot i wouldn't drive under 4k rpm lol

[@invisiblekid7374]

I mean, you paid for rods and pistons too but how long do you think they’ll last being stressed like that all the time?

[@raintoty2713]

i paid for whole speedometer, i use whole speedometer

[@francescobattistoni20]

@@OneLeggyBoy Cant say you're wrong, owninga a civic i surplisingly fun once you get above 4k rpm

[@dadoVRC]

I drove my ex-girlfiend mum's car to go to a concert, 300km away from home. That car, an Opel Corsa 1.2 Twinport, I think never had any moment running over 3000rpm, and never at full throttle. We used that only because my car at that moment doesn't have air conditioned... We was 5people in car. We started and on the highway it was impossible to reach our speed limit, 130km/h in 5th gear, only in 4th and only on flat road. The engine was clogged at the point I wonder we can't reach the concert... After some km in 4th gear at full throttle (at 130/140km/h, no more) car started to run better. After 70/100km the car were running like new. Returning home, next morning, I can keep 130km/h in 5th gear, and when I push the pedal it reached over 170km/h with a noticeable acceleration...just noticeable, I'm speaking of a 1.2L engine. The next day, the car owner said me "what did you do to the Corsa? It is a lot more powerful, I started from a roundabpout and I made a wheelspin!".😂😂 This happened (just for laugh) in Italy... I'm Italian and I lived in the middle of the Alps, at the time.

[@sikoleyleyofficial4146]

hahahaha.. nice dudee

[@luis4210]

Thanks for that story I appreciate it

[@andregoncalves7856]

Something similar happened to me, so I know it really makes a great diference in some cases

[@MJorgy5]

Sounds more like a tank of bad fuel, but if the car is used predominantly for short trips- the Italian tune-up theory might be plausible.

[@2KXMKR]

Can confirm this is true. I've had a 1.0ltr 3 cylinder Corsa for over 15 years and if it's used mainly for town driving for just a few days, RPM up to or around 3.5k, it becomes boggy and sluggish, develops 'mayo' under the oil filler cap and on the motorway it's near impossible to accelerate from 70mph to 80mph in 5th gear - it just won't go. A blast up and down the motorway, revving up to 6k RPM when joining, loosens her right up and she always feels much faster. In 5th gear at 70mph it sits around 4k RPM, which seems to be her comfort zone.

[@vague-rant666]

Ah. So that's the Italian tune up...I'll stop putting marinara in my gas tank now... never forghetti

[@EngineeringExplained]

Hahaha, the sauce is boss! +100 octane.

[@dangleason9023]

That's pretty good. I was just feeding strings of spaghetti into the intake with the air filter off...Hadn't used the sauce yet, good idea!!! lol

[@jimmytimmy3680]

I put pasta on my air intake and it runs like a jet.

[@vague-rant666]

Ragu in the windshield cleaner tank for maximum performghetti

[@c6drives180]

Rob spaghetti

[@JimGriffOne]

I redline all the time in my car. It's on its 5th head gasket replacement. So, no. Don't drive like me.

[@mentals555]

There's something else wrong if you continually blow your HG. Your head is probably warped or you have air in cooling system etc.

[@victornpb]

are you buying head gasket made out of burritos?

[@JimGriffOne]

@@victornpb Haha. It's just "British Engineering". It always breaks. The 5th head gasket is Chinese designed and built when Nanjing bought out MG. It's much better design. Says a lot about British engineering lol.

[@WillFuI]

BUT if u to practice replacing destroyed head gaskets, then yes

[@JimGriffOne]

@@mentals555 It's just a badly designed engine. Really thin wetliners and they're able to shift slightly. The Chinese upgrades require: Strengthened head bolts and oil ladder rail, wetliner shims to increase pressure on the cylinders and a MLS head gasket with no separate fire rings. It's lasted 6k miles and not one issue yet. Last ones lasted sub-1k miles before leaking coolant into the cylinders. Engine has tonnes more compression with these mods and runs sweet.

[@hoonaticbloggs5402]

As a mechanic for many years I can confirm, an engine driven hard for longer periods but with regular maintenance will run better and last longer than an engine used for short journeys. The Italian decoke is a credible thing for sure

[@batyanko8283]

I would be interested in a comparison of engines driven hard and long, and engines driven easy and long. It's kinda obvious that short journeys are bad

[@batyanko8283]

@@BradleyRaven Interesting that you write this just now. Exactly yesterday I put a vent on my oil cap, with some air filter paper on it. Plan is to flush the gases with fresh air from the oil cap and out of the PCV system, rather than only creating vacuum to pull excess gases. If blowby gases are evacuated directly, they should have less time to dilute the oil. Though this would only work in systems that either pull PCV gases before the throttle body and thus meter it (like in my gasoline Peugeot 406), or plainly exhaust it in the atmosphere. Or probably diesel engines too, not much idea about how those make the fuel mixture...

[@everettstormy]

​@@batyanko8283that would be a good idea but i think the vacuum is the only thing keeping the oil in my car 😅

[@batyanko8283]

@@everettstormy Just changed the oil and fixed my cap seal. So I guess in a few months will be a good time to report on how quickly that oil flies :))

[@everettstormy]

@@batyanko8283 right, def lmk i might try ut

[@hissingoose]

if it's a GM it'll just overheat naturally, no carbon deposits.

[@Contreras-z4e]

hissinggoose ya GM POS

[@405ruben]

I have an 01 5.3 Silverado I bought for 2800 for my first car, runs great and haven’t had any issues. Hopefully it continues this way until I graduate college lol 🤞🏼

[@405ruben]

Kev interior is in great condition, and paint is well too! Doesn’t have any clear coat peeling, and doesn’t look like it was used as a work truck. Sadly someone did rear end me the other day though and I have to get a new tailgate

[@LibsareTRASH]

Lmao so true. Gm is GARBAGE

[@garethbaus5471]

I have found my Chevy fails in other ways before it actually overheats, which means that if I want to get it on the highway it should probably be towed.

[@amp888]

Constant redlining isn't for me, but hey, whatever floats your valves.

[@TheMick26]

👍😆

[@2450logan]

Underrated comment that so many plebs will not understand.

[@UniversalPwner21]

You sir just won the comment of the year award. Only gearheads will understand, and i love "inside" jokes, made me LOL hard. :)

[@peterclayton4385]

Nicely said 😂

[@NazbolCaliphDonaldaddeenTrump]

Lmao

[@neomateo944]

As an experienced mechanic I am convinced it works in instances where vehicles have been driven very slow for years usually by older customers. After finding nothing obviously wrong I have often taken customers vehicles for extended "test" drives to more remote locations where I can open it up for awhile. Had very good results. Trick is guesstimating if engine is up to it beforehand. Did it to a car of my own I bought from an old dude who never went much above idle for years and managed to kill it quite quickly. The engine was so gummed up it was hard to tell just how badly worn it was until being driven harder over a period of a few weeks after a full service. Started blowing smoke and rattling in the bottom end. Best advice for engine health is change oil and filter regularly and also drive vehicle as it was designed. If you want to drive everywhere at low speed get a ride on mower.

[@Fridelain]

Any tips on highway legal mowers? 😂

[@blakelip3]

@@Fridelain watch the movie water boy

[@everettstormy]

​@@blakelip3lmao, love that scene

[@everettstormy]

​@@Fridelaini swaped the pullys on mine and got it to 19mph but the transaxle is a dry system and it could be heard across town. I put it back after 1 run

[@ricardoochoa9004]

@neomateo944 I'm currently driving a motorcycle and at first, I drove it using all the gears between 3k and 4k RPM, trying to get the the highest gear over time on any drive way (around 45 - 50 KPH). The point was "saving gas", however, now I´m revving the engine to 5k RPM from 2nd gear to the highest and keeping the gear that gives me the speed I need in low speed driveways ( and gearing up if needed of course). The bike feels more powerful and responsive now, compared to the first way of driving. And engine braking makes more sense now. Also the bike engine is still on Break in. Am I doing it correctly? Because where I live, nobody gives a good tip.

[@eightosaurusspelunk1598]

I'm not really comfortable giving my car an Italian tune up. That being said, I always give an extensive one to rental cars.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Good guy looking out for rental cars.

[@Fjdy1jd1]

"Nothing handles better than a rented car. You can go faster, turn corners sharper, and put the transmission into reverse while going forward at a higher rate of speed in a rented car than in any other kind. You can also park without looking, and can use the trunk as an ice chest. Another thing about a rented car is that it's an all-terrain vehicle. Mud, snow, water, woods - you can take a rented car anywhere. True, you can't always get it back - but that's not your problem, is it?" -- P.J. O'Rourke

[@Breakitjake]

If a car can't handle an Italian tune up, it's junk. They are engineered to be put through the ringer. Should not be able to hurt anything with a factory rev limiter

[@jacobtunnison727]

Aye really all you have to do is get on a high way and go like one hundred mph for ab 10 20 seconds the gasoline gets spraying over the valves and cleans it and not bad for it like if you just sat at a stop reving it all the way up

[@MrTheHillfolk]

The more precious it is to you , chances are it’ll blow up. Since rentals aren’t anyone’s cars they never blow up.

[@habans1]

"a redline a day keeps the carbon away" lol

[@aniervg166]

😂😂😂

[@TheBean42069]

Under-rated comment

[@johanbrand8601]

It's nonsense

[@tonda01]

@@johanbrand8601 No it is not.

[@enbyfrog39]

Sounds like your talking about the rx-7

[@chinchilla641]

My BMW keeps overheating my engine under regular load periodically. I just now found out it's keeping my engine clean. Thanks, BMW!

[@ryannfodrea632]

I cant tell if ur being sarcastic or if they actually made that feature on your car, but either way thats honestly a good idea. They could program the ECU to periodically allow the engine to slightly climb in temp for a couple minutes by slightly closing the radiator ducts and then reopening them to cool it back down again.

[@Validole]

@@ryannfodrea632 Many automatic gearbox+catalytic converter cars have periods of running at higher rpm programmed in, if it detects that the cat hasn't had enough temperature to self-clean in a while. Can't do that in a manual, of course...

[@AgentOffice]

@@ryannfodrea632 he's probably sarcastic but it is true that modern engines try to run hot for emissions

[@PedroFerrer-vq5sw]

@ryannfodrea632 Isn’t that just Regen on a Diesel

[@gedas3419]

When you bring your 200hp car to a track day, and go back with 220hp car

[@lazertag720]

My 130HP car went up to 725HP

[@Hypnodog_]

I took my lawnmower and now it's more powerful than a Bugatti Chiron, nice

[@chnapo1]

still better than going back by bus :D

[@akonnema]

If you track your car it will likely head home on a wrecker. Racing a steet car is insanely bad for it.

[@tl5240]

If u drive a shitty car..... Sure!

[@Moon___man]

unhooked my radiator to achieve 325 degrees.. bye bye carbon!

[@5bananas1]

hello conrods

[@zacharywilburn7253]

I'm dying laughing!

[@benjaminvolesky1653]

Now me and the mad scientist have to rip apart the block...haha jk, 325°C isn't THAT hot.

[@反骨水]

And bye bye oil pump🤣

[@alexcaires5639]

bye bye engine HAHA

[@TheCompyshop]

I can confirm the Italian tune up does work! I purchased a long time ago a Lincoln Town car, ran like garbage. After about 10 minutes on the highway chugging through a few pulls, it started to run a lot smoother. Another 10 minutes of full throttle runs, it ran incredibly smooth. Felt like a new car again!

[@anagennao]

OK, got it... never shift out of first gear!

[@stoicspartan01]

while climbing Mt. Washington (this is the load part)

[@picapica8806]

Only need first gear on a sport bike to hit 85mph

[@Pete-z6e]

anagennao , many people in my town subscribe to this theory!

[@Yammie_Moto671]

DUH, you do burnouts and donuts.

[@feez357]

I get it in third on the highway sometimes. Cars as well as driving habits can vary, the key is to keep it at redline.

[@ayoubz1085]

I’m a chemical engineer and I don’t understand chemistry either !

[@youkofoxy]

And that's why we say "Love is chemistry".

[@loc4725]

I used to know a guy who worked for a dye manfuactuer and apparently one of their PhD's described chemistry as a pseudo-science. Good to know he wasn't kidding. ;-)

[@kristiankott1172]

I have a masters in Chemistry and I don't understand it either, don't worry!

[@joesmith201212]

Well I don't get what that's was even a chemistry issue, its just hearing everything has a melting point, steel, iron, so wouldn't carbon melt at a certain point too

[@varpilahchase2598]

@@joesmith201212 carbon doesn't melt, it sublimates

[@jordonbiondo2403]

In the bike world, the main reason I see people recommending an italian tune up is not strictly removing carbon deposits in the engine, but rather to keep either the fuel injectors clear, or more often keeping your carburetor jets clear. As well as keeping most of the carburetor cavities clean of deposits formed by bad old gas breaking down. I'd like to see a video looking at these cases.

[@AlessioSangalli]

I am just visiting my mom in Italy and I just gave her 1999 1.3l Corolla and Italian tune-up - whether it works or not, I felt like having a duty to give that car some happiness. I know she hasn't used the stereo in 15 years (it still had my Metallica Kill'em All CD inserted) so I gave a tune-up to the speakers too

[@AlexanderBukh]

Be sure no one gives your girlfriend a tune-up, while you are away.

[@AlessioSangalli]

@@AlexanderBukh OK I will

[@herpderpinson6117]

SEARCHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN SEEK AND DESTROOOOOY

[@ster9765]

@@AlexanderBukh lol, I think someones flaunting some personal fears. Sorry your girl banged another dude, Alex.

[@AlexanderBukh]

@@ster9765 ok man

[@skater9653]

I think any reason to make a pull is reason enough for it to be true

[@Petesworkshop2225]

You need a reason?

[@lolbuster01]

"Get it to high rpms" my truck redlines at 4k...

[@KJMcLaws]

Is it a diesel?

[@matejbrezan6887]

same as mine 😃 yea 3.2 did, but got some kick too

[@K-oZ]

KJ McLaws It's also a truck, which is a long huber. The opposite are bikes, short hubers, so they are able to hit 16k rpm. Normal cars are between this area.

[@redbaron77]

So does my truck. 😂 it has a 302 HO meaning high output but people relate rpm with power and you can't. Lol maybe peak power but that doesn't matter if it has a trashy powerband until that point.

[@MrDanisve]

@@redbaron77 Diesels dont need revs, they need boost :D

[@elliot438bcfcVTEC]

More carbon = more compression😎

[@EngineeringExplained]

Haha, loving the humor in today's comments!

[@abdulazeez.98]

Unfortunately more knock 😂

[@jonathanmatthews4774]

Why you gotta go and knock on his comment like that?

[@vipercrazy]

Well that argument blew up sooner than expected.

[@grivious31]

Knock knock !!!

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

"a redline a day keeps the carbon at bay" That's gotta be quote of the day.

[@justa5oh136]

Best quote off all time in my book

[@gekisen01]

You don't say...

[@claytonbourne8967]

I've always treated my vehicles like if I hit the redline it would blow up my engine lol.

[@kiwidiesel5071]

That's just it, you can't blow your engine if it's is mechanically serviceable. You never actually reach Redline for the engine as the Rev limiter steps in and cuts your ignition preventing any further rpm. This occurs just below Redline on the tacho approx so the engine is never exceeding it's design limits and over stressing.

[@rubenbraekman4515]

Engines are designed to take high rpms but bearings and what not do wear out faster

[@anthonyzastoupil1842]

kiwi Diesel just because you could doesn’t mean you should. Not necessarily bad for it, but not good to do it more than occasionally.

[@michaelkrenzer3296]

@@kiwidiesel5071 Your assuming all cars have fuel or ignition cut for a specific RPM. Though all modern cars do, I have a few that have no such feature...you know you have gone too far when the valves start to float or a rod exits the crankcase with extreme vengeance.

[@nelzelpher2088]

deadend I don’t dare try to redline my 2001 Chevy prizm, I do not go past 4K.

[@Trondtravle]

I did this by accident once: Normally I'd drive to and from work (in Norway) with my diesel VW Golf. It was slow as it had a small engine so I didn't notice anything slowing down. Then I took it to France for a vacation driving it hard through germany on the Autobahn to get to and from. When I got back to my routine again I noticed the car seemed to have alot more HP! Noticable more HP - It was a German tune up though.

[@djvasforever]

I prefer a Swedish tune up since it's closer. So far did 3 of them with my current car, another one is scheduled this weekend. From what I've noticed so far it doesn't always work, but worth a try. On the second one felt like the car gained 20% more HP for a couple weeks.

[@ruikazane5123]

How about the off-the-wheels tune up? (But you need to put a load on the axles)

[@LCY77]

This is the ECU of your car adapting to a different way of driving, it happens after some drives.

[@georgim2741]

yes, right. one of the main components that clogges up is tha catalic convertor. When you drive in the city, it does, not heat up enough to clean itself up. But when you drove on a motorway at constant speed and rpm 110-140kph which is 3000-4000rpm ( not every car) it heats and cleans. Also some of the carbon deposits in your engine is gone.

[@Costa_del_Artlepool]

Mine could definitely do with a German tune up after its 10 year England tune up - averaging like 7 mph

[@dustinleebladesmith9135]

I have a 1970 Ford Galaxie, I daily drove it for quite a while, never really pushed it hard, then decided to push it one time and it would struggle and choke in the top end, had plenty of torque down low, so I just shifted below 3500, never saw it as an issue, then one day it seized up the T-stat and blew all the fluids out and died right before I got home, I pushed it the last 20 yards and and let it cool, put all new coolant in it, changed the T-stat and let it rest. I dreaded turning the key on it in fear I had done permanent damage, to my surprise it started right up the next day and I took it for a drive, it sounded completely different, it sounded... Mean. I decided to take it up through the revs and it felt like a completely different car, no more choking or stuttering in the top end, and it pulled strong up to almost 6500 RPM. I fully believe it cleaned it up and dislodged whatever caused the stuttering. It was like an extra 40 horsepower.

[@Cammi_Rosalie]

I used to have a copperish-gold '70 Galaxie 500 back in the 90's. The only thing I didn't like about the damn thing was having to put the new stereo in a CB-radio mount on the "hump" Because the odd-shaped, stock radio is on the left side of the dash, between the wheel and door. (like the heat/ac controls on '75 Caddy Fleetwood) But dude, let me tell ya' that old sumbitch could not be killed! The guy who had the thing before me, was the older brother of one of my friends, and he beat that car mercilessly. I'm talking "Dukes Of Hazzard" kind of stuff. Minus the big jumps, but it was known to get a little air from time to time.. He took it Mudding, racing, whooping it on quad-trails tearin' ass on back roads, donuts in the intersection of main street at 2 in the morning, cat & mousing with the lone, small-town cop... ...you see where I'm going with this. And hell yeah we hung out with him and got to experience it all! Fun times! Dude used it for farm work too, he hauled hay bales in the trunk, on the roof, in the back seat.. Yeah. By the time I bought the thing for 50 bucks, there was not a side-mirror, door-handle, piece of trim, or straight body-panel for that matter It was all ripped off as he like to side-swipe road-signs at 90+ mph, The hood no longer had hinges. it was only held to the car by the latch, and would float up at around 80 or so. There were also hay seeds sprouting under the seat..:P But with all that abuse, that engine never EVER quit! Always started, ran great, and miraculously, it drove straight and true, and there was not a single crack in any glass. That car was no stranger to red-line runs. I still miss the old brute and the fun we all had raisin' hell in it.

[@yeetskeetledeet8184]

You changed the coolant and tstat... and that made your car faster...

[@dustinleebladesmith9135]

@@yeetskeetledeet8184 yep, now that I think about it, tstat could have been bad for a while, might have been running hot for a long time.

[@joeldeangelo6083]

The Italian is for old vehicles like yours with no emit ion controls on it. Won’t work on modern vehicles

[@treyt6474]

@@joeldeangelo6083 Did you watch the video? lol

[@gamergardener1363]

6:27 when your car turns YOU Italian.

[@ayanaalemayehu2998]

lmaoo

[@remy7663]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@DennisMartinezCalifornia]

😂🤣👌🏾

[@matheusembora]

🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

[@camposjesus3725]

Dont get it

[@Mrfishvac]

Not on a Vauxhall, you need the deposits to keep the oil in...

[@theoneanton]

Do people still buy those?

[@WorivpuqloDMogh]

lol, i remember i used to own a Corsa. its a piece of junk, but i revved it up so hard it even felt faster

[@Ivzu]

Only Vauxhall petrol engine that was crap was 1.6 16V from the late 90s.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

How about a lada? I saw one the other day

[@Ichibuns]

For aircraft pilots, carbon deposits are a big subject. Hot carbon deposits can cause pre-ignition and lead to detonation. We have a way to solve this easily unlike an automotive engine. The cockpit, in most cases of General Aviation, has two ways to control the engine. The throttle which controls a butterfly valve in the intake, much like any automotive piston engine. There is also a mixture knob that controls the fuel flow. The latter is very important. The mixture knobs main purpose is to control fuel flow as air can change density based on air temperature and altitude. The second is we can use this to get rid of dangerous carbon deposits before takeoff. We can use the mixture to lean the air/fuel mixture to raise engine temps to clean the engine of carbon deposits. General Aviation aircraft engines, while largely being piston engines, have a lot of major differences. I'm curious to why leaning hasn't been implemented in automobiles. Why can't a dealership or certified shop run the engine lean for a few seconds during scheduled maintenance? Many, especially older vehicles, would run much better with this being done.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@Xin666]

That's interesting. I do know my current tuning box is set up to lean out a little bit at higher rpms, so maybe that will help

[@mightyrs4221]

Greg , maybe running a engine lean for a little won’t do much in terms of cleaning, but I think it’s bad for long periods as high combustion temps are not wanted, might me wrong

[@Ichibuns]

@@mightyrs4221 for an aircraft it's just a couple of seconds. Then again, I'm not at all positive on all the differences between aircraft and car engines

[@fbtippmann]

This is an interesting point, and new information to me. My gut feeling is that aircraft engines get rigorous scheduled maintenance and function checks, which is not the norm for the majority of cars/trucks on the road today. If the typical daily drivers were expected to exhibit peak performance at any given moment and impeccable reliability for decades, we might see more of this in practice. Quality shops and dealerships are certainly capable of providing this service, but I just don't think it's something customers would be willing to spend money on. Fuel system maintenance in general is not something most customers are willing to pay for even if it would net a dollar gain long term considering lifetime fuel consumption. Just trade it in for a new one after the factory warranty expires. Many, many people budget for a car payment for their entire lives and are somehow okay with that.

[@Ikbeneengeit]

“I read a number of research papers on this subject”. LIKED

[@oscarbear7498]

This is the way 👍

[@corchranscullin4277]

My grandfather called this ‘blowing the bugs out ‘.

[@ionelionell9085]

my folks call this "caughing (it)" :)))

[@rocketrod9545]

Blowing the cobwebs out 👌

[@ngrinshift4383]

Dustin off ye old valvetrain

[@farmer3242]

Graunching the gears is cleaning the teeth

[@calvinrivera5463]

Blowing the engine away. Sounds good

[@davids5268]

I actually have some experience with two cars (both turbodiesels) which had initially failed their MOT (a UK test which includes exhaust smoke testing for diesel vehicles). Both had a high mileage of over 100k. Failure was due to high level of exhaust smoke. After a short but aggressive run they both passed the retest (with a significantly lower smoke level). Since then I have done this routinely BEFORE their yearly MOT and smoke levels remained well below the required level. Maybe does not work for all cars but definitely did for mine!

[@benjaminmcintosh857]

I think this was more a consequence of the high load helping the DPF clean itself out than anything to do with carbon deposits, good tip for most diesels.

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

I *always* do this with my Diesels. It's even better if you climb a long mountain road, keeping a high load at 3500 rpm instead of always shifting to the next gear. Huge black cloud behind me and then the test says I'm clean asf on my 325 000 kms Peugeot 206 2.0 HDi. Oh, and BTW the EGR is really easy to disable on this car XD

[@ColinMill1]

It certainly worked for my petrol BMW 5 series. I suspect the cat was a bit sooted up but after a serious thrashing on the motorway it went through its emissions with flying colours.

[@ДанкоЈововић]

How do you perform that run? How long and how high you get rpm's?

[@stroock6394]

can you please do a video about why a 7 liter american V8 from the late 70s / 80s makes about 120 horsepower? thank you!

[@blarghts]

low compression ratios and a pile of smog emissions control devices still in their infancy strangling air flow to hit government goals for air pollution. If you wind the clock back 7-10 years to the late sixties early seventies you would find very similar engines producing 300+ Horse power.

[@RobBroderick44]

Because of the fuel crisis.

[@jradish]

government regulations starting early 1970s, saw the death of a lot of high performance engines. 1971 was the last year for the hemi and the 440 6 pack, which made 425 (500) and 390 hp respectively. After that, manufacturers had to lower compression along with other things, and there was a switch in hp ratings from no accessories to all the accessories, which brought down ratings as well.

[@Looptydude]

The same reason 4 cylinders from the time struggled to make 90hp. Those big v8s may have only had 120-150 hp but easily made between two or three times the torque.

[@CMDRSweeper]

Not too hard to do, you can make a massive 8 liter engine output just 40 hp if you want to. Granted you will throw efficiency out the window in the process, but it is doable, restricted air flow, exhaust and the like will all make that happen.

[@DEW409]

Probably the effect that people notice is that the spark plugs WILL get hot enough to burn off the carbon deposited during slow driving and warm up that causees misfiring. This was most noticeable on older cars which tended to run rich in general, especially during warm up with the choke on. The old weak ignitions could not reliably fire plugs in this condition. These cars will most definitely run better if run on the highway at speed fairly often. I doubt that modern computer controlled engines benefit as much, as the mixture is controlled much better, spark is much hotter, and they do not run as rich. Blasting to the redline is more for the driver's benefit than the engine. Running anything to it's max and beyond only shortens life.

[@JasonW.]

My GMs from the 70s would need plugs changed between 3-6k miles (faster as they went past 60k). My last Pontiac was at 110k when it got new plugs, and my 3.5 ecoboost received new plugs at 40k. New engines, fuel, and oil have completely changed the timing of tune ups.

[@DEW409]

True. Hot ignition, tightly controlled fuel mixtures, and platinum style spark plugs have taken tuneup intervals from about 10,000 miles to about 100,000 miles. But the plugs will be quite worn by then, and sometimes hard to remove (corroded), so replacing plugs at 50,000 to 75,000 mile intervals might be a good idea if you plan to keep the vehicle a long time. The plugs will be easier to remove, and you will be saving the coils from the high voltages necessary to fire worn out plugs with their huge gaps.

[@JasonW.]

@@DEW409 I've put over 800k miles on vehicles I've owned. Changed a lot of plugs, and avoided the Ford Tritons because of their "Adventures in (Plug) Babysitting"

[@kinslayergaming3159]

@@JasonW. you had me at plig babysitting hahaha 😂

[@mr.randomgamer888]

"most people are scared of redlining" Me with a brick on my accelerator: 🤔

[@johntechwriter]

Translation: I Googled "Italian tune up".

[@mr.randomgamer888]

@@johntechwriter nah It just moves too slow if i don't floor it, 100hp gang 😔

[@victornpb]

I always thought "red line" meant "target rpm"

[@noelmedina6925]

victornpb it’s suggested RPM, obviously you want to go higher for peak performance

[@theoneanton]

"Optimum working range"

[@skippy2987]

My Subaru Legacy GT (gen 1) manual said "For optimum engine efficiency and life stay between 1500 and 7000 rpm". So Subaru clearly designed the engine to handle 7000rpm basically forever. If it was an actual concern it would have said 1500 and 4000 for arse covering reasons

[@cellphonelightsaber]

Redline is the maximum working speed of your engine. By this point, most engines, especially larger pushrod engines like V8s, can't really breathe. If you push most engines near this point, it should only be for extreme, emergency downshifting to help slow the car. There are cars that do love revs and have their peak output near redline, like the 8300(target)/9000(max) 2003 year Honda S2000. With lightning-fast valve movements, they manage to stuff every stroke full of air, even at crazy speeds. Meanwhile, the 1993 year Ford 5.0 truck V8s have their target HP output at 3750, even though they'll manage up to 5500 RPM. The heavy, reliable, pushrod and lifter pairs do not like moving quickly. These engines aren't too concerned about maximum HP output, but do rely on their significantly higher torque value to pull hardest at just 2500RPM.

[@baowolf0011]

It really depends on what you mean by "target rpm". I mean to say what reason you are "targeting" an rpm range. For example a given car's target or ideal rpm for say fuel economy maybe 3000rpm. You won't go very fast but you can keep it in a higher gear with a lower rpm to maximise your fuel economy. But that same cars peak performance rpm range maybe at at 5,000rpm. That means the engine is at optimal rpm for a gear shift. Which then transfers the ideal amount of power from 1 gear to the next with minimal losses. There is always a slight power lose for a second after you shift as the power is being transferred to the next gear. This is simply because of how energy works. When you transfer any energy from 1 location to another some energy remains at the original location and some is dropped during said transfer. These power loses are very slight and most people probably won't notice it happening. Red lining your engine is basicaly pushing it to its limits and maximising the amount of power/energy to be tranfered to the next gear or in the case of being in your top gear, say 6th just because, you're maxing out the amount of power being held. Its far more dangerous and damaging to your engine to red line in top gear then to red line while gearing up. This is because the energy and power is being given a place to go while gearing up while it's not at top gear. And we all know what happens when you hold to much energy is a container, it goes bang. Some newer cars have features like auto sport. Which will allow your engine to reach the red line before shifting gears while not allowing it to go into the red.

[@solentbum]

Many years ago I used to borrow my Dads Hillman Husky Van, a 1960's small petrol engined car from Rootes Group in the UK. He used to drive at low revs and low load for short journeys. When I borrowed the van I normally did some distance runs and motorway speeds. One night I noticed sparks coming from the exhaust . My Dad said that the van always went better after I had borrowed it. All I can say about 'tuneup', I suggest that a prolonged drive does more good than trying to blast the engine clean. Using a car for a short commute is the quickest way to clog up the system.

[@gorkyd7912]

This video mainly covers the pistons and internal engine components and just assumes the exhaust components are always getting way up in temperature. But as you noticed depending on how they made the thing and layed out the exhaust I imagine short commutes may cause extreme carbon buildup on the exhaust side which would reduce performance.

[@bobthbldr3]

One thing you didn't cover which I always thought was important, was to clean the carbon buildup off the spark plugs. Back in the Sixties and before, we used to take out the plugs occasionally and clean them. Spark plugs weren't platinum and had to be replaced more often. A good hard run through the gears would help the cars performance on a regular basis and lengthen the life of the plugs. They were a lot easier to change back then and a lot of people changed their own. My Dad taught me that running it hard now and then was good for a car. As long as it wasn't on it's last legs. Clean spark plugs were necessary for good performance. I did a lot of drag racing in the early Sixties and changed my plugs in 10,000 miles or less. They were pretty clean just worn electrodes.

[@everettstormy]

I do t find that nessisary on good running fuel injected engines, but if its been driven gently and carbon has built up yeah id just change em

[@ScottWorthington]

My Maserati does one eighty five I lost my license, now I don't drive. Life's been good to me So far.

[@paulregener7016]

Oh man Joe Walsh, Life's been Good

[@LowerClassClique]

Is that it? My Volkswagen does 170 mph. And with 300hp and less than 3,000 lbs it gets there relatively quick ( for a family sedan)

[@JamesSmith-lt5zz]

@Steve Silvas that's gear ratio nothing to do with hp or displacement

[@dforty40]

My understanding is that the "Italian Tune Up" was prevalent during the carberated years. The hypothesis being that revving high then lifting off created a high vaccum thus clearing the tiny passages/orifices in the carb resulting in increased efficiency.

[@RossGoneRogue]

Even just using your main jets too. They don't get used until around 3/4 throttle.

[@DaveBoxBG]

True story: I mostly drive my car (BMW 325i) in the city. So one day I was driving on a highway going on a vacation and the car was pretty full and heavy. I was driving fast 150km/h for some time because we were running late. At some point we were uphill and the I had to overtake another car and was running full power in high RPM for extended period of time. Suddenly the car started shaking and I got check engine light. I pulled over and discovered that I had severe misfire from the engine. First I thought that i had blown coil and since the destination was still far far away I had to turn back and head back home. Driving slowly with the engine shaking all the time suddenly the shaking stopped, while I was coasting downhill almost at the time I was home. I still changed cars so that I can at least go on vacation safe , but when I got home after that the car was again OK , no more misfire and till this day there is no problem... I bet some carbon piece broke loose and caused the misfire by blocking some fuel injector when later was released and freed the fuel flow.

[@dr.lyleevans6915]

jawbreaker If carbon broke loose, it would be inside the cylinder head/on piston. This is after the injection process

[@jgerke55]

Same story with my MR2. Drove it super hard on a trip (uphill windy road) ran great after and seemed to pick up hp.

[@Dappersworth]

@JGD So you have a blow headgasket?

[@kiwidiesel5071]

@@Dappersworth lol fill up the coolant and check the petrol

[@multiblade04]

Cause it’s a bmw bro 😂 😂

[@BTCAutomotiveTech]

When I was a technician at a Cadillac dealership, this was a frequent occurrence. A customer would have a “pinging” complaint and the fix was to take it out on the freeway and go full throttle. You would see a trail of black smoke similar to a diesel rolling coal (but obviously not that extreme). After 4 or 5 times, the knock sensor activity settles down and pinging is solved. I think there is a difference between the loose gasoline based carbon and the hard, oil-based carbon. For sure, you can blow out that loose carbon on top of the piston. If a vehicle has an over-fueling condition, the fuel carbon can be seen on the spark plug electrode. After repairing the over-fueling problem, doing an Italian tuneup on a road test will clean the plug electrode after just a few attempts.

[@mattmayden9188]

You're extremely good at keeping your bias opinion and the cold hard facts seperate. Thanks for another awesome video!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@bradcogan8588]

I think the added fuel flow, increased pressures and increased gas flow play bigger parts than the temperature to be honest. At full throttle near redline you're pouring in a lot of fuel into the engine which has a washing effect I think. That, along with the high pressures and high flow will probably clear out a considerable amount of loose carbon deposits. As you say, it depends.

[@CarsSimplified]

Wide open throttle should have the EGR valve completely closed, so that would at least reduce the number of things contributing to the problem.

[@ZedLucas]

Or EGR delete 😃😃

[@SgtJoeSmith]

I thought egr opened at wot or on hills to cool the pistons. ????

[@JSFGuy]

Well that's including delay if the debris broke loose bounced around for a little bit before it actually got into the exhaust collector.

[@motorcycleboy3paw]

Ok, I imagine that is because the intake is sucking in huge... thus overwhelming the blowby ..? I think. wait... so valve is closed and those gasses are stuck in the crank case... hmmm.. I think it's above my paygrade.

[@chilman6461]

@@ZedLucas to Wright

[@ifell3]

Just remove your coolant and go for a spin around town 🤣

[@SNX1881]

Yes 😂

[@DiGiTaLCORE01]

Eek, I cringed just thing about it.

[@ryanravencaller]

My radiator was bad in my Subaru, I used tap water for a few months until the radiator finally went, luckily the radiator went in the driveway and the garage is where it got drained the rest of the way and changed, 2 bottles of coolant later the car has all new coolant and a new radiator, the heat works toasty well as well!

[@bumpassb]

My customers drive without coolant. Not only does it remove carbon, it removes head gaskets and sometimes the whole car. it also removes them from being my customers since I don't work on bicycles.

[@chiprock804]

Driving around with a blown head gasket where the coolant is leaking in the clinders is the fastest way to get your engine clean.

[@Andrew-oh2nr]

The Italian tune up is an interesting theory that I have not considered before. It makes sense engine heat + oxygen burns the carbon buildup. I drive a WRX and have always busted around town like like someone who drives a WRX. After 60k miles plus a Cobb tune I have had no engine problems. The message is clear and simple, as long as I keep the throttle to the floor things will be ok.

[@darren9819]

When you own an s2000, its all good!

[@EngineeringExplained]

9k all day!

[@Davido50]

Darzy or a Mustang 5.0 👍

[@reyperez3424]

Depends but not always true.

[@Toki52]

@@Davido50 Mustangs are hot trash.

[@Davido50]

Toki52 haha only the "best selling" sports coupe in history. Coyote 5.0 motor just named best V8 motor in history. Enjoy ur LOW hp 4cyl rice junk. Do they make those anymore?

[@alexarnold6773]

I had a 1998 Expedition that wouldn't pass emissions until you drove it like hell for 5 mins

[@leanderelfrink10]

Thats just because the catalyst works better at high temperatures.

[@QuintonNG2000]

The catilytic converter will work better once it gets hot. My Saab has the cat right on the turbo to get it super hot super fast. Always passes emissions like a champ!

[@knecht6974]

@@QuintonNG2000 Just light the cat on fire and itll still pass in 10 years

[@calvinrivera5463]

Lol thanks for the experience share

[@ryanbell1121]

Honestly didn't expect this video to end this way. Being an Italian car, 100% expected it to have an electrical fire and he would be walking back lol

[@Z_TPI]

Proud to be Italian 🇮🇹 Don't knock our tune up strategies, you'll make Zio Tony mad

[@SangheiliSpecOp]

I appreciate all of the research you put into this video c:

[@EngineeringExplained]

Thanks! Lots of reading haha, but it’s neat information.

[@matthewfredrickmfkrz1934]

@@EngineeringExplained I know a really old Italian dude from Italy who was a mechanic in his day... He said from the fact Ferraris were cammed like racing engines putting around town would cause them to load up the carbs so the mechanics would go out and have some fun and make whatever pass with proper flow ramming through the intake and exhaust

[@allenbrodess8510]

@@matthewfredrickmfkrz1934 Yes ferrari is actually where this started it was part of the maintenance schedule in their owner's manual's for years

[@mammocas]

Italian tune up absolutely works. I had an old crappy car (my first), and at one point I just couldn't get it to pass emissions even after multiple attempts. Replaced O2 sensors, catalytic converter, and did a bunch of other stuff, and it just wouldn't pass. Got myself into trouble with the authorities because of it, but couldn't afford to replace the car. Tried the Italian tune up a few times, but always in short sessions (10-20 minutes), still no luck. In a last attempt I used a longer trip I had to do, about 300 highway miles, and redlined that sucker (1.2L 4 cylinder, manual trans) during ALL the trip. Miraculously it didn't blow up. Next time I took it to be emissions tested, lo and behold, passed with flying colors! However, it never ran very well after that :D

[@Pazaluz]

I like your style man. High risk high reward 😆

[@bigdreams5554]

American tune up: trade in for a new car, lmao

[@StandAloneState]

That is excessive lmfaoo

[@b_mb4948]

My engine has serious rod-knock. I think I'll try this _"Italian tune up"_ and see if it helps anything...

[@BillB23]

It will probably make things worse. A knocking rod means you need bottom end work. Oh, I finally get it! You were joking. [face palm]

[@sav22rem22]

Joash Church Always drain your oil before doing any driving

[@Stoneheadification]

1. Hold steady 2000RPM 2. Spray brake cleaner in the intake. 3. ??? 4. Profit

[@sav22rem22]

general manko Remember to drain your oil first

[@johnclark3067]

Oil buildup in engines is bad for them. Probably even worse than the carbon! Drain that stuff out. If you have an oil catch can, put it in there.

[@123beyond123]

As I understand it, harmonics come into play and at higher RPM's this can knock the carbon loose. Years ago I ended up with my parent's old car and drove it like a teenager would- abusively. Mom borrowed the car a month later for something and came back asking why it ran so much better than when she had it. Not a scientific example, but the only thing that had changed was my judicious use of throttle and rpms compared to how she drove it.

[@trails3597]

Ahh, empirical evidence!

[@johnclark3067]

My buddy had a Honda and never revved it up. One time he got drunk so I drove him back home in his car. He kept nagging me about revving the car too high before shifting. That was before I knew about the "Italian tuneup." Bogging engines down isn't good for them.

[@morgfarm1]

WELL that could be why that one day I raced that 4 Cyl Hornet car (first time racing on a track) for 10 laps around the top lane for 7 laps and the last 3 on the bottom lane, foot to the floor and passing anything slower than a 4Cyl car (which there were a good 7 or 8 plus a couple mini vans) the driver that owned it said it ran better than it ever had lol

[@ootmaster1]

Had lifter tick Changed the oil No change Some injector cleaner and fresh gas and Rev the piss out of it for an hour Purrs like a kitty

[@tyz3r420]

Funny ill come by and run my moms forester like I stole it once an month and she always notices a big difference in performance

[@Soljarag5]

Italian tuneup = my every day driving style

[@vk56datty]

I redline my Toyota Corolla everyday lol and sometimes I like to keep it between 5500 to 7600 rpm on freeway roads for a minute because its sounds cool. '87 corolla w/ 4age still running strong

[@Aquana01]

BMinus is your car dead already

[@jimbojims]

Xight It’s a Toyota, they live forever.

[@858415]

87 Corolla sounds cool !?!? Lol Ok

[@MrRealeyesrealize]

Your poor car lmao

[@Leejourney]

It really does

[@AtazuM]

Damn, that's solidly backed. Awesome video.

[@tonytober]

You know it's serious when the SAE is involved 😂

[@JoeHTX]

We used to call that "blowing the soot out", this is the first time I've heard it called "Italian tune up". LOL

[@mark-1rc502]

My Grandad used to call it an Italian tune up. He used to give his Cortina GT a good ol Italian tune up 😂

[@tomc8829]

I used that term and would even explain and advise an Italian tune up lol

[@lorenzodicosmo2708]

The most important question is: why is it called “italian tune up”? I’m italian and I never heard this thing before...

[@EngineeringExplained]

According to Wiki (and I saw a Car & Driver article saying the same) it originated in Italy: "The origin of the Italian tuneup comes from Ferrari. Owners would drive their cars infrequently and never run them hard, which causes the engine to build up enough carbon inside to affect performance. Mechanics would perform a "tuneup" by driving several laps around a race track to get the engine hot enough to burn out the built up carbon. Cars before the advent of modern engine lubricants and fuels, often had a 'de-coke' by hand, after removing the cylinder head, as a scheduled service operation."

[@VincenzoAvallone]

my grandpa actually said to me about this method to remove deposits and also clean the exaust system from water and other condensation due to high temperatures,so yeah its totally an italian thing surely more from the past though

[@joedatsun1894]

New term for me too

[@michaelblacktree]

And all this time, I thought it was an ethnic joke...

[@Roberto-dk9ms]

@@EngineeringExplained man those were lucky mechanics

[@220SeaChaser]

Saw the thumbnail thinking it was Scotty's intro...

[@SofaKingAwesome23]

REV UP YOUR ENGINES

[@enzoTHEferrari]

Veritas Vincit Especially the new fancy one

[@paulpower7018]

Babaabooie

[@frankbiz]

Veritas Vincit, same here, lol. Don’t rev up your engine too much.

[@D80sman]

Lol I watch them both.

[@The.JZA.]

Great video, thank you. I like your videos because I am a structural engineer and I have always been passionate about cars since I was a kid and I like the detail that you go into with your research. Most people wouldn’t take the time to research various engine temperatures, DI vs port injection and even chemistry! Good job! I’ve always believed that cars need to be revved out regularly. If you just putter around in city traffic all the time then it’ll definitely carbon up. Not just on the valves and cylinders but in the exhaust and cats too. A good thrashing on a windy back road helps. I think some people misunderstand and think holding the car at high RPM with only partial throttle is the way to go but I believe you need to have high load and RPM. Windy roads are the best because you accelerate hard, brake, corner and accelerate again. It’s that repeated hard acceleration that really gets things hot and the hot gasses flowing quickly enough through the catalytic converters etc. I was a bit disheartened when you said you found some research that says it’ll actually increase carbon build up in modern DI engines but it won’t stop me from giving my car a thrash with some fuel system cleaner in the tank from time to time. Cars I’ve owned and thrashed: Honda Accord Euro R, Subaru Legacy 3.0R and now Audi S4 B8.5.

[@catsspat]

Rev up your carbons! Oh, wrong channel. Sorry.

[@theoneanton]

Carbon is just a Mercedes conspiracy, obvs

[@abdulazeez.98]

🤣🤣🤣

[@kanjosidr]

1994 Toyota Celica doesn't have deposit problem

[@peni80085]

@@kanjosidr hahahaha

[@digitalsiler]

@@kanjosidr ya understandably so... anything in the junkyard doesn't have that problem either

[@pavelkryl457]

It worked for me like a charm on my twin spark Alfa and it was probably the most fun I had in years while still dressed.

[@stanbikebiz2141]

Nice video mate. In Australia we call it a ten ten tune. As in ten thousand rpm for ten seconds! It was the motorcycle industry that coined the phrase out here. Not many cars that can do ten grand. Cheers from Sydney.

[@mihir2607]

so if redlining is bad , what about when VTEC kicks in

[@Fortheloveofjdm]

Just dont sit and let it tack for too long. Change your oil often and your vtec selinod will thank you with many seemless activations.

[@batmanlives6456]

VTEC = happy days !!!

[@AD-bd9nx]

I’ll never forget the first time I heard a v tech with some of my buddys who are into Honda’s...... underwhelming lmfao, but not for some. I’ll stick with my s4

[@BillB23]

I'm reminded of my grandmother's explanation for poor engine performance: "You've got dirt in your carbon."

[@XxDaBestxX35]

Your right! I learned about d-carb from making edibles. Need to remove one carbon chain from THC to activate the compound.

[@lx5171]

i learn something new in every single video from your channel. keep up the great work!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Thanks for watching!

[@jonathansimon498]

What I love most about rotaries is the fact that this is required to keep 'em healthy. A redline a day keeps the deposits away!

[@twowheelseatingmeals-motoj8080]

Great breakdown and great video! I love the use of evidence via research papers. I'd like to simplify this further as all my years as an automations machinery operator: - Mechanical machinery does not like *Stop & GO* Shorter run-time periods does not allow machinery components to reach *OPTIMAL* running temperatures. - Longer periods of machinery run-time has resulted in increased machinery components longevity - Prolonged and *CONSISTENT* operational use of machinery. My explanation for this as 3 years of being an Automations Machinery Operator is that: "Longer run-time allows the machine to reach optimal running temperatures". This is just a humble take on my mechanical viewpoint of machinery. The concept of lower "Revs" and prolonged use can also be applied to the machinery I use. Highway driving is *THE ABSOLUTE BEST* for longevity of a vehicle. Just as the machinery I operate daily, I have the ability to operate at "High" levels (High Revs "redline") thus, having increased production numbers, however, this creates devasting wear on the motors and dynamic components associated with the machinery - thus resulting in poor reliability/longevity. Stronger machinery output equals less longevity of machinery components which leads to frequent servicing and more costs in order to maintain that baseline/standard of "strong" machinery output.

[@GavinY]

Change oil as recommended , drive on highways regularly .

[@theoneanton]

I live in the UK and this idea of oil that is anything but synthetic intrigues me

[@TheSilent1998]

@Ungregistered User diesel engine with dpf anytime 5w30...

[@jessstuart7495]

Good advice. Lots of short trips where the engine is running richer because it is cold, and it never gets a chance to reach full operating temperature is what really causes heavy carbon buildup. Pouring a bottle of fuel-injector cleaner in your fuel tank every other oil-change can also help.

[@benbonaparte4431]

@Ungregistered User It depends. Old engines should use a rather thick oil. Those old engines tend to leak, cos of their loose clearances. If i would use a 0w20 in my chevelle it would run dry in days ;) Also if you are running the engine hard rather use thick oil. 0w20 may sound good cos its lubricates fast, but on the track it could get too hot. Deciding between synthetic or conventional oil is a religion :)

[@CookiePepper]

First of all, you have to know about Italian tune up is that Italian prefer small engine and use maximum performance from that. Instead Americans like larger engine and almost no way to use maximum performance long time without losing license. When I live in near Rome, I floored on the highway for 1+ hour to go somewhere far.

[@rubenbraekman4515]

Jsesus christ 😂

[@soft6418]

am from rome, can confirm blasting down the motorway at 150 kph on a 1 liter 3 cyl

[@msencerkaya]

I hit 210kmh with a 77hp 1.4 petrol fiat punto once

[@TomWishaupt]

@@msencerkaya Did you drop it from a helicopter?

[@DocShickley]

My Italian tune up experience with my 1972 Fiat Spyder 1.6L was that carbon deposits were never a problem, but the head gaskets eroded to the point that a head milling was needed. It would SING up to the redline+. After the last head milling (the third) my mechanic said they would have to mill valve-relief pockets into the piston faces to prevent "mortal combat". My compression was up around 10-12:1 during the 3x milling adventure. I only burned Sunoco 2XX up to the highest it would go. Still, it was a superbly balanced engine. I got about 40 mpg on the highway with a fair amount of rat-racing in Baltimore. Got rubber in third with my Michelin XAS tires which lasted for 30,000+ miles. Amazing car. Still drive it in dreamland.

[@blasterTC]

Well all i can contribute to this (if it's the same) is a personal experience where my recent trip to yearly registration and tech checkup returned a VERY negative eco test (over 500 instead of under 300 on CO2), so several people told me to hit the redline on 3rd gear for couple of KMs on motorway. Now, we are talking an 99' Hyundai Atos, so not exactly a muscle with whopping 45ish horsepower, so i was hesitant running that thin anywhere past confort zone, but i ran out of options. The thing actually kept 130kmh stable in 3rd gear, and i lived to tell the tale making me incredibly impressed about my old machine, and behold, after 20 kilometers of that torture (and about 10 or so litres of gas for that stunt oO) ecotest figures were like brand new, in mid 200's. I'm not sure we are talking about the same thing here as with video, but nevertheless, there's the story. Engine runs much more smoothly, and is actually quieter. Other figures are that i make about 2000km yearly, 95% city driving, so the thing was choked on everything as much as it possibly could have been.

[@lolouro2266]

First mistake was buying a hyundai...

[@blasterTC]

Well not that i'm too happy with it, but for the budget i didn't have any major issue with it for 5 years by now, neither engine or anything else. Only problem is that it's weak and slow, but for flat 1450€ incl. registration and licence, there aren't many alternatives which don't spend 2 days a month in the shop.

[@andrasszabo4019]

It definitely works for me. but I don't drive fast. when the engine is warmed up already I used to speed up slowly in 3rd gear up to 5-6000 revolutions. I keep it there for some time and then I switch to higher gear. I do it this way because there is not extra fuel wasted, and does not put much wear on the engine neither. It works with all of our cars (carburetor and injection), and the engine runs much cleaner in general. When I took them to the emission test the technician didn't want to believe to his eyes, the carburetor engine did not produce CO until 5000 revs. Above that was 0.01%. :)

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

High RPMs alone won't do much. How you load a motor has significant effect on heat generation.

[@TheExcessive1]

Back in the day, there was a variation of this where in you had a fully warmed up engine and you would rev it up to about 3/4 redline and then pour 16 ounces of water into the carburetor. The water would dislodge all the carbon in an instance. It was really amazing. Not sure you could do this any more with a CAT down stream as it would probably clog it up. And I know everyone is going to comment about hydro static lock, but in a hot engine the water becomes steam before it ever gets to the cylinder. Not sure if EE would be willing to check this out and the feasibility with EFI and emissions system.

[@99pppo]

This is just my subjective experience but I drive my A4 a lot in the city and on shorter routes and when I do for a change drive on the highway for a longer distance and bring it up to 110 - 125 mph (legal here in Germany on some highways) I notice that for a few days afterwards the car just takes the throttle much better in the city and accellerates better from 0 to 30 mph. The same goes for my parents' Opel with a Diesel engine. I drove it for a few hundred miles and went some times up to 125 mph and the next day my dad came home and said the car accellerates much better and the throttle is a lot more responsive.

[@Sweetheartxx195]

I had a 2012 ninja 250 and I'd hold it wide open down the highway at 12.5k rpm til I got off and I sworn every single time the bike ran a lot better coming off the highway. Spark cut was at 13.5k rpm. I would hold throttle wide open in 6th gear at 12.5k rpm for a good 20 min at a time. I loved that bike I beat the hell out of it. I owned it for 20k miles and there was never a day it didnt see redline

[@dan428]

Sounds like the answer is no.. the amount of load and heat you’d need to put on the engine to have any effect would probably wear the parts and do more bad than good to your engine’s health

[@allenbrodess8510]

Fun fact if your car/truck is not a total pos from the factory the part's are designed to take more abuse than you can give them by simply pressing the gas pedal...This is not the situation with all car's tho gm's and dodge's are notorious for letting you take it too far to remain competitive when it comes to the brochure

[@Attachments.]

Allen Brodess idk if youre saying gm vehicles cant take the excessive wear and push but thats wrong if so. My lm7 vortec motor is governed to not go over 6k and redline is in the 7ks but even at 5200 i can push it all day and it just eats it up. Ive had days where im doing burnout after burnout for hours and never having an issue. Ive heard with different tunes they can take a constant 6800 and still no issues. Pre flex fuel/afm gm vortec engines are the best no competition.

[@allenbrodess8510]

@@Attachments. vortec's are the exception they are overbuilt it's the drivelines behind them and everything else that tends to go like the 4l60e it's a pos my grandfather is a retired gm employee he'll tell you the same bout those transmissions as he's went through a few himself over the years the thm lineup was better but still not bullet proof..Gm and ford have worked toghter to design a couple transmissions now care to take a gander at which one's where stronger by the time they where put into the vehicles and which one's where cheaped out on?I'll give ya a hint toyota worked on the saturn project with the cheap mofo's and backed out cause they where being cheap mofo's

[@jeredwood3190]

@@allenbrodess8510 I currently work for GM and I drive a Ford. My wife drives a Toyota. We both used to own GM vehicles and 2-3 times a year they would be in the shop having major repairs done. I take exceptional care of my vehicles, do not drive them too hard, and always get them serviced regularly. GMs are built cheap and the components just do not stick around for the long haul. It is an unfortunate truth, but it is worth saying there are a few exceptional vehicles they seem to spend more dollars on.

[@jondoe1310]

My Mercedes AMG redline all the time and now with 286k miles, still drives like new.

[@berttroubleyn3475]

Before I had a driving licence, I would devour the instruction manuals of my parents' cars whenever they got a new one. I distinctly remember reading in the manual for a BMW that you had to expose the engine to high loads and revs after having driven it slowly in a city or a traffic jam to remove the carbon deposits. Thanks for investigating the reason behind this, it was highly intresting!

[@alecwhatshisname5170]

Lmao. “When leaving a city or traffic jam, here’s a specific, manufacturer-designed get out of jail free card.” -BMW

[@isftish]

from my experience, and the mechanics i know, getting the engine temps up for at least an hour, has a noticeable effect on engine response, power and even fuel efficiency. The "hour" part is mainly because the speed limits here are max 90km/h, and traffic is quite congested so we can't be just redlining everywhere. So I find taking a drive to the neighbouring country in Malaysia, where there's long highways, and do a 100km round trip, works.

[@F-Man]

“The ehh, ‘ow you say, ehh, red line - is only an eh, suggestion. Il motore - it eh, likes-eh to rev to much ‘igher.”

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

Russian guy: "My Italian friend', your car's engine get damad'zhe if you make work hard. I had a Ferrari and red lained it lots and it' made me bankrupt. Khed gaskiets and con-rods. Those enzhine love to be loaded down in the mid range." (every time i put an apostrophe imagine some aspiration) Italian guy: "Ah, Ivan, always telling me how my countryman's cars work. Every Ferrari I've owned that I didn't redline on the track, it blew up on the highway." Russian guy: "Gianni, ever since I bought American crapitalist LS enzhine and put it in my Testarassa, she loved redlining like your stock car. I was going to use crapitalist engine in my tractor and then someone gift me a Diesel so I use that in tractor now. My crapitalist-swap Testarassa still have pairfect compression and I take her to factory every work day. Colleagues think I be rich."

[@jugaljoseph3458]

@@ellenorbjornsdottir1166 wow!😂

[@jimothyus]

Best comment world

[@Shawn420s]

I like how you do all the math and show us instead of just being vague about it you go into doing the math on it and watching your channel made me like cars alot more

[@stevenpowell1991]

I always thought it was higher sustained exhaust/vacuum pressures that removed the deposits. Also, I've noticed that the carburated engines I've owned seemed to run better if they spent some time on the highway every now and then. Maybe the sustained higher rpm's helped clear the carb out a bit?

[@vossler360]

An excellent video for those of us who don't want to dive through the SAE literature on rates of carbon deposit formation. Also, it's good to see you filming a video along the same stretch of road where you first started. For a brief moment I thought that we would see a 0-60 mph pull on the same freeway on-ramp.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Haha, it was wonderful to be back on that road, if only briefly! :)

[@ethancntower8850]

You missed a couple things here. Temperature is important of course but there's also how much gas is being sprayed into the cylinder, do the centrifugal or inertial forces help break up deposits. How about the extra pressure inside the cylinder?

[@robl3415]

solid video. now lets hear you remove some carbon build up on that Maserati!

[@krisparker2601]

Rob L haha. Quick, before it breaks down..i’ve heard horrible horrible things about this model maserati...even just build quality

[@DieLeonie537]

in germany we just drive on the autobahn with the throttle completely pushed down for a hour and then the car runs like its new. we call it "freiblasen" (literally translated "blowing free"). it really starts to smell bad after 15 mins but it gets better xD

[@Islam_is_the_truth.4]

You lucky son of a b 😢

[@jasonlessard2373]

Back in the day, (80’s). I worked at a full service gas station as a mechanic. We has a larger customer base from a near by retirement community. I recall a particular Ford Fairmont, 6cyl, 1 barrel carb. I turned up, and just didn’t run right. Me not much more than a clean up kid, asked the old timer what wrong. He said, “ that thing never gets warmed up and never goes over 20mph. Take it out behind the station and run the piss out of it.” I left a cloud of brown smoke you wouldn’t believe. I did it until it quit smoking and it ran great. Based on my experience, I believe the Italian tune up is more about velocity than heat. Maybe more of clogged exhaust. Great video!

[@Fopeano]

1:19 A few rips? Whenever I've taken cars out for the Italian Tune Up, it means I have to achieve 15-30 minutes of holding over 5000rpm in the highest or 2nd highest gear just watching that oil temp climb (can only be done with minimal traffic/risk). Maybe I just learned a different thing, but I've never had a problem and my engines tend to have minimal carbon deposits when inspected. Worth saying that engines I've done this with always used at least Mobil1 or better oil, and I 'learned' this 20 years ago and done it many times with several engines.

[@02blazp]

noticed it works when i was pushing my 2006 clio with 1.2 N/A engine on the autobahn. stayed at 5/6k for good 10 min and the clio had never been so snappy

[@gregkimura5906]

Older Italian cars need an Italian tune up. I recommend driving them at high rpm. For instance, my Alfa loves running above 3K rpm all the way to red line. And when going thru a tunnel. the carbon blowing out the exhaust makes this wonderful sound! Simply amazing! I wouldn't recommend an Italian tune up on a Chevy Cavalier. You could lose a rod. Thanks for another excellent video!

[@hayleymitchell9566]

3,000rpm's 20 minutes. Night and day difference for tdi

[@jeremymcadam7400]

diesels love a good load. prime movers actually do regular "burns" for sometimes hours at a time.

[@1.9tdilove71]

You mean will it be effective in 1.9tdi?

[@frankgioia]

So basically in addition to, "Officer I just washed the car and needed to air dry it", now the Italian Tuneup may not be an excuse. :( Need a doctors note for my heavy foot problem. :)

[@charliedee9276]

I believe it comes from the old days of carbed cars with chokes on them. After a cold start with the engine running super rich for a few minutes when the choke finally pulled off a good stab to the mat got the resulting buildup cleaned out. It definitely worked, I started driving in 1978 and my first car was a '74 Monaco cop car with a 440 and a Thermoquad. After a cold winter Michigan start it took about a mile to get to the main road, a good matting of the pedal always had it running better.

[@Tango_Alpha_Charlie]

I love how you explained this. Thank you! So, if fuel cools down the intake valves, and letting off the throttle in an L-Jet or Motronic engine shuts off the fuel supply, how much does the heat in the intake valves then rise without the fuel to cool it down, and is this a "best practice" to follow as part of an Italian tune-up?

[@treyt6474]

That cooling effect is only for port injection, and if the fuel is cut off how will the temperature rise... with no combustion...