seafoam works! [merged]

[cranky]

I have been using seafoam in heavy equipment engines for years and I have seen it make dramatic differences in performance and idle quality. I recently had a problem with low power from my 91 talon. It felt like the computer was removing timing. Normally what I do is find a secluded spot because you will smoke down your whole neighborhood. Start the engine and let it get up to opperating temp. I remove a vacum hose and put it in the can and rev the engine to about 2500 rpm and suck the can dry. Shut off the engine and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then start it back up and run it down the road, and run it hard. This will remove a substantial amount of carbon build up from the combustion chambers.

 

[HareyCarey]

I believe I will try it as long as everyone is convinced that it is turbo-safe. A lot of people have advised against its use in turbo cars but if there are this many success stories then I don't see the harm in a 1/4 of a bottle, right?

 

[the_mork]

So obviously, I am intending to use seafoam in my car and obviously need to use it through the "P" port in my car and let it sit. If I use half through the intake and half in the oil, Should that be enough to help clean up the car some.

Also, I plan on using this stuff in my Buick. Because it is N/A, how would I get the seafoam into the intake easiest? Also, I think I am having an issue with a fuel injector in the Buick. Is one can into the fuel really enough to make a difference in the fuel lines or is it necessary to run more or something else to clean out the fuel system. I think someone back a lot of pages used transmission fuild or something ?? Any info would be great! Thanks.

Without knowing what type of Buick you have I can't give you a clear answer but basically any vacuum port that feeds before the intake manifold is the right way to go. There isn't a difference in procedure between NA and turbo cars in any way. As far as a sticking injector, this might or might not help. It certainly wont hurt and often can cause positive effects. If nothing else you can take the injector off the car and soak it in carb cleaner, seafoam, or e85 for a day then try it again.

Also any car with an upward facing throttle body can have the seafoam poured directly into it if you pour slowly.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Without knowing what type of Buick you have I can't give you a clear answer but basically any vacuum port that feeds before the intake manifold is the right way to go. There isn't a difference in procedure between NA and turbo cars in any way. As far as a sticking injector, this might or might not help. It certainly wont hurt and often can cause positive effects. If nothing else you can take the injector off the car and soak it in carb cleaner, seafoam, or e85 for a day then try it again.

Also any car with an upward facing throttle body can have the seafoam poured directly into it if you pour slowly.

Well first, it's a 1998 Buick Century Custom. I figured as much about applying the seafoam but I'm just not sure if I'll be able to find something. With the possible bad injector, the only problem there is that I don't know which is having the problem and if running 1 can of seafoam is going to have any effect on I be as diluted as it will in a tank of gas.

 

[the_mork]

Just find a vacuum hose for that part. Start with some in the gas tank then work from there. If you don't know which one then just pull them all, it isn't like it is a lot of work and there is nothing bad with having clean injectors.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Well, I took a look at the Buick's intake system and there really isn't anything to use like the "P" port on my intake. And in order to get to the injectors on the Buick, you have to take off the intake Plenium. Earlier in some posts, I heard of someone who just used a spray bottle to spray directly into the intake... would this really would or would it take to long to spray a whole bottle into the TB?

 

[the_mork]

Keep looking, your Buick absolutely has a place to put Seafoam through the intake tract but if you really can't find it then there is the option of getting the pressurized seafoam spray can.

As for the fuel injectors I suggest just dumping a whole can of seafoam in the gas tank then. If it works then you've saved yourself a lot of time and a gasket, if not then you aren't out much.

 

[1stGenTSi]

Well, I took a look at the Buick's intake system and there really isn't anything to use like the "P" port on my intake. And in order to get to the injectors on the Buick, you have to take off the intake Plenium. Earlier in some posts, I heard of someone who just used a spray bottle to spray directly into the intake... would this really would or would it take to long to spray a whole bottle into the TB?

I think you want the motor to consume more than you could put in with a spray bottle in order to really clean out the carbon deposits etc. You've got to be able to find a vacuum line somewhere.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

I think you want the motor to consume more than you could put in with a spray bottle in order to really clean out the carbon deposits etc. You've got to be able to find a vacuum line somewhere.

Well, the only possibility that I might have seen is what I think is the brake booster, my only problem is that that hose is fairly large and I wouldn't want to suck up the seafoam too quickly... other than that I don't see a way to get the seafoam into the engine through normal suction means. I will try to post a picture sometime soon.

 

[Blaze2gDSM]

The brake booster hose is fine just pinch it with your finger so you don't suck in too much fluid. This is how I did my old car and it worked exactly the same.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

well i decided to do it to my own car first... all I just did was put the fluid in and the car wouldn't run right and was smoking to all hell!, had some leaking through in the engine bay but meh... not too bad. At least not like what was coming from the tailpipe... I am almost scared to run it now since it's so thick and drifts down like 6 houses before disapating.... HA!I also added about half or more into the oil so once I go to start it again, should I let it idle for a bit before taking it on the WOT drive to clean it out or just start and go?

 

[the_mork]

No secrets to getting it done, just drive it. Some people like to drive it hard when seafoaming but I don't see the point. Any smoke in your engine bay is an exhaust leak, fix it.

 

[Darrell J]

If you're sticking a 1/4" hose into a can, you WILL NOT hydrolock the motor, guaranteed.

The only way to hydrolock is by sticking the intake into a puddle or a pool or a bucket while the motor is running. I have squirted a hose into the throttle body of a four cylinder, and it didn't hydrolock.

It is VERY important that after you do any kind of process like this you need to change your oil. All kinds of shit is going to leak past the rings and contaminate it.

THIS GUY SOUNDS LIKE HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT.. I WILL DO MINE TOMORROW CAUSE I WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE OIL ANYWAY.. THANKS! I SEE IT IN THE STORE BUT WAS SCARED TO TRY IT..

 

[DeceptivePerfor]

I have a question, I plan on using this in the GST I just picked up. I have had it for a week, all the fluids were changed 500mls ago. I am going to wait a little longer before I use it bc of changing the oil. The car has 134,xxx mls. I have not noticed any oil consumption so far. Do you think it would be ok? I am not ready to rebuild the car as I have just bought it. The car runs good and smooth. From what I understand, the car was taken very good care of mechanically. Of course, this could all be a lie. Should I do it?

 

[kottyking]

You'll be fine. Make sure to be in the country when you do it so you don't smoke out the neighborhood.

 

[Pyro13]

As long as you don't just pour the bottle in the intake there is no chance of locking it up. Let it suck it in slowly and its a god-send. It can also be added to fuel to clean the pump, lines, and injectors. Or to the oil to clean the lubrication system. GREAT STUFF!!! I've been using it for years and always had great results.

 

[DSM_Kommando]

After reading so much about Seafoam on this forum (and others), I HAD to give it a try on my 98 420A Eclipse. Did the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 just as the manufacturer suggests... poured it using a small cone into the j vaccum hose where the PCV valve meets the manifold... I throttled manually under the hood (who needs 2 people? not me!).
Let it set for about 15 minutes and fired it up.

Now, I have to say I've seen a LOT of the pics and vids of this, but still I was skeptical.... until I looked behind the car...or what I could see for a few brief seconds before the smoke rolled over my neighborhood. It looked like that movie "The MIST"!! haha!

Took it for a brief spin to auto zone (my j vaccum hose? dry rotted and pretty much was gonna fall apart). Once the new hose was installed in auto zone parking lot I filled the tank with 93 (Sunoco doesn't sell 94 anymore? What gives?) I then hit the expressway and pushed it.

Results... Some throttle response, lower non-surging idle and most impressively of all it's almost scary quiet and totally vibration free now!

Results may vary, but at 151,000+ and counting, I'm very impressed and totally sold on Seafoam.

 

[ramsack]

sunoco hasn't sold 94 in years and why use 93 in a non-turbo?

 

[kottyking]

To help clean it out better. I use premium v power shell gas after every seafoaming in my crx. I don't know if sonoco has the cleaners shell premium does tho.

 

[the_mork]

Took it for a brief spin to auto zone (my j vaccum hose? dry rotted and pretty much was gonna fall apart). Once the new hose was installed in auto zone parking lot I filled the tank with 93 (Sunoco doesn't sell 94 anymore? What gives?) I then hit the expressway and pushed it.

Always use the lowest octane fuel you can without knock. Unless you are running additional timing to warrant the higher knock resistance you are wasting money and giving up performance. Basically the additives necessary to raise the octane value of fuel displaces fuel molecules resulting in less energy content per unit which lowers your cylinder pressure (torque) and gas mileage.

 

[DSM_Kommando]

sunoco hasn't sold 94 in years and why use 93 in a non-turbo?

Years, like maximum of 1. I bought it last summer, I'm 110% posative of that.

Higher octane burns cleaner, I'm not going to get much (if any) performance increase out of it....now the gas station down the road sells racing gas...hmmm...

It's only a few cents more a gallon, really. It's just a personal preference. I also get $9 car washes when I could just pee on it, but I like the smell of the purple foamy wax better than urine I guess. haha!

 

[DeceptivePerfor]

I think the reason people run higher octane than needed is miss education. Your car will not benefit from higher octane unless tuned for it. This day and age, with all the electronical monitoring of the engine and coded programs you can actually get a car to run worst if you do not use the correctly rated gas. Yes that means, you could run better with 87 than 93. Higher Octane is for high compression and boosted motors. I have tried it. I got a generic tune on one of my cars for 87 and 93. I ran 93 in it for both tests. The same tune just allowing my computer the knowledge of 93 Octane caused it to run better than the same tune set up for 87 Octane. Yes, the computers are adaptive to a point. You are just better off running a fuel system treatment through rather than higher octance gas.

Atleast that is what my experience and research has shown to me. Now, I am not an Engineer. But, this debate has been tested and documented by Mgazines, Agencies, and I even think Mythbusters. So, unless you have a high compression N/A tuned for high octane, run the cheap stuff. Your butt dyno is lying to you.

 

[the_mork]

Higher octane burns cleaner, I'm not going to get much (if any) performance increase out of it....now the gas station down the road sells racing gas...hmmm...

Blatantly false. I don't mean to step on your toes but it is time for you to do a lot of reading about fuel. There are enormous misconceptions about fuel out there and the best thing you can do for your car, your pocketbook, and yourself is to become knowledgeable. Race gas DEFINITELY wont be good for your car especially since the majority of 110 octane race gas out there (turbo blue) is leaded and without a way to tune for the difference in fuel (read: timing and fuel adjustment) your NT car will always run best on the fuel that the owners manual calls for which is 85-87 octane. Add a few degrees of timing and that all changes but for the moment I doubt that is a position that you are in.

 

[ramsack]

octane has NOTHING to do with how the gas burns, only how it resists spontaneous combustion under pressure. just trying to save ya some money.

 

[DSM_Kommando]

Blatantly false. I don't mean to step on your toes but it is time for you to do a lot of reading about fuel. There are enormous misconceptions about fuel out there and the best thing you can do for your car, your pocketbook, and yourself is to become knowledgeable. Race gas DEFINITELY wont be good for your car especially since the majority of 110 octane race gas out there (turbo blue) is leaded and without a way to tune for the difference in fuel (read: timing and fuel adjustment) your NT car will always run best on the fuel that the owners manual calls for which is 85-87 octane. Add a few degrees of timing and that all changes but for the moment I doubt that is a position that you are in.

I was joking about the racing gas...maybe next time I'll say space shuttle rocket fuel or flux capacitor. haha.

When I got the car (2 weeks ago) it had a slight knock and vibration problem....this is why I began using the higher octane, and the knock quieted. The vibration remained, but the audible knock had slightly dissipated. Now, I'm not a scientist, but I DO know that is what octane ratings are based on.
Here ya go... direct from the Federal Trade Commission. Octane levels are for....knock, knock...who's there?

The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline

However, now back to the topic of this thread... Seriously, after using SEAFOAM the knock has subsided to the point that I may put a lower octane in as long as the knock doesn't return.

If it doesn't burn cleaner, honestly shame on me for buying in to the advertising hype. I'll seriously do some research as suggested, but I do know higher octane reduces engine noise, that is a fact.

 

[the_mork]

If you have audible knock in the cabin in an NT then you have very serious problems.

Glad the seafoam helped.