I put this in another thread but seems like it would be good to post it here too because there seems to be some issue when an engine hasn't been cleaned in some time and loose carbon can come off abruptly and foul sensors and spark plugs or clog catalytic converters. Here's what you want to do to prevent this....

You want to run the Seafoam fairly concentrated for the duration of the tank, so put at least 2 cans in (you can add as many as 4 on a full tank.....too many at once and you'll kill your gas milage for the tank so save the heavy doseage for later when you put it though the PCV hose), then fill the tank with the highest grade of gas you can get (ie 91+ octane or better, make sure it's a brand name like Chevron, Shell, etc) and run it until it is as close to empty as you feel comfortable (ie do your best to get somewhere between 1/8 tank and E without running out of gas). Try and resist the urge to top off the tank during that time even if the price of premium goes back down to $1 per gallon.

After your done the first part, then you can be pretty safe about running the next can straight in the engine (via the PCV or some other vacuum hose that goes directly into the intake). You can do 1/3 to 1/2 of a can each time for best results, but be patient after! Always remember to pour SLOWLY when your dumping it into the engine itself and then shut the engine off right after you finish adding the last drop. Leave it for at least 1 full hour and then restart and take it for a drive on the highway.

You may not notice a huge difference if your engine was pretty clean to begin with but I'd bet you'll see a decent improvement in gas mileage after with an engine that was in need. It is also suggested to clean the MAF when doing this for maximum effect (use the red extension tubes with the aerosol can to get the cleaner right down to the wires, but DO NOT TOUCH THEM.....after shake as much out as you can and air dry). I've switched over to using brake cleaner to clean the MAF because it does a much better job than electrical contact cleaner (with electrical cleaner the wires look better, but with brake cleaner they really look like new). Just be sure to let it thoroughly dry before starting the engine and pull the negative battery terminal to reset the ECU to relearn the new MAF readings.

For you guys in Canada, Seafoam is available at any NAPA store for just under $10 CDN per can.

 

OK I have read so much on this subject that I hate myself. I have run this stuff in my 97 4runner tank and I didnt notice anything. I have not put any in the pcv valve yet (was going to today) but I read through these threads day and night and I haven't come across anyone that noticed a significant difference. Everyone just tries it.. some then get CELs etc. I have the FSM and it specifically says 'no petroleum based products in the pcv". So to end this ongoing debate in my mind..... 1) is it safe to add in pcv.. if so, then why the message in the FSM 2) has there been a noticable difference once it was done.

After this, this topic is closed in my book Thanks, looking foward to hearing

 

Probably not... using it in the tank is more of preventative thing. For the dramatic effect, the product needs to sit in/on/around the cylinders, pistons and valves.


I think that in the 40ish pages across the two Big SeaFoam Threads here there are plenty of people that say it made a difference.

It makes a huge difference when I use it.


Yes, just don't try to flood the engine with it.


Because the air intake isn't meant for the delivery of any liquid. But in this case it's the easiest way to get this product into the cylinders and valves.


Absolutely. Make sure you let it sit in the engine for a while. I say a minimum of two hours, overnight is even better. If you live in a close community, get ready for the neighbors to come out and see what's up with all the smoke.

 

Hey guys, man I haven't been on here in ages! Other hobbies have been sucking up my time (and money)
Anyway, my CEL came on the other day and the engine started shaking, so I brought it into the dealer because I thought it might be a transmission problem. Long story short, it was a bad injector, and stupid me had them fix it because I was thinking I just needed to get it fixed. I wasn't thinking how easy it would've been to change the injectors myself. 2 spark plugs, 1 injector, $700 later (ouch), 4Runner was running fine again.
So, I remember reading this thread years ago (WOW it's grown) so I started reading it from the beginning. I reached page 12 before my eyes were hurting and my vision was blurry so I thought I might try and just ask and see if someone can just tell me the answer. I'll finish reading the rest of the thread tomo at work, but for now, I had a couple questions...

So, obviously, my injectors are in pretty bad shape, and I must have some bad build up. I've read that loosening the buildup can foul up the o2 sensor and spark plugs. Can I just clean them w/ the seafoam if they get fouled up? If not, I guess I should just run diluted doses in the gas tank for a couple tanks until it's a little cleaner, and then do the whole shabang right before the next oil change. So if I go w/ the slow approach, does anyone know of a good, diluted dosage to use, since this stuff seems pretty potent? Or is a slow approach pointless because a dirty engine is a dirty engine and it's going to get all over everything anyway?
Thanks for the help!

 

(whew!)

First off, Welcome Back Man! So.. what's the other hobby?


"Should I clean them" depends on what you're thinking of. Taking off the injectors and soaking them is _NOT_ a good idea because you can break down the seals that are in the injectors. There's probably a point that you can dilute SeaFoam to where it will be safe, but I dun't tink anyone will be able to peg that.

Your best bet would be to send them out to someone that does this for a living... "My guy" is WitchHunter:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f39/witchhunter-performance-92823/

I've had a few sets of injectors go through him now and have always had excellent service with awesome results.

 

Haha thanks. The other hobby right now is RC helicopters Mostly I've been away because you guys tempt me into buying stuff for my truck, and I decided that I didn't want to spend any more money on it, especially since I'm trying to save up for a house now. Maybe if I hadn't left, my injector wouldn'tve died!

Well, I ordered 8 cans of Seafoam last night, but I think I'm going to send my injectors out to be cleaned. I think I'll send it to your guy, as I don't want to bother finding a place around here since I won't know if they're reputable or not anyway. Do you think I should send the "bad" injector as well? I figure if your guy uses ultrasonic cleaning, it might be able to unclog the original injector, and it's probably better to use the original injector, as it's probably more closely matched to the original set.

Regarding my questions, I was wondering how I should go about cleaning out my engine with Seafoam, since I probably have some bad build up. I'm worried about the O2 sensor and the spark plugs, but if they can be cleaned with Seafoam in the event that they get messed up, then I guess I shouldn't worry about it. How should I go about cleaning out the rest of my engine?

Thanks for the help!

 

DOOD! I have 4... a Concept 30 and 3 electrics.


HAHAH!


DEFINITELY. Gordon has the tools in his shop to actually tear-down an injector if need-be.


Do the PCV hose method and let it sit in the engine for at least 2 hours, preferably over night. I'd probably do it twice, with maybe 100 miles of driving in-between.

As fer the O2 sensor and plugs... The plugs can be cleaned the normal way, wire brush and soaking. The O2 sensor may get a bit dirty, and folks talk about them getting slimed, but I haven't had an issue. Given that you only need the engine to idle for the 5-10 minutes that you pour the foam in, and then for 20-30 minutes after it sits while the junk burns out - it may be worth it to buy a cheap O2 sensor (i.e., non-Denso) to use just for the SeaFoam treatments. Don't go for any major driving with it in, but it'll be fine to burn the gunk out.

 

What kind of electrics do you have? I just started so I'm learning on a Blade CP Pro. I still have the training ping pongs on it I want to eventually get a TRex 450 or 600 as my next heli, but that'll be a while

I'm on page 18 now! I feel like I'm in Jr High reading a book report book or something. lol. I just read that the O2 sensor and plugs can be cleaned with brake cleaner. I'm sorta scared to do this treatment now. If it smokes for up to 10 minutes, as some of you are reporting, the cops are going to swing by! Irvine cops have nothing better to do!

So the treatment makes the car run smoother and better, but do the results last? I mean, it doesn't run smoother because it temporarily lubricates the engine does it?

*edit - Finally finished reading the thread! lol. my question about the gradual treatment is answered at the top of this page. hahaha

 

On a 22RE, should I pour the Seafoam into through the PCV hose that is connected to the Valve cover, or the intake?

What happens if sucked into valve cover?

 

You're looking to get it into the intake side.


Nothing bad, it'd be the same as pouring it into the crankcase...

 

Alright cool, I wasn't sure what would happen. If done in the crankcase doesn't the oil need to be changed? Is it the same if I did what I asked above?

 

Well, how much did you get in there? Was it like an immediate "OH CRAP!" and it ended up being like an ounce in there?

The short answer is "it's never a bad idea to change your oil". The longer answer is that SeaFoam is designed to also be used in the crankcase, but remember it's purpose - to break down deposits so that they can be flushed out. That being the case, it _will_ react with the oil and cause it to break down, so you should do the change.

But I think the SeaFoam directions talk about pouring a can into 4-5 quarts, then running for 500 miles (?), and then do the change. That'll let it have a chance to break things down and clean stuff out.

Don't forget the oil filter as well.

 

i first off like to say hi, this is my first truck. I used to be a "rice burner", so i know a few gear head things. Im new to the whole no gas milage thing. the first tank of gas i only got 202 miles out of it, 14.5g to fill. next tank i got 220, 15.7gallons to fill. so i read about the seafoam and got 2 bottles to try it out. i put it in the intake and got no smoke. put a 1/3 bottle in, let it sit for like 30 min then started it up again. still no smoke, seemed to start alot easier. am i missing something or is it safe to assume that the intake was pretty clean?

thanks in advance

 

Strange, the seafoam itself smokes really billowing white clouds when it burns. If you got no smoke I'd say you put it in wrong. When you did it right the smoke color will tell you how clean the engine was before the treatment. Really thick,dark gray smoke....the engine was pretty dirty. Short burst of billowing white smoke...it wasn't too bad (or you didn't let it sit long enough to loosen what was there)

At least that's what I've observed.

 

ramos, what kind of truck do you have?

 

His profile says "1991 Pickup v6 4x4 manual".

 

Where exactly did you put it? any pics?
I'm not sure it made it into the engine intake if you saw no smoke at all.

 

im sure i put in the right hose. its the thicker of the hoses that lead to the intake. its the one when u pull it off when running the idle changes. i put in there slowly, actually just poured till the engine almost died. i did smell a diffrenece in the exhaust so i know it went in the right way. the other end of the hose went into one of the cam covers so i know that wasnt the right way. right after i put it in i let it sit for 20 min before i started it up again. and starting it up, it started really nice. not that it hesitated before but was really smooth.

since this whole topic was really about gasmilage, i get like 230 to a tank which is just over 15mpg, is that about right??

thanks again

 

You couldn't have put it into the correct line then. It will be hard to start & smoke like crazy if it was. The Seafoam is not as combustible as gasoline, that's why it is harder to start when it's in the cylinders.

Pull of the line with the engine running & see if it has vacuum, you will be able to feel it if there is, put it into a line with strong vacuum like the PCV. I just pulled my PCV line off the intake (too hard to reach the end on the PCV itself) & put a piece of clear fish tank water pump tubing on the intake fitting that was long enough to turn up & poured the seafoam into that. Then you know you got it right, the brake vacuum line is too big for my liking & might allow enough liquid to be dumped in without vaporizing to cause a hydro-lock.

 

Sorry to dig up an ancient thread, but are you guys still using this stuff or did the novelty wear off? I've always just put BG44K in the gas tank every 15,000 miles.