I finally bought and used some seafoam last night in the tank and a little through the brake booster vaccum hose. I was only able to get an ounce maybe two into the intake before the truck went dead. I waited about 5 minutes as recommended and it took a little longer than usual to restart the fire but I never got a black cloud even romping on the gas. I'm pretty sure I didn't get nearly enough of the stuff in the top end to do much good. (I've got 97,000 miles and I'm sure I have some nasty carbon build up, my tailpipe has been blackened with carbon for a long time and alot of the joints in the exhaust system are the same way on the outside) I'm going to try again this afternoon and see if I can suck a LOT more seafoam into the intake unless someone here thinks I'm crazy and should just leave it alone.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

When I seafoam, here is what I use:

1 can into the gas tank.
1/2 can into the oil fill.
1/2 can brake booster vacuum hose

I also use some Seafoam Deepcreep and spray into the throttle body (about 1/4 to 1/2 can).


Here are the steps:

I usually make sure I have 3/4 of a take of gas (around 15 gallons).
Pour half a can of seafoam in the oil fill.
Remove the vaccum hose.
Remove the airbox from the intake
Start the truck
Spray some Deepcreep into the throttle body (half a can or less).

Take the rest of the seafoam (the half of can), and you will want to break up into 3 pours into the vacuum hose. Go slowly, and try not to stall it. If you do stall it, turn it back on. During the last (third) pour, you will want to pout it all in at once so it stalls the truck out. The first two pours, we want the truck on, the last one should be a big dump and stall it out. If it doesn't stall it out after you pour the last third in, turn the truck off yourself.

Wait. I usually wait about 20 minutes (enough time to put the hoses/air box back together, and drink a beer).

Turn the truck on.

Now you will need to go for a drive. You will need to get on the truck. Find some back road where you can do some WOT (Wide open throttle) run. Some zero to 70 so we get all the gears. Usually it will smoke a lot. It will usually smoke A LOT for about 2-3 WOT runs. Then, it will just smoke a little out of the tail pipe for about another 2 runs. After that, it's all done.

Drive normal for about 200 miles, then change your oil. Also make sure you run your tank low to get the full effect of the Seafoam in the gas tank.


Other info:

If you get a Check engine light when you turn it back on after you pour the seafoam, just disconnect the battery. It will go away after that. I did get a CEL light on one truck on the last 4 that I did.

It may not always smoke when you start it. It sucks, as most people find this the "pay off" for doing it. Every one I've done smoked. Even if you get no smoke, still do a few WOT runs.

You cannot Seafoam all the time. You will need to wait about 15k-20k miles before you can do this again.

 

I was gonna let this very bad advice pass but what the hell I am in an ornery mood today (52nd birthday)

If you insist on this lunacy...then please buy a new $953 catalytic converter as part of your "clean the motor maintenance".. wink wink

I know the "wicked" one is gonna squeal like hell...tis OK brother.... You maintain your motor internals with caustic and corrosive chemicals if you wanna...


Me?? ---too easy..I buy quality fuel with Techron... I use perfect 5W20 MC oil and the best $2.79 filter there is, a MC FL820S and I use new fuel and air filters all the time... my motors last 300~400 thousand miles with normal 3000 to 5000 mile maintenance including all the off road and Hemi stomping I do.... never needed any seafoam marvel mystery Lucas STP risolineo crapola or nothing else other then sane and rational maintenance....

 

It's always easy to prey on the unknown. Someone tells you after so many thousands of miles your intake valves will be all crudded up, they show you some convincing photographs or "factual evidence" and you're in. Been there.

Always thought the intake valves on the 4.9l in my '93 F150 would be crudded up after 260,000 miles, " 'cause they said so". One day around the 264,000 mile mark I had to put new intake manifold gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets on the engine. After pulling the intake & exhaust manifolds off, I had a clear view of some very clean intake valve stems. I was suprised.

Only used BP/Amoco, Exxon, Chevron, Shell, Sunoco, or Texaco in that engine.

If you can find Chevron or Texaco w/ Techron in your area, use the cheap stuff and drive her clean over the long haul. If you're convinced you need to clean the top end of your engine, pour a bottle of Chevrons' Techron into the tank. This stuff will gently clean the intake valves, and does so w/o redepositing the gunk on to your emissions equipment.

Enjoy,
RustyFuryIII

 

Thanks brother---- that is a much less rude way of saying what I said...

 

Happy Birthday Fred!


Seafoam is not caustic OR corrosive. It basically contains: (source: attached MSDS in PDF format)

Pale Oil = Mineral Oil 50%

Naphtha = White Gas ... "AKA Coleman fuel" 30%

IPA = Iso-Propyl Alcohol 20%

Don't drink the stuff or take a bath in it but it does work to eliminate "crud" build up on valves, sticky rings, clean cars & injectors and other such things from a NEGLECTED engine. It is not a cure-all, just is Techron is not. You could add Techron to your little list. Things that are sold on the market to be burned in an engine I'm sure must regulated. Most are all the same stuff in differing quantities and mixtures.

 

Thanks for the different views. I think I'll pass on the new CAT, trying to maintain the truck without going broke. I figured I'd try the stuff and see what it did, seems to have helped in atleast some small way with minor hesitation but I'm going to do plugs within the next 2 weekends so that should do some real wonders for the HP of the engine.

 

The "crud" you are trying to get rid of is caused by air fuel ratios being out of whack. Old technology with carbs was a sure way to get this. A modern computer controlled fuel injected motor almost always has the perfect air fuel ratio. If it doesn't, you get a check engine light telling you to fix something.

That "crud" just ain't going to be there in a well maintained fuelie.

 

I wonder if anybody was ever dumb enough to pay the huge bucks for a stock OE converter? You can buy an aftermarket for $100.

I try to get all my gas at 1 Sunoco station. Its better to get gas at a Sunoco, Shell, Chevron and Etc. instead of the mini mart wawa or turkey hill gas. Why, the Top Shelf stations have better additive packages than the off brand mini mart variety.

Good gas, regular maint. and every now and then an Italian Tune-Up suits me fine.

 

Or using a poor quality fuel. Internally you can get it from using oil that doesn't meet standards, not changing that oil and basically neglecting proper maintenance as well as prolonged inactivity.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Most mom and pop stations buy the leftover gas from the larger retailers. It is usually the same but can go "stale" if not moved (retailing speak). Also the storage tanks can be...let's say...less modern than a corporately owned station. I buy fuel from the station that sells the most regardless of brand. It is usually fresher.

 

Ive seafoamed about a dozen of cars, and countless others on MANY MANY MANY other boards have done it and i have heard of not a single catalytic converter failure. Not even one. I have heard of an occasional plug getting fouled thats about it.

I have heard about 90% of the people coming back reporting better idle, smoother throttle response, and overall a better running motor. This has been my experience also. I will continue to use the stuff as well as thousands of others. I give the stuff 2 very big thumbs up.

Search any mustang, camaro, honda etc etc etc board and people will rave about the product. Just do a lil research and you can decide for yourself.

 

On my motorcycle forums you'd think it was "Fountain of Youth" for anything with a piston. Virtually every question related to performance has some dude coming in on the second or third post asking if the OP "Seafoamed" it yet.

It is indeed good stuff and is safe to use. It just ain't a cure-all.

 

That's what we have to deal with here in Redneckville...

But, thankfully, ChinaMart...uh...I mean, WalMart opened its new fueling station with all new tanks and such.


Seafoam? I will never be without it....on my small engines and such. Even use it in the fuel tank on my tractor. It's good for it's intended use.

And, I agree, Monsta - not a cure-all.

 

I finally found the only way to make my engine behave itself (not ping) was to run mid or high grade gas from BP/Amaco or Shell. I don't have any Chevron stations around me and the Texaco station in town is a rundown steaming pile I have to drive by to get home. New plugs this weekend should do wonders

 

murphy oil rent's the space from walmart in most if not all walmart location's that have gas,murphy oil is from the good ole USA,no camel jocky oil from them.