bigrob

Anyone do an intake cleaning with Seafoam or any other type solvent? And know where on the motor I would find a good spot for the proper suction?

4Scargo

I am interested, too. I just did my daily driver, 98 explorer, and it made a world of difference. Really. I usually don't believe in "additive" stuff, but it did make a noticable difference in the Ford. I used the vacuum line from the brake booster...let it sit for half and hour and drove. It looked like I was fogging for squitoes, but that didn't last. I put some in the gas, but I decided that I am not going to put ANYTHING in my oil. Curious how seafoam works in your P car.

bigrob

I've used the vacume at the throttle body on numerous vehicles I've owned with great results. I searched and found something pertaining to this topic, but am looking for more info. one member used the brake booster line to add it, and another member stated that doing so, on our 996's, will only hit the left bank of the intake.

BruceP

See if anybody in your area has one of these:

http://www.motorvac.com/

It goes a lot further than the induction parts. It sounds nuts, but this thing actually saved our MINI's engine, verified by before and after compression tests.

Pac996

Used to read guys around the UK cleaning their bikes up after winter with sea foam. I could swear they were putting it in the fuel lines also. Never seen the stuff myself.

msark

In your "non p cars" does it go in with the engine running? Just bought a 99 Saab 9.3 for daughter at college and would like to clean the intake real well before taking it to her... It will probably only drive 1500 miles per year.... Ran 1 tank of gas through with Lucas Injector Cleaner in it...

smackboy1

I'd like to know where to inject cleaning solvent too. I have a can of BG44K I want to try out. Is there anywhere upstream of the throttle body to inject solvent?

996Pilot

Seafoam can has a tube and a clip and a lock for the trigger so that you can attach the clip to the throttle body and squeeze the trigger to lock open the can while running the engine at elevated RPM (3000 mas o menos). It's all on the instructions on the can. I had never seen this stuff before but when I came back (to California) from living in Mexico with my Dodge RAM pickup I really needed to clean the intake system (four years of driving dirt roads in Baja). The truck was running crappy the system was a mess and I was constantly throwing CEL's. A month after I returned I needed to pass a California smog check so I was panicked. I purchased two cans of Seafoam (one could not possible clean that mess) and started in on the first one. First thing I noticed was the volume of white smoke coming out of the exhaust - for christ sake it looked like the truck was fully enveloped and I thought the neighbors were going to call the fire department, AQMD or both. One can later I drove it and crap was still comeing out the exhaust in clouds. Within a few miles of freeway driving, everything was running smooth. Reset the CEL and drove a couple of tanks of gas through and passed my California smog test.

Bottom line (for me), unless your intake system is REALLY messed up with LOTS of crap (in which case you need to look at changing the air filter more often and switch to the GOOD gas, not the cheap crap) I would not use this on my Porsche (I still have the second can). I'd use this as a "last resort" cleaner. For general usage I'd stick with good gas and an occasional bottle of Techron additive (or something similar).

My $0.02

RPMulli

I've used it before on an older Ford i used to have. I just cut a peice of rubber vacuum line and stuck in the can of Seafoam and used the most upstream vac line (closest to the throttle body) and sucked the whole can in with the engine running. Get ready for alot of smoke!!! I honestly didnt feel any difference afterwards.

I was actually thinking about serving up a can of Seaform and giving it to the 996 but I wasn't sure.

RPMulli

I'm thinking the best place might be where the Fuel (rejuvenation) vent valve connects to Throttle body..

bkjwhipple

a lot of people i know on the nissan pathfinder forum I used to frequent used this. The nissan motors get sticking lifters that tap badly. Ive never heard of anything but good from using it and "heard" via the forum about a lot of lifter ticks gone after using this product... many swear by it... I've often considered it for my 996... but at 15k a motor, I'm not about to be the first.. ;-)

RPMulli

I think my 90k motor could use some!!

Pac996

When the miracle cures fluids first arrived on the scene you were just as good off to use diesel fuel. Diesel does many of the same trick. I'd prefer diesel number 8 since its also called jet fuel It's just one step lighter than regular diesel engine fuel and runs the same until encountering higher ambient temps where the vehicle will vapor lock.

Anyway being from old school unlocking tappets/valves can also be done using diesel fuels.......if you are just as lucky as with sea foam or such. Diesel just like sea foam is a solvent. Don't expect the guys selling similar to diesel for $5-$15 bucks a pint to tell you that though. Of course you get the added feature of toxic wastes from the refinery to be proud of for the 15 bucks

Macster

I think you're nuts for using that stuff.

What is in the intake you need to clean out?

If you believe the engine needs some sort of cleaning then before an oil/filter service run a bottle or two of Techron through the engine then after the last bit of gas with Techron added is very small, say a tank after the tank you added the Techron too, then change the oil/filter.

Techron cleans the fuel system from tank to injectors and can remove valve, combustion chamber, and exhaust system deposits.

The only thing that should be in the intake is perhaps a very light layer of very fine dust, so fine it of course made it past the air filter. Nearer the engine the intake may have a bit of oil on it from where the hose from the AOS connects to the intake manifold but the amount of oil should be too little to worry about.

If it is not, then the AOS needs doing most likely.

As for sticky lifters, it is hard to imagine how anything fed to the engine through the intake manifold could make its way to the lifters -- unless the stuff horribly contaminatied the oil -- and loosen up sticky lifters.

Now, years ago, for noisy lifters I was taught to pour a quart of ATF into the engine's oil cause ATF high(er) detergent.. kind of shade tree mechanic's oil system flush, but modern oils when changed regularly are very high detergent and this trick should be forgotten.

If the lifters are sticky, more frequenty oil/filter services probably called for (and of course ensuring one is using a high quality/correct oil for the engine), not pouring some goofy cleaner into the engine through the intake manifold.

Best give that Seafoam a miss.

Sincerely,

Macster.

RPMulli

Some people fill the engine with kerosene or Seafoam with the oil in order to breakdown the gunk and flush it out.