My Seafoam Story

[Screwdriver]

I had posted a while ago about my carbon blackened combustion chambers and how someone had recommended using Seafoam to clean them by having it poured through the brake booster line.
I did so this morning.

They weren't kidding when they said LOTS of smoke after the application. My nervous system feels rendered useless after having to inhale all that smoke.

The car doesn't feel much different. Perhaps a little bit smoother, but that could be in my mind. My check engine light hasn't come back on yet (It was previously on because of a clogged/ failed Cat Converter)

I'm curious to know what the Seafoam could have possibly done to release SO much white smoke? I doubt my chamber is going to be shiny if I were to pull the intake manifold again. Would I need more such treatments? If so, how often?

Any other way to get the shiny black crap outta my engine? Thanks in advance.

 

[uconn1150]

The "stuff" in the Seafoam causes the smoke. You could also use water which has been used since the 40s & 50s. Not so much smoke, but you are cleaning the piston tops.

P.S. You could use a few cans of TB cleaner at idle to clean out the intake as well. I do that every couple of years.

P.P.S. How many miles and years on the engine? What type of engine? Looks neglected!

 

[unDummy]

Powerfoam or deepcreep it. Water as steam will blast out the insides of the engine. But, you need to clean your intake and intake ports with something alongs the lines of a hot solvent tank. Or, just hit it with carb cleaner while the intake is off.

I'm also one that believes in the 2 way attack. Feed one bottle to the engine via vacuum and the other bottle into a full tank of fuel.

Prevent the shiny black crap with a PCV filter and more frequent oil changes. And, use a quality FI cleaner 4 or more times a year.

 

[Screwdriver]

The engine is a 2.0L Hyundai "Beta-1" series engine, available on Elantra's and Tiburons from 1997-2002. It has 112,000 Miles. I've done 2 full ARX treatments and it now has MB1 EP Oil + filter + 3 oz. of ARX, on 10K OCIs.

Since this picture was taken, I've run one bottle of B12 Chemtool & Techron each and 1/2 pint of Seafoam through the fuel, in addition to the other half pint through the brake booster line.

I've been told that the problem was with the PCV valve, which I've since changed.

The engine was neglected for it's first 100k miles. I've had it for the last 12k, during which time its been treated well.

How would I deepcreep it? Would running water work on THAT much deposit? Taking the IM off again is a major PITA. Anything else that will do the job?

Thanks alot.


The Intake Manifold and intake are very new and hence clean. The problem lies with the combustion chamber only.

 

[vairox]

nice post arx pics...

 

[earthworm]

I don't think very much can be done with this carbon crap at the intake ports, that is economically feasible. This may not affect anything other than performance by 1.2%...
But, how well does this car run ?
Smoothness?
MPG ?
Condition of the oil screen?
Oil pressure ?

 

[uconn1150]

Screwdriver,

The pic is of "The Intake Manifold." Maybe you are thinking of the Throttle Body. That intake looks nasty. Anyways, before your next oil change, use like 4 cans of spray TB cleaner while the car is idling. Then change the oil.

 

[Screwdriver]

uconn, you are incorrect. The intake manifold was off the car. The throttle body was off as well as the Cold Air Intake I had installed.

What you are looking at is the combustion chamber. Would the TB cleaner really work with the fuel mixture?

earthworm, the car runs well. It has a clogged cat converter. It has a smooth idle and has good oil pressure. Returns 27 mpgs in the winter on Chicago gas and that goes up to 31 mpgs in the Summer (even with the failed cat). The cat does make revving higher than 5000 rpms very difficult though.

The car does feel ever so slightly better after running Seafoam.

 

[Riflemen10x]

hi screwdriver,

Sorry buy your wrong,the dark spots in your photo are of your air intake track.Not your combustion chamber.your looking at the top side of your intake valve.

go to a GM dealer and get some top engine cleaner and at night before you shut her down spray 3/4 of the can into the throtle body.let sit over night and spray the last 1/4 can into it after starting her in the morning.This will remove 80% of the carbon both in the intake and combustion chamber.as for your cloged cat get a can of non clorinated brake cleaner and spray the whole can into the intake at a fast idle and take the car out and drive it like you would drive a rental this should take care of your problems

Riflemen10x

 

[darkdan]

FP60

 

[unDummy]

I'm not see a combustion chamber in the above pictures. I'm seeing the intake port of the head.

ARX doesn't clean intake/exhaust ports.

Since the PCV is an issue, FILTER IT!. A simple catch can will prevent some of that from starting.

That crud would easily clean off with any carb type cleaner.
Did you reattach the intake without cleaning those ports?

Also, a picture looking into the ports would be interesting.

If the cat is truly clogged, replace it. Excessive backpressure could cause other problems.
Anyone wanna guess what excessive backpressure will do to the 'volume of blowby'??

Stick with a reasonable(frequent) OCI and use a bottle of name brand FI cleaner to help prevent it.
And, an engine de-carbon(an on vehicle FI-service type) will remove much carbon throughout the fuel side of an engine. But, if the engine is in a poor state of tune, carbon will just build back up!

http://lubegard.com/automotive/fuelsystem_instructions.pdf

 

[Screwdriver]

unDummy, yes, I did reattach the intake manifold. Unfortunately I didn't have access to any cleaning products at the time.

Im trying to find a way to do this without going through the laborious process of detaching the intake again. I think the Top engine cleaner spray through the throttle body seems like the route to go with.

Ofcourse, I will continue using Techron in the gas and keep replacing the PCV valve and use Mobil 1 Extended Performance Synthetic. oil etc. The engine is in a much MUCH better state of tune now. All I need to do is reverse the previous damage.

 

[Ken2]

Use LubeControl Fuel Power FP60 long term. It will slowly and completely clean things up. Use 2 ounces per 5 gallons for the first tank, and then 1 ounce per 5 gallons until the engine runs better than ever. You can reduce the FP60 dose more, but monitor your fuel mileage and don't cut the FP60 dose so much that your mileage suffers.


Ken

 

[Screwdriver]

My only problem with using FP60 to solve this problem is that it doesn't seem strong enough for the task.

Don't get me wrong. It seems like a great product to keep your system running great. But since I've got 100,000K of black crap accumulated, it doesn't look like FP60 is as as focused an additive, as say, Seafoam or B12 Chemtool etc.

Once I get this crud out, I'm placing an order for FP60 right away.

If anyone thinks FP60 is up to the task, please be kind enough to back it with an explaination so I can understand. Thanks.

 

[unDummy]

I wouldn't worry about it.
If the engine runs well, that little buildup is no issue.
Just continue with a bottle dose of a quality FI(Redline/Regane/BG44k/VentilSauber/Jectron/Techron/Amsoil/Lucas.....) cleaner 3-4 times a year or every 3k miles. Alternate between the major brands since they have different active ingredients that work differently on that buildup.

Don't be surprised that it might even go away on its own now that the engine is running well.

I wouldn't just replace the PCV, I'd definitely filter it, if possible.

If you want to FP60 per tank, then go for it. I don't see how it wouldn't help since it has solvents in it.

A flexible borescope will you allow you to inspect without intake removal.

 

[Screwdriver]

Just added another bottle. 60% through the vaccuum hose and 40% in the gas.

I was so pleased with the results that I thought I could get more out of using it again. I did. Just like the first treatment, not a mamoth change, but enough for me to say that this product did something to the insides of my fuel system and the car now feels great. Very energetic and peppy.

Chemically speaking, what could the ingredients actually do to yield such a good effect?

 

[ziggy]

the smoke could also be the crap in their burinig up and going out the exhaust, every year, i use chryslers combustion chamber cleaner, $6.00 a can. you spray it, into intake, let it sit, for 2 or 3 hours, start car, take it for a drive, few miles, then change your plugs and oil, as the mopar CCC fouls the plugs and oil. seafoam, to my knowledge, is the 2nd choice, and water being the 3rd, old school stuff.

 

[Screwdriver]

Oh, I can't afford to change the plugs. I have Iridiums in there are $40 a set.

I hope Seafoam doesn't hasn't fouled them.

 

[Screwdriver]

unDummy, thanks for all the advice. You've been extremely helpful.

 

[unDummy]

If plugs foul, just clean, gap, antiseize, and reuse them, if they aren't worn.