Seafoam Intake Valve Cleaner ?
- Thread starter ChrisD46
- Start date
Many people do such a cleaning and assume it's doing something good when smoke pours out the exhaust. Smoke is going to come out of your exhaust when you squirt anything, good or bad into the intake tract. It doesn't mean it's doing anything useful.
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2014
- Messages
- 2,846
I always approach these cleaners...your sea foams, CRC, whatever, like...if it makes you feel good, do it. Honestly. If you feel like you’re doing something beneficial or “good” for your car, it’s a good thing mentally.
But I’ve used sea foam for years, it did nothing but smoke up my parking lot. I’ve used other cleaners too...they do nothing, or next to nothing. I’ve sprayed cleaners directly on to carbon coated valves (whole can onto one valve). Then let the valve soak for four hours. Then heated the valve up to operating temp with a torch and sprayed another can onto it. Nothing. Or next to nothing. Unless I physically scraped it off, it wasn’t coming off.
I think the only way these cleaners work is if it is constantly sprayed directly onto whatever it is you need cleaned the entire time the car is running, since new. And that’s called port injection. And unfortunately we don’t have that anymore (unless you have both systems DI and port).
But like I said...buy it and use it. If it makes you feel good? 100% I’d do it. I’m not kidding.
But I’ve used sea foam for years, it did nothing but smoke up my parking lot. I’ve used other cleaners too...they do nothing, or next to nothing. I’ve sprayed cleaners directly on to carbon coated valves (whole can onto one valve). Then let the valve soak for four hours. Then heated the valve up to operating temp with a torch and sprayed another can onto it. Nothing. Or next to nothing. Unless I physically scraped it off, it wasn’t coming off.
I think the only way these cleaners work is if it is constantly sprayed directly onto whatever it is you need cleaned the entire time the car is running, since new. And that’s called port injection. And unfortunately we don’t have that anymore (unless you have both systems DI and port).
But like I said...buy it and use it. If it makes you feel good? 100% I’d do it. I’m not kidding.
Just about every cleaner or treatment mfgr will make claims that are impossible to prove they work. The only way to see if a intake valve cleaner is doing anything, is to disassemble the motor and remove the valve. Who's going to go thru all that , just to see?. So people will just keep adding stuff and convince themselves it's doing something beneficial. If you used every product in the auto parts store that claimed to make your motor run cooler, cleaner, quieter , longer, and your oil more stable, you would never need a new car or motor. They would last forever.,,
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
I’ve used Seafoam since I was a kid working on cars because my dad uses it and still does. Same with Lucas Oil Stabilizer and the Lucas Fuel Injector cleaner and any Lucas products. I love the smoke that Seafoam produces I know we used it at school too it made the 1973 Ford Gran Torino smoke so bad the nursing home next door called the fire department because they thought the school was on fire. I use Berryman in my tank at every fill up and it seems to be doing good so currently I’m not using the Seafoam in my truck.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 4,118
Yes...used it.
Doesn't flood or stall engine like some other products
Don't see any of the competitor products any better/worse than any others.
I just try a different brand every year. Common side affect is smoother idle and quicker engine starting from all products. Stopped detonation knocking in a couple vehicles too...probably from piston or cc cleaning. Always use a bottle of PEA based FI cleaner a tank prior to IV spray cleaners.
Don't believe the donothingers. If you want to see the before/after, either use a borescope camera or pull the intake. They all do some reasonably well intake port and valve cleaning.
Incremental cleaning slows the buildup to avoid media blasting from excessive build up caused by neglect that some recommend by scaring you into thinking that nothing else works.
Doesn't flood or stall engine like some other products
Don't see any of the competitor products any better/worse than any others.
I just try a different brand every year. Common side affect is smoother idle and quicker engine starting from all products. Stopped detonation knocking in a couple vehicles too...probably from piston or cc cleaning. Always use a bottle of PEA based FI cleaner a tank prior to IV spray cleaners.
Don't believe the donothingers. If you want to see the before/after, either use a borescope camera or pull the intake. They all do some reasonably well intake port and valve cleaning.
Incremental cleaning slows the buildup to avoid media blasting from excessive build up caused by neglect that some recommend by scaring you into thinking that nothing else works.
