Sounds like your dumping it in too fast. Slow it down so the engine just sputters a bit and the rpms drop when you induce the Seafoam. This is why I like the spray bottle technique through the throttle; it's atomized already and doesn't stall the motor.
Seafoam, my long time experiance with it & directions
- Thread starter Toysrme
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Hey Drew,
I tonight I poured 4 ounces in slowly and all went well. I did not see any smoke but it was also at night. I wanted to use the spray bottle technique but I have two problems.
1. my autozone does not carry the arisol version (deep creep)
2. My MAF sensor is incorporated into the throttle body.
I do not know if seafoam will damage my MAF sensory and I do not want to risk it as it cost some $150 for a new one.
Is there a way I could use a spray bottle and not damage the MAF sensor?
I have a 2001 GM 3800 engine. Can I remove the PVC and slowly pour it in there to get the front cylinders?
Thanks
Brian
I tonight I poured 4 ounces in slowly and all went well. I did not see any smoke but it was also at night. I wanted to use the spray bottle technique but I have two problems.
1. my autozone does not carry the arisol version (deep creep)
2. My MAF sensor is incorporated into the throttle body.
I do not know if seafoam will damage my MAF sensory and I do not want to risk it as it cost some $150 for a new one.
Is there a way I could use a spray bottle and not damage the MAF sensor?
I have a 2001 GM 3800 engine. Can I remove the PVC and slowly pour it in there to get the front cylinders?
Thanks
Brian
I think I know why your car sputtered and died with the brake booster method; too much air past the MAF sensor being drawn into the engine. To eliminate that, simply unhook the electrical connection for the MAF sensor; this will trip the check engine light but it will allow the engine to run. Just unhook the negative cable on the battery to rid the check engine light after you're done. That's if you want to use the brake booster method.
Do you have Advanced Auto near you? They sell Deep Creep. With Deep Creep and the extension tube, you can spray it in through the throttle. I did it this way with my mom's Olds 88 3.8L (identical to your motor). Just make sure the tube is well past the MAF sensor; you will get a coating on the backside of it most likely but the hotwire for the sensor is facing the airflow stream towards the inlet of the throttle body and the plastic housing you see is hollow so air goes in it past the hotwire and exits at the bottom. ie, if you don;t douse it you'll be fine.
I've learned that the engines have to be totally at operating temp. Not like a 10 minute drive, but at least 30 to 45 minutes of sustained driving to get it ht enough to smoke. I dunno if that actually means more cleaning is going on or the stuff is just smoking! But it will smoke if you spray the whole can in at fast idle on a dead hot motor and let it sit about 5 minutes, then go race some Civics or something - you'll see smoke most likely!
Do you have Advanced Auto near you? They sell Deep Creep. With Deep Creep and the extension tube, you can spray it in through the throttle. I did it this way with my mom's Olds 88 3.8L (identical to your motor). Just make sure the tube is well past the MAF sensor; you will get a coating on the backside of it most likely but the hotwire for the sensor is facing the airflow stream towards the inlet of the throttle body and the plastic housing you see is hollow so air goes in it past the hotwire and exits at the bottom. ie, if you don;t douse it you'll be fine.
I've learned that the engines have to be totally at operating temp. Not like a 10 minute drive, but at least 30 to 45 minutes of sustained driving to get it ht enough to smoke. I dunno if that actually means more cleaning is going on or the stuff is just smoking! But it will smoke if you spray the whole can in at fast idle on a dead hot motor and let it sit about 5 minutes, then go race some Civics or something - you'll see smoke most likely!
Or, you could run 2 consecutive tanks of Redline SL-1, which IMO would be as or more beneficial in cleaning the combustion chambers along with the injectors.
After running 2 full strength doses in my Corolla, it took more carbon off the piston tops (not more than Seafoam, just a more that Seafoam left behind). I'm now starting to be bale to see shiny metal on the piston tops but with the high oil consumption, it's right back there after a week or two of highway driving. Hopefully the BG Quick Clean ridded the ring packs of crud and this cycle will slow or stop.
After running 2 full strength doses in my Corolla, it took more carbon off the piston tops (not more than Seafoam, just a more that Seafoam left behind). I'm now starting to be bale to see shiny metal on the piston tops but with the high oil consumption, it's right back there after a week or two of highway driving. Hopefully the BG Quick Clean ridded the ring packs of crud and this cycle will slow or stop.
So, it's best to put Seafoam in with new oil? Then change it at the regular 5k OCI? Or would it be better to do it near the end of an OCI and replace it with fresh oil.
I'd do it at the end of an oil change interval.
I like to add some light 2-Cycle Oil or MMO to the mix to keep the scoured metals lubed a bit.
Putting Seafoam in the oil means driving on thinned oil with dissloved sludge floating around until the SF evaporates and re-deposits the sludge evenly. Use solvent in the oil with old used oil at idle for 10 min and DRAIN to get the dissloved sludge OUT.
Granted, I'm not an oil wiz, and I only read here occasionally, but I thought I would add, I ran 1/2 a can of Seafoam through a vac line, and dumped the other half in the crankcase on my 3.5L Kia. At this point, I had about 2700 miles on that oil. I then ran it 200 more miles, and changed the oil. I sent a sample of that oil (Motorcraft 5w20) in to be analyzed, and it came back showing nothing out of the ordinary, of any sort. This UOA is posted in the UOA section here.
What this means to me is, in 200 miles, what I was left with was just oil. Normal oil. Not Seafoam mixed with oil. Whatever Seafoam does when you add it to the crankcase must not last very long.. unless whatever it contains doesn't show up on a normal UOA. Suggesting it's necessary to go an entire OCI before changing it just because you added Seafoam seems pretty unnecessary based on this.
What this means to me is, in 200 miles, what I was left with was just oil. Normal oil. Not Seafoam mixed with oil. Whatever Seafoam does when you add it to the crankcase must not last very long.. unless whatever it contains doesn't show up on a normal UOA. Suggesting it's necessary to go an entire OCI before changing it just because you added Seafoam seems pretty unnecessary based on this.
so, for my 92 Galant SOHC 2.0, 142k miles, NO sludge (from what i see through the oil cap LOL) but a slight valve tick, which would you all recommend:
1) Marvel Mystery Oil, 1 QT when she's low, about 1k miles before my oil change is due (great time to do it, with temps near zero)
2) sea foam in the oil (aleady did the brake booster treatment)
3) auto-rx
4) other?
I'm leaning towards #1, but i'm just being lazy.
did you dump the seafoam in the crankcase or suck it in via booster line?
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