Can Seafoam damage the engine?
04-01-2006, 09:06 PM
#1
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Posts: 82
Can Seafoam damage the engine?
Hey guys was thinking about cleaniong my maxi's engine with Seafoam , need your feedback on how it went with your babies. I was wondering if Seafoam can damage the engine or its hoses etc.?
04-02-2006, 11:52 AM
#6
Originally Posted by internetautomar
n a p a
only way you will damage the engine is if you dump the bottle down the brake booster hose or similiar (just doing something very wrong). Just slowly siphon it out of the can.
The engine will tend to stall or get very close to stalling if you give it "a lot" at the beginning of the bottle and towards the end it tends to handle it better.
Normally you just have to skim the hose along the top of the can or just dip it in and out of the seafoam towards the beginning. Some people just let it suck in as much as it can until the car stalls and let it sit for x ammount of time (15-30mins). I don't really bother with that method just seeing the improvement between the beginning and end of the can
(plus it's fun and stalling it + waiting is boring 
)If I have the time or am just really bored I'll drive the car around the block a few times half way through the can then continue, but most of the time I just set the seafoam aside half way though (reattach the vacuum hose) and let the seafoam that's in the engine work it's magic
Open the throttle a little bit ~1200rpm, let the smoke fly, vary the throttle a bit, back to idle, then gradually up to ~2000rpm, let it burn more of the carbon, when the smoke simmers down slightly raise the engine speed until the smoke really starts to fly again, let it burn then go back to idle for a bit. Now gradually work it up to 3000, probably won't be pouring much smoke anymore so I just give it a blip and go back to idle and finish the can. The engine speeds aren't rules or anything, those just seemed to be the 'happy spots' for 3rd gens.
Couple different methods you can do, the thirds method using one can. 1/3 in the crank case (oil), 1/3 in the gas tank, and 1/3 in the combustion chambers (intake). If you do it that way make sure your gas level matches the instructions to get the best results (a full tank + 1/3 of a can of seafoam isn't going to be the most efficient use of the Seafoam). I generally just use 1.5-2 cans per car, do ~1 can in the gas tank and ~1 can in the intake. I don't really add any to the oil because in my cars it's not really necessary (and I'd rather just use MMO instead
).
04-02-2006, 03:10 PM
#8
simply put, make sure you suck it slowly into the engine.. go too fast and it's possible that it will pool up in one cylinder and do some major damage. I made that mistake a while back when working on a Z32 for a customer.. got to replace a VG30DE on my dollar. :doh:
04-02-2006, 04:19 PM
#9
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Gloucester VA
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When you put the seafoam in the oil how long do you let it stay in for ?
Should I put it in and run it hard then quickly drain it and put fresh in?
Thanks Guys !!
Should I put it in and run it hard then quickly drain it and put fresh in?
Thanks Guys !!
04-02-2006, 04:30 PM
#10
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
simply put, make sure you suck it slowly into the engine.. go too fast and it's possible that it will pool up in one cylinder and do some major damage. I made that mistake a while back when working on a Z32 for a customer.. got to replace a VG30DE on my dollar. :doh:
was the vacuum port right next to a runner? seems like that would take some work to do in a VE if you use one of the ones right after the TB
04-02-2006, 04:37 PM
#11
Originally Posted by Maxima Man
When you put the seafoam in the oil how long do you let it stay in for ?
Should I put it in and run it hard then quickly drain it and put fresh in?
Thanks Guys !!
Should I put it in and run it hard then quickly drain it and put fresh in?
Thanks Guys !!
I wouldn't run it too hard because you are adding a detergent to the oil to help clean which cuts down on the ammount of protection the oil can provide.
04-03-2006, 04:26 AM
#13
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Posts: 82
thanks for your input guys
thank you!
04-03-2006, 04:36 AM
#14
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
simply put, make sure you suck it slowly into the engine.. go too fast and it's possible that it will pool up in one cylinder and do some major damage. I made that mistake a while back when working on a Z32 for a customer.. got to replace a VG30DE on my dollar. :doh:
hmm thats what musta happen to me, i guess it all went into the 1 cyl and it was a whole can, but now the lifter click seems to be gone, its the exhause leak dont seal up now
04-03-2006, 07:18 AM
#15
that wouldn't cause lifter tick.
very likely the lifter tick was caused by something (dirt, junk, etc) coming loose and sticking somewhere it shouldn't.
If you had hydrolocked it, you would have bent/broken a connecting rod and would have NASTY noises coming from the engine, assuming it still ran at all.
very likely the lifter tick was caused by something (dirt, junk, etc) coming loose and sticking somewhere it shouldn't.
If you had hydrolocked it, you would have bent/broken a connecting rod and would have NASTY noises coming from the engine, assuming it still ran at all.
04-03-2006, 09:23 AM
#16
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I asked my buddy who rebuilds motors, and he told me he would not reccomend putting seafoam in the crank case aka oil, only for the fact that if you car has over 100k miles it might deteriorate some oil and leftover slude ect that makes your motor quiet and might be holding stuff together better, he says he ran seafoam on his parents maxima and it had 160k and it made the engine pretty noisy on the top end. when getting on it you heard some tickicking after a while.
He says pouring it in the brake booster line is no big deal, just be carefull of hydrolocking.
and the gas tank cant hurt anything.
he also stating seafoam in the crank case makes the oil break down super super fast, and mkaes that crap thin thin thin thin, so its like rolling around with water.
:edit: I put seafoam in one of my other cars via the brake booster line, and it did make a differenece in smoother idle, and also smoother acceleration. that car was already garbage anyway, but did make it run better it only had 95k on the car and motor, but had been abused pretty badly by previous owner, i nursed the car back to heath then sold it.
He says pouring it in the brake booster line is no big deal, just be carefull of hydrolocking.
and the gas tank cant hurt anything.
he also stating seafoam in the crank case makes the oil break down super super fast, and mkaes that crap thin thin thin thin, so its like rolling around with water.
:edit: I put seafoam in one of my other cars via the brake booster line, and it did make a differenece in smoother idle, and also smoother acceleration. that car was already garbage anyway, but did make it run better it only had 95k on the car and motor, but had been abused pretty badly by previous owner, i nursed the car back to heath then sold it.
04-03-2006, 10:18 AM
#17
you can put it in via the brake booster line, but it's safer on the engine and will clean more of the manifold if you put it in through one of the small hoses on the throttle body.
also raise the revs to 2-3000rpm, as that will help keep the air velocity high and sorta vaporize the stuff as it goes through. less chance of it puddling in the intake due to low air velocity.
also raise the revs to 2-3000rpm, as that will help keep the air velocity high and sorta vaporize the stuff as it goes through. less chance of it puddling in the intake due to low air velocity.
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