How to Seafoam your engine the right way. Complete DIY

A General Discussion forum for cars and other topics, and a great place to introduce yourself if you are new to NICO!
User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post



User avatar
MellowZ32
Posts: 27320
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:29 pm
Car: Pornographer's car
Location: Parts Unknown

Post

great write-up Greg. thanks for clarifying some of the misconceptions I had about seafoaming. :bigthumb:

User avatar
Hussain
Posts: 3162
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:54 pm
Car: 08 Altima Coupe 3.5se CVT

Post

when should someone start thinking about using seafoam (around how many miles)? is 40k miles too soon?

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

Nope - That's perfect. Keep it clean in the first place, and you won't have issues down the line.

Also, I've found that using Chevron gas (Techron) seems to keep everything a LOT cleaner.

User avatar
Zero2Endless
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:09 am
Car: 2002 VW GTI 337 (Sold) 2009 Pearl White Cube 1.8S 6MT
Contact:

Post

Sweeeet.

I remember sea-foaming my GTI LoL. Good times.

User avatar
Ellison@FCPImport
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 9:42 am
Car: 2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe A/T
Location: Old Saybrook, CT
Contact:

Post

Seafoamed my G35 when I first bought at 68k. Definitely worth it. Nice write up.

User avatar
MellowZ32
Posts: 27320
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:29 pm
Car: Pornographer's car
Location: Parts Unknown

Post

AZhitman wrote: Also, I've found that using Chevron gas (Techron) seems to keep everything a LOT cleaner.
:yesnod thank you!
people think I'm stupid when I tell them that you can really feel the difference between Chevron and cheaper gas.

User avatar
Kompresshun
Administrator
Posts: 5656
Joined: Sun May 10, 2009 7:41 am
Car: 2020 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4x4, 2017 Ford F150 4x4 SuperCab 3.5L Ecoboost/10AT, 2005 Nissan Pathfinder SE Offroad 5AT
Location: Louisville, KY
Contact:

Post

Thanks for this Greg! I always had a general idea of how to do it but I never really had a good detailed write up like this to go by, I need to do this to both of the cars soon. I used to do it about every 15,000-20,000 miles in my old Ranger and it really made quite a difference.

User avatar
Loki
Posts: 7653
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 7:27 am
Car: 1994 Nissan 240SX Convertible
2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser
2001 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning
Location: Detroit, MI
Contact:

Post

Someone who has seafoam'd their S13 want to post up a pic of the proper place to use from the brake booster line? It's been quite a few years since I've done it to a 240.

User avatar
breadbox
Posts: 8550
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:09 pm
Car: Red 89 240sx,Black 89 Koop, White 84 720 4x4KC
Location: Va Bch

Post

I think I will do this right before next oil change.

User avatar
dre1507
Posts: 4357
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:41 pm
Car: Some boring Lexus that's currently at home with a smashed mouth (crashed).
Location: Miami, FL

Post

my rsx-s has 142xxx miles. i was thinking of doing this, but my oil is super clean right now. should i wait until it's time for an oil change, or just do it and spend the little it costs to change oil? or does doing it with clean oil mean i won't have to change my oil as soon?

User avatar
Dattebayo
Posts: 33297
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2002 10:04 am
Car: 2004 Frontier Desert Runner
Location: NE DC

Post

I seriously thought this was gonna be a joke about someone driving their car into the ocean...

User avatar
eds13
Posts: 5924
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:27 am
Car: 89 240sx Hatch, 07 Armada LE, 06 M35x, 97 C35 Laurel, 94 JDM Q45
Location: Central VA

Post

thats because your retarded :biggrin:

User avatar
krash
Posts: 5064
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:43 am
Car: 1993 Nissan 240sx Convertible
Location: Memphis, TN
Contact:

Post

AZhitman wrote: Buy Seafoam Here!
ITS A SPAMBOT!!!

I'm still too scared to do it :couch

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

Actually, it's an affiliate link to Amazon.com for a few places where you can buy Seafoam at a fat discount, and I think NICO makes like $ .03 on each can.

So, shut up and go order some Seafoam. ;)

User avatar
Urabus GodofTraction
Posts: 6178
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:36 pm
Car: 2002 WRX Wagon, 2004 SV650, 1988 Land Cruiser, 1994 XR600R

Post

AZhitman wrote:Actually, it's an affiliate link to Amazon.com for a few places where you can buy Seafoam at a fat discount, and I think NICO makes like $ .03 on each can.

So, shut up and go order some Seafoam. ;)
Ahh, suspicions confirmed. Clever man, and I appreciate your candor.

"Sipping" regular water via vacuum line leads to good results too. Buy water here!

User avatar
Mr1der
Posts: 37617
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:35 am
Car: It's still not a Nissan...
Location: Lebanon TN

Post

takes too long. I'm gonna drive in a creek instead.

User avatar
krash
Posts: 5064
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:43 am
Car: 1993 Nissan 240sx Convertible
Location: Memphis, TN
Contact:

Post

AZhitman wrote: So, shut up and go order some Seafoam. ;)
Will the seafoam help me shut up? Actually, I'm going to do this now Greg. I've been reading a lot of misconceptions and stuff. Glad you cleared it up. The vert needs some revival :rotfl

User avatar
Chaotic_Warlord
Posts: 4805
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 8:31 am
Car: Black 5 speed Swapped 1995 240sx
Location: Killadelphia PA
Contact:

Post

This might sound like a stupid question, but would this lead to old tired gaskets and seals to start leaking since it will essentially clean the gunk and build up that is possibly holding them together?

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

charlieo wrote:Ahh, suspicions confirmed. Clever man, and I appreciate your candor.

"Sipping" regular water via vacuum line leads to good results too. Buy water here!
Nicely done. :dblthumb:

No water here - I'd prefer something that, if accidentally over-ingested, won't hydrolock the engine.

Although, I did the water thing (in a pressure sprayer) on a LOT of carb'ed cars back in the day.

User avatar
Urabus GodofTraction
Posts: 6178
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:36 pm
Car: 2002 WRX Wagon, 2004 SV650, 1988 Land Cruiser, 1994 XR600R

Post

AZhitman wrote:
charlieo wrote:Ahh, suspicions confirmed. Clever man, and I appreciate your candor.

"Sipping" regular water via vacuum line leads to good results too. Buy water here!
Nicely done. :dblthumb:

No water here - I'd prefer something that, if accidentally over-ingested, won't hydrolock the engine.

Although, I did the water thing (in a pressure sprayer) on a LOT of carb'ed cars back in the day.
You're kidding, right, amigo? I'm SURE you could hydrolock an engine with seafoam...

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

COULD, but less likely. It's a petroleum product and supports combustion.

User avatar
Noxy
Posts: 360
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:30 pm
Car: 1993 Nissan 240SX
1992 NX2000
2004 Sentra Spec V
Location: Omaha, NE

Post

Great write-up! My friend taught me how to use seafoam, but I always take all his advice about my car with a grain of salt... Thanks for clearing it up!

User avatar
Empty V
Posts: 2308
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:53 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4, 1982 Corvette C3 Shark

Post

Here's a video of the byproduct from Seafoaming my '01 QX4. This was from last sumer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tBDvBoRq00[/youtube]

User avatar
Urabus GodofTraction
Posts: 6178
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:36 pm
Car: 2002 WRX Wagon, 2004 SV650, 1988 Land Cruiser, 1994 XR600R

Post

AZhitman wrote:COULD, but less likely. It's a petroleum product and supports combustion.
It's still a liquid! Even gas, without atomization of some sort, could hydro lock an engine. I bet the amount required to hydro lock an engine would be pretty similar between water, Seafoam, and gas.

I do like Seafoam, though. Some sloshing around in the Land Cruisers tank as we speak.

User avatar
s0m3th1ngAZ
Posts: 3858
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:11 am
Car: 96' Miata
2014 Focus ST

Post

AZhitman wrote:COULD, but less likely. It's a petroleum product and supports combustion.
Yeah...had a buddy who bent a rod in his corolla using too much seafoam.

User avatar
troskinatior
Posts: 1228
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:26 pm
Car: A Two Tone Piggy Coupe
Location: Jersey Shore Bish

Post

I dont get the "sipping" thing. Are you squeezeing the can of seafoam with the hose in it?

User avatar
AZhitman
Administrator
Posts: 71061
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 2:04 am
Car: 58 L210, 63 Bluebird RHD, 64 NL320, 65 SPL310, 66 411 RHD, 67 WRL411, 68 510 SR20, 75 280Z RB25, 77 620 SR20, 79 B310, 90 S13, 92 SE-R, 92 Silvia Qs, 98 S14.
Location: Surprise, Arizona
Contact:

Post

No. You're dipping the hose into the liquid and pulling it back out. Like sipping a soda through a straw, small sips.

There will be vacuum at the hose - You want it to pick up some Seafoam with the air.

User avatar
troskinatior
Posts: 1228
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:26 pm
Car: A Two Tone Piggy Coupe
Location: Jersey Shore Bish

Post

aww I gotcha

User avatar
PoorManQ45
Posts: 16681
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2004 5:13 pm

Post

Some of the Tribologists over at BITOG seem to think that Seafoam can break down the oil to a dangerous point. As in possible engine damage.

AutoRx carries a higher recommendation. It's a bit more expensive, but testing seems to show AutoRx removing deposits that were left after the recommended Seafoam treatment.


Return to “General Chat”