Good Alternative to Seafoam

[dubstyles240]

I read the post all about seafoam, and wanted to do it to my new engine, because it seems a lot slower than my old KA (which I hydrolocked) I recently found out that my only NAPA store went out of business, so I couldn't find any place to get sea foam.

So anyways, I went to Salvo (local parts store, like Pep Boys), and started looking at the back of all their engine cleaners and similar products. Not a single bottle said to pour it into the vacuum line or the oil like sea foam, it was all in tank treatment.

I went ahead and bought a bottle of Valvoline Fuel System treatment for 10 bucks and heres how I used it.

First, I got a 2 liter bottle of coke, dried it out, and cut it in half (a clear cup or bowl would work) I poured half the bottle of fuel treatment in it, and disconnected my brake booster vacuum line. I had my friend start the car and hold it at around 1000 rpms (the car will lose RPMs like it wants to stall without that vacuum line on). Then I stuck the tip of the line right above the fluid level and just slowly sucked all the treatment into the line. You dont need to submerge the tip of the line, this will suck it up way too fast and could damage your catilytic converter.

After I sucked it all into the engine, I revved it to about 4K RPMs and a big puff of gray smoke came out, so I revved it and held it at about 3K RPMs and smoke just kept pouring out for about 45 seconds, it was great. I drove it around the block after that to make sure I got all the rest of it out of my engine, and I immediately felt that I had gotten some power back, and things were MUCH smoother.

I just thought I'd post this since a lot of people had problems finding seafoam, and in tank fuel treatment can be found anywhere.

On a side note, the booster vacuum line is a 3/8" line (i think), and eliminate the problems of your car wanting to stall out, and sucking in the fluid too fast, you could go to pep boys and get a 3/8"-1/4" vacuum line adapter, and couple inches of 1/4" vacuum line, this will create a much smaller vacuum leak when you take that line off. If you have 2 people, the car stalling shouldnt be a problem, and if you got a steady hand, intaking the treatment slowly shouldnt be a problem.

edit - sucking in the fluid too fast could potentially hyrdolock your engine and bend a rod, make sure you TAKE YOUR TIME.

[MikeMurphy]

Awesome. Any pics of EXACTLY where the brake booster is located on the S14?

Also, I have heard it is good to do this just before replacing your o2 sensors.

[xxtrizz]

Im thinking the brake booster hose is similar to the s13 its just "THE" largest vacuum line in your car really lol.

Just look for a huge vacuum line that goes from your brake booster to the intake manifold in some way or another. WHen you take it off and if your car has a tough time running put your thumb on the end to seal it till you put seafoam in or that other stuff he mentioned.

[deviousKA]

what is the point of just running the seafoam through the engine and not through the injection system? Yeah you might clean out a bit of carbon deposits, but most of that smoke you seen is just the seafoam itself burning (and it stinks). I have used seafoam quite a bit, but i run it straight through the fuel rail and injectors. I rigged up a pressurized feed bottle for it, and the engine will run on just straight seafoam (not to well but it does). It has cleaned up many vehicles with less than perfect working injectors.

[dubstyles240]

i have given a much easier alternative to your plan, and if people want, they can dump the second half in their fuel tank, to clean the lines and injectors.

when gray smoke POURS out of your exhaust and eventually turns to white smoke, you know its cleaning, you can see dirty exhaust!

this also cleans carbon deposits off of the intake runners, as opposed to your idea. I'm not raggin on your method, they are just 2 different ways to do something similar.

[deviousKA]

im not saying my method is correct, i have just had good results doing this. Sticky injector problems mostly.

[Scott McLellan]

Hey, deviousKA, how did you do this:

"I rigged up a pressurized feed bottle for it, and the engine will run on just straight seafoam (not to well but it does). It has cleaned up many vehicles with less than perfect working injectors."

[deviousKA]

well, what i did was build a simple air over liquid rig. i found a small container that can hold about a cup of fluid, and has standard pipe fittings on either end. I hooked a line from that to the fuel rail inlet (with fuel line disconnected). On the other end i just used compressed air, with an adjustable air regulator. The container i fill with seafoam, and hold it vertical so it will work properly. I usually run about 2 containers worth through the fuel rail, the engine will run on straight seafoam ok, good enough to clean it all out. Boy does it stink tho

[SinceByMan]

where can you find seafoam, i cant find it anywhere

[pearlwhite95]

if you guys want to clean them that much and if you cant find the brake booster why go get a 2 or maybe 3 step fuel system cleaner. most shops have it like pep boys, jiffy lube etc. and they do all the work for you! but if you feel like doing it your self you could prob. use just about any fuel injector cleaner.

[chandler]

no, if you want stuff that really works....... go to your local chrysler dealer, get a can of combustion chamber cleaner, make sure, and I cant stress this enough, make sure, it doesnt get on you, it is a known carcinagin. spray it in your throttle body, all of it,while the engine is running, then shut it off, it will clean all of the stuff off of your pistons and valves, after 45min of sitting there, start it up and drive down the road in second gear, high rpms, it will smoke like crazy. and for fuel system treatment, 3m or techron, anything else is just a waste of money. the govt makes fuel companies put techron in the gas, its good stuff chandler