Seafoam DIY!!
#31
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (1)
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Nothing harmful,.. less effective maybe.
What vacuum line did you use?
The brake booster we use is chosen out of several possible 'entry points' into the vacuum system because of convenience and the vacuum power and hose diameter provided.
It is the most (for the convenience) effective way to go.
Now, if I used, say, a small 7/32nds vacuum line off the intake plenum .. It wouldn't work nearly as well.
But again, the results are indicative of how much cleaning was done. If your engine is very , very clean you will still get smoke, regardless.. but how much does depend on how much outlieing deposits are in the path and in combustion.
Mine didn't smoke nearly as long or as thick as some of the pictures I've seen. I used 1/3rd of the bottle exactly.
I used 1/3rd in the oil for 50 miles,.. then changed, and 1/3rd in the gas tank with about half a tank.
The car DID smoke a bit for the following week due to what was in the gas tank, especially as the tank got to the final half of the last quarter on gauge (near empty).
Mind you, this wasn't a heavy smoke,.. only a light smoke with a strong smell when you walked around to back of car and squatted. About the thickness of when driving the smoke would not be seen, only at idle, and slightly less than what a 32degree weather would show out of your exhaust.
Irrelevant to your post
![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
![Wink](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif)
You might want to try again if you have a larger vacuum line to use.. Or again just to get more cleaning action. It won't hurt to use it a dozen times in a row if you wished.
#35
#36
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (1)
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
You only need to change your oil if you put Seafoam in your Oil. Otherwise you are fine.
Seafoam in the intake (via the brakebooster) Only goes through your intake and gets burned in the combustion cycle, then exits promptly through the exhaust.
Seafoam in the gas tank goes through tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, fuel filter, injectors and ultimately into the combustion chamber once again, and out the exhaust.
Seafoam in the Crankcase (oil) -- Gets in all the internals of the engine, all the moving parts,.. And , imo, isn't a necessary step in the seafoam process.
If you do put it in your crankcase, drive the car (all in the same day of putting it in) at least 50miles, if not 100.. Then take it to get the oil changed, or change it yourself (all depending on if you change your own oil).
I did all three, but in hindsite I don't believe the crankcase did alot of good.
I think via the intake does the most good. Followed by the gastank.
Many only put it in their brakebooster, and save the rest for another application or use it all.
The other half usually use a third or maybe a little more, in the brake booster and then pour the rest in their gas tank.
Have fun! Lots of smoke coming your way
Seafoam in the intake (via the brakebooster) Only goes through your intake and gets burned in the combustion cycle, then exits promptly through the exhaust.
Seafoam in the gas tank goes through tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, fuel filter, injectors and ultimately into the combustion chamber once again, and out the exhaust.
Seafoam in the Crankcase (oil) -- Gets in all the internals of the engine, all the moving parts,.. And , imo, isn't a necessary step in the seafoam process.
If you do put it in your crankcase, drive the car (all in the same day of putting it in) at least 50miles, if not 100.. Then take it to get the oil changed, or change it yourself (all depending on if you change your own oil).
I did all three, but in hindsite I don't believe the crankcase did alot of good.
I think via the intake does the most good. Followed by the gastank.
Many only put it in their brakebooster, and save the rest for another application or use it all.
The other half usually use a third or maybe a little more, in the brake booster and then pour the rest in their gas tank.
Have fun! Lots of smoke coming your way
![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
#37
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
im going to do this this weekend.
on a side note. im into rx7s and the crazy spinny rotary things. about 4 times a year i run about 2 pitchers of water through it to "steam clean" the combustion chamber from carbon. carbon kills those motors and its near impossible to water lock them but very easy to carbon lock. so i just stick the whole brake booster line in a pitcher and let it suck it dry. smokes a lot and changes color from a muddy brown to just steam. i have no doubt a chemical would do better than water.
on a side note. im into rx7s and the crazy spinny rotary things. about 4 times a year i run about 2 pitchers of water through it to "steam clean" the combustion chamber from carbon. carbon kills those motors and its near impossible to water lock them but very easy to carbon lock. so i just stick the whole brake booster line in a pitcher and let it suck it dry. smokes a lot and changes color from a muddy brown to just steam. i have no doubt a chemical would do better than water.
#39
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: TX
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
It seems that everyone is equating smoke to removing carbon in the intake and getting excited about seeing how much smoke they get. Other than some improvement to idle how do you know the smoke wasn't the seafoam itslef burning off?
I've seen it mentioned a couple of times, but no one is commenting on it....would the 2nd of back-to-back seafoam treatments of exact amount yield less smoke or the same amount? It seems to me that's the way to evaluate what portion of the smoke is due to actual carbon removal vs. just chemicals burning in your cylinders.
In other words - Is the smoke just burning seafoam or is it really the result of loosened up carbon?
Can anyone comment on this??????? Just curious.
I've seen it mentioned a couple of times, but no one is commenting on it....would the 2nd of back-to-back seafoam treatments of exact amount yield less smoke or the same amount? It seems to me that's the way to evaluate what portion of the smoke is due to actual carbon removal vs. just chemicals burning in your cylinders.
In other words - Is the smoke just burning seafoam or is it really the result of loosened up carbon?
Can anyone comment on this??????? Just curious.
#40
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
there probably isnt an exact solution to your question. get 2 equally carboned up cars and treat one once and another twice and check valve tidyness and sparkplug deposits for a comparo but there are so many variables that i still wouldnt trust the results as anywhere near accurate. maybe a dyno but again. the gains i would imagine would be so minute that the air temp of any given pull would skew the results into uselessness.
its all about piece of mind i think.
its all about piece of mind i think.
#41
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The Seafoam itself does burn off...
... considering you suck it into the combustion cycle. and also some carbon burns off with it. Differen't cars get different results. some more smoke, some less. Get a few differen't cars and put the same amount of Seafoam in each. check your results.
![Uhh...](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/1387914497.gif)
#42
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Folks – I’ve been reading all three pages on the Seafoam cleaning method thought he brake booster.. the real appreciation comes when seeing the film on You Tube….
Perhaps, this side / page is the answer I am looking for …only for about 4 hours !!!!
The problem was posted https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...30#post1176930
Here etc…
Nerveless, the dealer never figured out what it is caused by… only when cleaning the fuel injectors ~ $100 per visit the problem went away…
However, its back again …. I noticed it when driven about 300 miles in one stroke ..coming to a rest station rolling in idle to a near stop the engine shuts off…. Of cause it started right back up… after a wile of driving at a constant speed same thing happens again…. Then it goes away ….. then comes back and so-on.
The one thing that seems constant, driving at a constant speed (any level) for some time does cause the RPM needle dropping rather rapidly, potentially indicating an open stuck valve…
Someone, suggested the returned exhaust gas valve might be stuck open…..
What ever it is, it seems to be fixed temporarily post cleaning the fuel injectors.
Also, I know that I am not the only one…. The dealer called me up once and had asked me if the issue got resolved because someone else had the identical issue….
Please, any comments or thoughts let me know.
PS: I have a LS400 ’95 with now approaching 100K miles.
Thanks
Perhaps, this side / page is the answer I am looking for …only for about 4 hours !!!!
The problem was posted https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...30#post1176930
Here etc…
Nerveless, the dealer never figured out what it is caused by… only when cleaning the fuel injectors ~ $100 per visit the problem went away…
However, its back again …. I noticed it when driven about 300 miles in one stroke ..coming to a rest station rolling in idle to a near stop the engine shuts off…. Of cause it started right back up… after a wile of driving at a constant speed same thing happens again…. Then it goes away ….. then comes back and so-on.
The one thing that seems constant, driving at a constant speed (any level) for some time does cause the RPM needle dropping rather rapidly, potentially indicating an open stuck valve…
Someone, suggested the returned exhaust gas valve might be stuck open…..
What ever it is, it seems to be fixed temporarily post cleaning the fuel injectors.
Also, I know that I am not the only one…. The dealer called me up once and had asked me if the issue got resolved because someone else had the identical issue….
Please, any comments or thoughts let me know.
PS: I have a LS400 ’95 with now approaching 100K miles.
Thanks
#43
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I have always put seafoam in via PCV hose. I will disconnect it off the valve cover, put the hose in the can of seafoam, let it suck the can dry. Shut the motor off for about 20 - 30 minutes. Crank it up and run it until it runs clean.
Then change the oil.
Then change the oil.
#44
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I used it on my 96 Mercury Gran Marquis 4.7L V8. I used it in the fuel and intake with ok results. Then I put it in the crankcase for 100 miles before I changed the oil. The power difference was almost immediate. In any case, my car is burning a lot less oil and had the power it came from the factory with. I'm going to do my 94 LS400 next since it's time for another oil change.
#45
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Well …. I did it! … through the brake booster per procedure as pictorially described ….
My kids had a blast when they saw the smoke … the fellow next door could not believe what I did to my car…..
Nerveless… on a very preliminary basis, I like to say that I see / observe an improvement…. The idle behavior seems stable…..
My kids had a blast when they saw the smoke … the fellow next door could not believe what I did to my car…..
Nerveless… on a very preliminary basis, I like to say that I see / observe an improvement…. The idle behavior seems stable…..