Sea Foam

Engine cleaning on the outside is great. What about the inside???
I've heard of STP for cleaning fuel systems and injectors, but recently I came across this....
Sea Foam - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjXViwb97qc&feature=player_embedded

There are a number of videos on youtube about doing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRAV5ln5cUc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt_oXKxe3wo&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Has anyone ever heard or used this????

Ive used it on several cars of mine and my friends. If done right it can really help.

Distilled water works good for decarbonization, see
www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=283211 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=283211)

A bad head gasket, the cleanest part of engine is on the cylinder were the gasket went bad.

Old school mechanics used transmission fluid through the vacuum hose todo decarbonization.

Seafoam does work. A shop I used to work for used it as a first step for boarderline emissions test failures. The before and after results showed a noticable decrease in NOx emissions on most cars, and they often ran a little smoother after we were done. I'd recommend it as a maintenance thing every once in a while or on a new-to-you vehicle. Just make sure to do it outside, as the fumes are pretty harsh.

It's a not a product I've ever seen outside of North America, but I hear lots of people here talking about it.

Just what is Seafoam?

I've used SeaFoam for cylinder decarbonization several times and am very impressed with it. Recently I had the, umm, pleasure, or pulling the head off of an engine that had recently been decarboned with SeaFoam and was impressed with how clean the valves were. For what it's worth, the SeaFoam treatment was performed to see if it would improve a misfire that ended up being a bad valve.

I've also been warned that, while water will work, you need to be very careful not to spray in too much as it can burn valves.

I've not tried SeaFoam for any other applications such as with the oil or mixed with the fuel, only poured in through vacuum hoses.

-Rod

It's a not a product I've ever seen outside of North America, but I hear lots of people here talking about it.

Just what is Seafoam?

http://www.seafoamsales.com/

I've used SeaFoam for cylinder decarbonization several times and am very impressed with it. Recently I had the, umm, pleasure, or pulling the head off of an engine that had recently been decarboned with SeaFoam and was impressed with how clean the valves were. For what it's worth, the SeaFoam treatment was performed to see if it would improve a misfire that ended up being a bad valve.

I've also been warned that, while water will work, you need to be very careful not to spray in too much as it can burn valves.

I've not tried SeaFoam for any other applications such as with the oil or mixed with the fuel, only poured in through vacuum hoses.

-Rod

Don't tell me that the Taurus in your avatar is having a bad valve.... Looks like a brand new vehicle.

Nope, I've had no problems with the SHO in my avatar. The vehicle that had the bad valve was my mom's 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan.

-Rod

Running solvents through an engine's fuel system is one thing. Running them through an engine or transmission's lubrication system is another.

Not professing to be an expert but running non-lubricants is a bad idea and severely cuts into the service life.

Although slower and more expensive, the best way to clean an engine/transmission is to do hyper-frequent filter and fluid changes; and keep it tuned up. Avoid mal-maintained fuel stations that haven't changed their tanks and/or fueling equipment in 15 years.

I've used injector cleaner with most oil changes, STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner at least once every year or two, and have changed my Castrol brand oil frequently. My engine has always been very clean and expect it to be no different now at >260k, than it was at ~190k.

Contaminants also enter via air filters, vacuum leaks and EGR systems.

FWIW I dont put the stuff in my oil. in my gas tank and use the rest for upper engine cleaning

Unless you have significant build-up of sludge or oil-staining inside the cam covers, there probably is no need to add Sea Foam to the oil. If you do add it, it is recommended to add it a few hundred miles before the scheduled oil change. It is petroleum based naptha, a light oil, which can thin the viscosity out a bit but not enough to cause wear problems...we're talking a pint versus ~5 quarts.

We used it in my friends 2004 Audi a4. It smoked a lot lol. couldn't really feel a difference after we were done

It's supposed to smoke alot...says so right on the can. You may not feel a difference, but your engine will thank you.

The only thing I will run Seafoam through is the intake. I use Redline fuel system cleaner. And as for pouring it in you crank case. Well, I would drive the car. I use Gunk Motor Flush or one quart of ATF. I pour it in right before I'm going to change the oil. Just let it idle for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and change the oil and filter.

DO NOT drive or rev the engine putting ANY of these products in your oil. You run the risk of spinning a bearing.