Last night I did the seafoam, my truck has 151k. I put 8oz through the PCV line, 8oz in the crank, and another 8oz in 1/4 of a tank (I have 8oz remaining).
I yielded noticeable results. Smoother idle, smoother reving, way more pep which obviously translates to more torque, faster acceleration, and hopefully better gas mileage?
A side note, I notice people questioning what Seafoam "is", and how it works and everything. I took some Organic Chemistry classes in college and here is how Seafoam basically works:
First a background. In chemistry we should be familiar with the idea that "likes dissolve likes", meaning oils dissolve oils (because they're non-polar). There are 3 types of "likes" based on how polar a compound or chemical is: polar, semi-polar, and non-polar. This is why oil and water separate, because they don't mesh at all. Light oils float, heavy oils will sink (all depends on how dense the compound is) when mixed with water. Dissolving polar/semi-polar/non-polar compounds is why we use acetone to clean up some types of things and water for other things or oil for others. The closer the polarity of the solvent to the compound your dissolving, the better it will dissolve.
This is how Seafoam works. It is a petroleum (non-polar) compound that dissolves the specific non-polar compound that is carbon residue. This is important because the polarity carbon junk is different than octane, which is also different from oil lubricants, yet they are all close enough to be considered into the category of non-polar. So Seafoam should have polarity that very close to the carbon residue while far enough away from oils and octane to not break them down. To be honest it probably took a lot of engineering to make the solvent.
Last bit, things dissolve easier when you heat them up like water and sugar, or water and salt. This is why you have to warm up your car before you put in the Seafoam, the product would probably dissolve a bit, but not be as effective otherwise.
Thanks for that technical explanation of how Sea Foam works to dissolve carbon deposits.
@infamousRNR
and I did this recently to our trucks. We followed the directions on the can and also used a video Chris Fix did on YouTube. In the video, he does a before and after of the carbon deposits on the tops of the pistons of a 4 cylinder engine using a small camera. The results were fairly impressive. Similar to you, I experienced better throttle response. Basically, the truck feels like it has more power when I put my foot into it.
Here's a video we did of the Sea Foam application:
__________________ "My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it!"
Thanks for that technical explanation of how Sea Foam works to dissolve carbon deposits.
No problem, just explaining the behavioral patterns of chemicals. Trying to maybe help out with some of the mystery.
Quote:
In the video, he does a before and after of the carbon deposits on the tops of the pistons of a 4 cylinder engine using a small camera. The results were fairly impressive.
Where are the visual results? I watched the video and didn't see them? Are they posted somewhere else or maybe on a different video?
No problem, just explaining the behavioral patterns of chemicals. Trying to maybe help out with some of the mystery.
Where are the visual results? I watched the video and didn't see them? Are they posted somewhere else or maybe on a different video?
No visual results. I saw the results that the dude Chris Fix showed in his video and I was sold. Chris Fix has tons of videos on YouTube. Our video was mainly to show how to set it up to do it on a 4runner. But, I probably could have done the before and after camera shot into the cylinder because I learned those small cameras aren't expensive at all.
__________________ "My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it!"
I poured a little bit into the line that you said to and it sounded rough, I poured a little more and the engine shut off and the intake started smoking.
I was extremely scared to try to turn it back on but I did and it started. What happened and what do I do now?
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Living and breathing and bleeding Toyota
RIP my ‘96.
I poured a little bit into the line that you said to and it sounded rough, I poured a little more and the engine shut off and the intake started smoking.
I was extremely scared to try to turn it back on but I did and it started. What happened and what do I do now?
Pulling the PCV or any other vacuum hose to add stuff creates a "leak" and usually causes the idle to speed up
Read the instructions on the can, 1/3rd into intake via vacuum hose. You might need a person to hold the throttle lightly so the car doesn't stall. After pouring it in, shut the truck down and wait about 10 mins. Then start up and observe a massive white cloud form out of the end of your tailpipe. Do not do this in a garage ONLY PERFORM OUTSIDE and preferably not in your driveway.
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. 1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Sport 4WD, V6 5-Speed e-Locker-> 4WD 4runner Journal Thread 1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Un-Sported 2WD, V6 Auto ->2WD 4runner Journal Thread 1959 Chevy 3100 1/2 Ton Pickup EVERYTHING done 'cept paint and body
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Pulling the PCV or any other vacuum hose to add stuff creates a "leak" and usually causes the idle to speed up
Read the instructions on the can, 1/3rd into intake via vacuum hose. You might need a person to hold the throttle lightly so the car doesn't stall. After pouring it in, shut the truck down and wait about 10 mins. Then start up and observe a massive white cloud form out of the end of your tailpipe. Do not do this in a garage ONLY PERFORM OUTSIDE and preferably not in your driveway.
Thank you so much for responding.
So, it slowed down and then died and then it started smoking around the intake. Do I need someone inside revving it to keep this from happening?
__________________
Living and breathing and bleeding Toyota
RIP my ‘96.
So, it slowed down and then died and then it started smoking around the intake. Do I need someone inside revving it to keep this from happening?
Leave it idling, reving it up will run it on through engine.
I use a glass measuring cup with a hose attached to vacuum port.
Skim the hose end over surface of liquid so it doesn't kill engine.
Let it set 20 minutes, start an let the skeeter fogging begin, I don't live in Cali so I can do the skeeter fogging.
The two capped off vacuum lines on top of the throttle body are smaller holes and are only active when you start opening the throttle plate.
I thought about using one of them with a small pilot jet as a flow restrictor, and running -20 windshield washer fluid through it while driving. I do this with my Saturn and a limit switch on the throttle body to only open the valve at 3% throttle.
My piston tops are now clean with minor carbon spots in the center with 182,000 miles on it.
I took a different approach to be sure the product was getting where I wanted it.......I took 18" lengths of 3/8 plastic hose with a section of 14 gauge wire down the middle of it so I could easily direct it through the blocked open throttle down each plenum port to the intake manifold.
it was fun, smoked like crazy....didn't notice any difference
The two capped off vacuum lines on top of the throttle body are smaller holes and are only active when you start opening the throttle plate.
I have always (on 3 different Toyotas) used one of these small diameter hoses. I use a large syringe and slowly pour the seafoam in. It is nice and controllable this way, you can modulate the RPMs by pouring faster or slower. I use the small hose that goes to the evaporation canister as it is not an important function to engine running.
A small wedge of wood keeps the throttle open. I just go my ear to maybe 1,500 rpm. Anything higher just makes me cringe. Then just pop the stick out when you are done, no need to beg the wife to help.
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-1996 4Runner. 3RZ 5-Spd. 4x4 Base model. OME2906/Toyota OEM rears with 2004 Tacoma Dual Rate Fronts on Bilstien 4600s.
-1993 Corolla Wagon 7AFE
-2001 Echo D.D.
recently did my valve cover gaskets and while i had the intake open i poured a half can of sea foam into the open ports.. cranked for a second.. and added some more. soaked over night.
finished the valve cover gasket job and fired it up.. smoked way more than the other times, and the gas mileage has improved significantly.
150,000 miles and head gasket time. The Pistons have minor carbon buildup. I could run some cleaner through it after assembly and borescope it to see if there is a difference.
In my Saturn SL1 I installed water injection with a 50cc nozzle. It uses 1 gallon of -20 windshield washer fluid in around 200 miles. With 180,000 miles on it I now have aluminum showing when I shine a flashlight into the spark plug hole. Thought about doing this same setup on my SR5 with a 90cc nozzle since it's a 3.4L instead of the 1.9L. I mounted a limit switch to turn it on around 3% throttle position.
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Last edited by 19963.4lsr5; 07-18-2018 at 07:40 AM.
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