How To: Seamfoam Treament (3Rd Gens V6)

Thread resurrection for question. I just did this and didn't get thick smoke. I definitely got smoke, but it wasn't super thick white like I see in youtube vids. Also, the thread says the smoke continues for 5-10 minutes. Mine lasted for 2 minutes max. Did I do it right? Or should I try it again?

I bought 2 bottles. Used 1/2 bottle in gas tank (with gas needle at 1/4 tank), 1/2 in oil fill. Used 1/3 through PCV and slowly sucked it in...waited 10 minutes as stated on here and fired her up. Please advise...thanks!
 
Thread resurrection for question. I just did this and didn't get thick smoke. I definitely got smoke, but it wasn't super thick white like I see in youtube vids. Also, the thread says the smoke continues for 5-10 minutes. Mine lasted for 2 minutes max. Did I do it right? Or should I try it again?

I bought 2 bottles. Used 1/2 bottle in gas tank (with gas needle at 1/4 tank), 1/2 in oil fill. Used 1/3 through PCV and slowly sucked it in...waited 10 minutes as stated on here and fired her up. Please advise...thanks!

It probably wasn't that dirty to begin with. The smoke comes from loosened deposits being burned in the combustion chambers, and if there wasn't a lot of gunk there won't be a lot of smoke. If you wanna be sure, suck another batch through the PVC hose, let the truck stall out, then let it cook overnight.
 
Is it pretty much necessary to swap plugs and O2 sensor after this? I'll look in the crankcase for sludge, but my Runner was super clean when I bought it. I may not even need to do it, but if I did, I guess I should look into a full tuneup shortly thereafter...
 
Is it pretty much necessary to swap plugs and O2 sensor after this? I'll look in the crankcase for sludge, but my Runner was super clean when I bought it. I may not even need to do it, but if I did, I guess I should look into a full tuneup shortly thereafter...

No. Not Necessary at all.

If your engine is filthy, then there's more of a chance that it's going to foul upo your O2 sensors.

As for your plugs, there really isnt anything that's going to affect them, because they burn and get really freaking hot.

But, it couldn't hurt to change them.
 
It probably wasn't that dirty to begin with. The smoke comes from loosened deposits being burned in the combustion chambers, and if there wasn't a lot of gunk there won't be a lot of smoke. If you wanna be sure, suck another batch through the PVC hose, let the truck stall out, then let it cook overnight.

Question: Just did the same thing. Followed the directions for a basic sea foam treatment and got some smoke but not much. Should i wait a certain amount of time before attempting the super soak method?
 
ok. i bought some and introduced it as recommended, no problem. didn't get any smoke though. i either didn't put enough or the engine is clean. any thoughts? it only has 98k, so it should have had some.
 
Did the Seafoam

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.
 
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. [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] 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:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J5BvNwyIqmY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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.

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.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J5BvNwyIqmY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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?
 
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?

If you had 3 hands you could just move the throttle at the TB while under the hood, otherwise a helper in the cab could work too

Smoke at the intake? When it died or while it was running? There should be no smoke in the engine bay
 
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.


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