Sea Foam

[zig]

Okay, I've read all of the sea foam threads that I can find, and have decided to go ahead and give it a try. I can figure out the gas application just fine, but hear that putting it in directly does more good. I've heard that you can do this either through the CPV valve, or a brake line booster (or something like that). The thing is that I'm not real sure what they mean by putting it into the CPV valve. Which side do they use, and do they put it through the valve, or just into the pipe? Where is it even located on a 4th gen.?

Sorry for being so stupid on this, but I'm not real comfortable sticking stuff down pipes that I really don't know much about.

I've got a lot of miles on this thing, and I've noticed that it is taking a little longer to start than it used to, so I'm ready to give this a shot. I'm going to go ahead and do the Auto-RX thing at the same time, hopefully coming out with a very clean engine.

Thanks

 

[Mr. Lambdebois]

What I have found to work the best is to get a 1 foot peice of airline tubing. The kind you would use in a fish tank. Put it in the can of sea foam and pull off the vacuum line at the brake booster.

Keep the vehicle at a steady rpm around 2000. It is easier if you have a friend do it inside the vehicle so you can concentrate on controling the seafoam flow. Take the airline tubing coming out of the seafoam and put the other end closer to the vacum line off the booster. The vacuum at the end of the line will act like a straw. I find that when the tubing is about an inch away from the vacum line it sucks the right amount in but you will have to be the judge when you do it. You do not need to put the tubing so it is touching the vacum line. This will suck out too fast and stall your engine. Just start a few inches away and move them closer untill the vacuum starts pulling the seafoam out of the tubing into the vacuum line.

Keep in mind if too much seafoam goes in to fast you will feel the vehicle start to sputter and stall. I usually use about 1/3 a can and then turn off the vehicle, out the vacuum line back in and give it a crank. If a lot of gunk was in you intake manifold and combustion chamber you will see it smoke for a while as it burns out. Idle till the smoke clears up and you are done.

 

[Her4Runner]

Use Mr. Lamb's method...it's that easy. A couple things to add:

--I let it sit (soak) for ~2 hours instead of just the recommended 5-15 minutes. This really gives the solution a chance to work on any internal carbon/sludge/etc. before starting it back up & blowing it out

--If you live in a residential area, you may want to drive somewhere remote or do this at night. The smoke-show I put on for my neighbors w/ our 100K mile 3rd Gen. was substantial!

--Real good idea to change your oil immediately thereafter. I timed the Seafoam application w/ my last oil change. (*Some say to also change your plugs, but I personally don't think its necessary. Mine were still clean as a whistle.)

Oh yeah, being fairly certain that this had never been done to our truck, I pulled ~2/3 of a can through vac., then dumped the remainder in the gas tank.

HTH! YRMV...
Her4Runner

 

[Mr. Lambdebois]

Use Mr. Lamb's method...it's that easy. A couple things to add:

--If you live in a residential area, you may want to drive somewhere remote or do this at night. The smoke-show I put on for my neighbors w/ our 100K mile 3rd Gen. was substantial!

--Real good idea to change your oil immediately thereafter. I timed the Seafoam application w/ my last oil change. (*Some say to also change your plugs, but I personally don't think its necessary. Mine were still clean as a whistle.)

Oh yeah, being fairly certain that this had never been done to our truck, I pulled ~2/3 of a can through vac., then dumped the remainder in the gas tank.

HTH! YRMV...
Her4Runner

Excellent advice. I usually dumpo the rest in my tank right before fillup at the gas station also. :bigok:

I

 

[zig]

Thanks guys, but where can I find the vacuum line at the brake booster? I think that I can figure it out, but want to make sure.