I plan on giving my car some seafoam treatment.

Just a few Qs on that which I'm not sure about despite extensive searching:

- What is the exact procedure for applying seafoam through the brake booster hose? Should the car be running when I do it? Also I don't have my Haynes with me as I type, but is this hose easy to locate?

- Is 1/3 1/3 1/3 (gas tank, intake, oil) of a can enough, or should I add more to the gas tank for example.

- Some people say that adding seafoam to the oil is risky, as stuff that is dislodged can clog plugs etc. Is this something I should be significantly concerned about in your opinion?

Thanks so much for any tips!

 

Pop your valve cover off. What does it look like? Does it have sludge deposits? That can help decide whether or not to put it in the oil. Although sludge will build in the engine hot spots first, and may not be visible.

I use it ever other oil change and keep it clean. That way I don't worry about "strokes" when the chuncks dislodge.


Pull any larger vacuum hose of your engine after it is warmed up, submerge it into the seafoam while engine is IDLING. Allow it to kill the engine for you. Let it sit for 10 minutes, and start the car. The car will act flooded, because it is. You will have to hold the throttle open for a while to allow the air to overwhelm all the extra seafoam.

Take it for a drive to celar it out. You will most likely be leaving large clouds of bellowing smoke behind you. That's all the petroleum agents from the seafaom, and all the carbon form your intake valves, and piston top.

I usually put a full can of sea foam into a full tank every few months. Maybe less on a fuel injected engine. I am still not sure 100% that a strong concentration could not damage the materials used inside injectors.


Good luck, and have fun. I suggest an empty parking lot. I have had the cops called on me twice for using seafoam. By the time they got there, the car didn't smoke one tiny bit. Just told them I didn't know what the complaint was for. lol

 

Thanks a lot for the advice Ratfink
(and bad luck about your speeding tickets by the way)

If I do the oil and intake, is 1/3 can for each about the right amount? Which hose is the easiest to disconnect while the car's idling in your opinion - any precautions to take while doing so?

If I put seafoam in the oil, should I drive it a few miles before the oil change?

And for the gas, do you recommend pouring seafoam into a low-ish tank and then filling up with more gas on top of it?

Thanks so much

 

Don't know which Z you have. I used the brake booster hose on my 260Z, and on the 280ZX I just pulled the hose going to the carbon canister orr and had it suck through there. I woulod recommend the vacuum line closest to the throttle body if you have a FI Z. That way the front cylinders are likely to get just as much as the rear.

It should kill your engine with less than 1/3 of the can. But, some engines are healthier than others. lol
I once used seafoam on jeep 4.0, and the freaking engine actually picked up rpm's when I stuck the hose in the can of seafoam, and sucked the entire can in. Only time I have ever seen that happen. lol

The L6 in our Z's won't suck the entire can in before killing the engine though. Just a couple oz's and it wil die.

 

Thanks Ratfink,

I have a '83 Turbo 280zx, A/T.

Sounds like that's the one to go for then. Any idea what that hose would be called, so I can look it up in Haynes / FSM and make sure I pick the right hose?

So for the intake, I should let it 'drink' as much as it will before it dies right? Sometimes my car dies on idle anyway , so should I have someone give it some juice to keep it alive as long as it can manage?

And 1/3 can about right for the oil?

Thanks so much - you've definitely helped give me the confidence to proceed with this

 

you don't need it in the oil. Just put ATF in the oil. it has cleaning agents in it. will make stuff look brand new. no ****. run threw fuel. and intake.

 

Yeah it will clean. But, I don't recommend it personally. It also has friction modifiers in it to aid in the traction of the clutch packs in automatic transmissions. Transmissions use hardened roller bearings, and it does not harm them. However the bearings use in engines are made of soft metals, and it will cause accelerated wear on them.

Just my opinion. Not for the sake of argument.

 

Ya, I think I will stick with Seafoam - any thoughts on the couple of questions above?

Sorry to bug you...thanks so much for all the advice

 

Any idea exactly which hose this would be on an 83 turbo zx? Sorry for such a noobish question but I just want to make sure I do this right

 

Just pull one off. One of the larger ones. Doesn't matter.

 

I'm sure I'm being really annoying here, but I went down to the car today, hoping to seafoam the intake, but i just didn't feel confident knowing where to put the stuff!

I'm completely new to the whole vacuum system. Any chance someone could be kind enough to point out to me what to pull using these pics. (not my car but will do for demonstration purposes)






Thanks - and sorry for being a pain

 

Just any of the vacuum hoses behind the throttle body. Don't worry about your car not running great when you pull it off. You are going to put your thumb over whichever one is long enough when you pull it, then stick it into the seafoam. Seafoam will stall the engine.
Just use the brake booster one if you can pop it off easy. The on on my 81 ZXT is gard as a rock, and not coming lose. Any hose going to the intake manifold is vacuum except for the few coolant hoses. Pick one, and have fun.

You can even use the one from the fuel pressure regulator if you can't get a bigger one off. It just wont get as much seafoam into the engine before killing it.

 

I had my 80 280ZX N/A FI Drink the entire can of seafoam and kept running! It was acting like it was gonna die but didnt I finally turned the car off while it was sucking it up. Bad thing? idk