Author Topic: Anyone use seafoam in their M42? (Read 15839 times)

beemer1 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2009, 09:21:10 PM »

Sorry I just mean adding it to the throttle body so the intake stays clean.

I figured that adding it to the oil as much as once a month would damage seals.

So does anyone object to adding seafoam to the throttle body only, every oil change or few months?

Hodge · « **Reply #16 on:** April 06, 2009, 07:42:26 PM »

Wouldn't be a bad idea, but honestly, the throttle isn't going to get gunked up "every few months".

Case in point; My throttle body came off for teh first time since the factory installed it when I did my DASC a month and a half ago. The plates were perfectly clean and no sign of dirt or grime.

Yes, I had used SeaFoam, but that was at least a year since I did the SeaFoam prior to removing the throttle body.

If you keep your air filter clean, and have no vacuum leaks, it should stay pretty clean.

91 e30m42 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 30, 2009, 10:51:48 PM »

hey i have a question i used seafoam and used 2 cans one can for the fuel and one can for the oil and vacuum line and followed the instructions after i drove it and parked for a while i went to turn the car on one of my spark plugs shot out and stripped the threads and this happened right after i used seafoam....now does anyone have any idea what happened or did i use too much seafoam by the way the car had about 250 k miles but been taking care of with regular maintaince synthethic oil and premium fuel...any info would help.......

Hodge · « **Reply #18 on:** May 31, 2009, 09:20:54 AM »

Why did you use 2 cans?

One is more than enough.

How long did you let it sit? You are only supposed to let it sit for no more than 15 minutes.

91 e30m42 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 31, 2009, 07:21:55 PM »

to tell you the truth i have no idea why i used 2 cans but i let the car sit for exactly 6 min then turned it on reved the motor until all the black smoke shot out the exhaust then drove it around the block then went to autozone and when i got back in to start it that spark plug thing happen.....im just curious on what couldve happen whether i put too much or something else happen....either way im getting a new 91 m42 wit 75 k miles on it gonna have it ported and polished with forged pistons soon

beemer1 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 01, 2009, 04:41:28 PM »

It sounds like someone overtightened the plug and once the engine reached operating temps the plug blew out with the threads??? Just taking a stab at it...

DesktopDave · « **Reply #21 on:** June 01, 2009, 05:00:45 PM »

+1 - those plugs are especially easy to overtorque when the engine is warm. I don't use a torque wrench anymore - I use some copper anti-sieze, snug them up by hand and then give them 1/8 turn regardless of the torque. Haven't had one come loose yet.

Some plugs I've seen had burrs when they were brand new. One burr in that soft aluminum and it's Helicoil time. Think of how many times the plugs have been replaced in 250K miles.

I've used Seafoam on all sorts of things, been happy with its performance. Sometimes it works, other times it won't make much difference. No way to predict what it'll do. Outstanding for carbs too - no problems with rubber components, cleans everything very nicely. I've heard good things about Marvel Mystery Oil too, have yet to try it. I've also heard good things about the Pepsi hot soak, but I'm pretty skeptical about that one.

beemer1 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:11:54 PM »

Quote from: DesktopDave;72752

Pepsi hot soak?

WTF is that about? First I heard of it, please explain :confused:

By the way do you give a fresh oil change using cheap oil BEFORE adding sea foam for ~50 miles and then follow up with an oil change using quality oil? I'm not sure if using spent cheap oil (close to 3,000 mi.) and adding seafoam to already spent oil is a good idea. I regularly run the car to 3,500-4,000rpm consistently for 1 hour/day

Steve

DesktopDave · « **Reply #23 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:36:53 PM »

There's an urban myth about using Coke or Pepsi to clean your engine. Someone on the web sucked it into a running engine to de-coke the exhaust valves like a steam cleaning. If you've ever seen the Mentos/Diet Coke experiments or melted a nail with Pepsi you know about the powerful chemicals in those bottles.

While it might work, there are much more effective chemicals (like Seafoam for cleaning, and beer for bloody knuckles or good ideas).

So...again...please don't put soft drinks into your engine. Put the drinks into you when you're wrenching.

I usually just put the Seafoam straight into the old oil before warming the car up for an oil change. The oil is good for more than 3K miles IMHO, I wouldn't let it bother me. I usually run full synthetics (with regular filter changes) for 6-10K miles. I'd still take it easy on the car when you have the Seafoam in there.

beemer1 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:46:11 PM »

Quote from: Hodge;69594

If you keep your air filter clean, and have no vacuum leaks, it should stay pretty clean.

I fixed all air leaks including the mess under the intake. The problem i forsee is that I'm using a K&N cone air filter WITHOUT a cold air box.

Twice a year I recharge the filter and notice some very slight oily/grime residue in the throttle body. This is after ~8 years of using the cone filter (w/ regular maintanance 2x/year) and never taking apart both intakes there was considerable build-up, especially the lower intake w/ fuel injectors including valves.

Should I either buy/fabricate a cold air box or just go back to the oem set-up? I forgot to mention I have a Jim C. chip and new oem exhaust, what would you guys do?

Steve

beemer1 · « **Reply #25 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:56:07 PM »

Quote from: DesktopDave;72770

There's an urban myth about using Coke or Pepsi to clean your engine. Someone on the web sucked it into a running engine to de-coke the exhaust valves like a steam cleaning. If you've ever seen the Mentos/Diet Coke experiments or melted a nail with Pepsi you know about the powerful chemicals in those bottles.

While it might work, there are much more effective chemicals (like Seafoam for cleaning, and beer for bloody knuckles or good ideas).

So...again...please don't put soft drinks into your engine. Put the drinks into you when you're wrenching.

I usually just put the Seafoam straight into the old oil before warming the car up for an oil change. The oil is good for more than 3K miles IMHO, I wouldn't let it bother me. I usually run full synthetics (with regular filter changes) for 6-10K miles. I'd still take it easy on the car when you have the Seafoam in there.

Thats why I don't drink Pepsi/Coke anymore and instead make my own beer:D Any soft drink that can act like seafoam scares the hell out of me:eek:

If I were to use seafoam in the crankcase I would use the wally world special oil for a short bit and change it out for mobil 1 after ~500 miles of use.. It makes me sleep better at night;)

Steve

Hodge · « **Reply #26 on:** June 02, 2009, 11:08:27 AM »

Quote from: beemer1;72773

I fixed all air leaks including the mess under the intake. The problem i forsee is that I'm using a K&N cone air filter WITHOUT a cold air box.

Twice a year I recharge the filter and notice some very slight oily/grime residue in the throttle body. This is after ~8 years of using the cone filter (w/ regular maintanance 2x/year) and never taking apart both intakes there was considerable build-up, especially the lower intake w/ fuel injectors including valves.

Should I either buy/fabricate a cold air box or just go back to the oem set-up? I forgot to mention I have a Jim C. chip and new oem exhaust, what would you guys do?

Steve

A cone without some kind of heatshield will be worse than the stock airbox. If I could still use my airbox I would, but it doesn't fit anymore, and I do probably need more intake than the stock box can give. But on a stock motor, the stock airbox is the best setup IMO.

Jimmy Lewis · « **Reply #27 on:** June 02, 2009, 02:39:30 PM »

I have only used seafoam once and it was in a 1970 Honda Trail 70 motorcycle. Let me just say that it completely transformed the way the motor ran, despite eating through an old epoxy repair of the carb which required a bit of lead, it worked fantastically. Bike starts up first kick every time, and runs like a top. It has over 15K miles and only does 35 flat out, its seen some use.

As far as these cold air intake setups go, where I live it is over 90 degrees outside right now, there is no cold air. The idea is to keep the source of the air and the path of the air into the engine away from the heat created by the motor and radiator. A complete stock setup with the snorkel between the headlight cover is a pretty damn good idea. Not saying a nice heatshield and cone filter couldn't be just as effective, but if it isn't sealed at the hood completely then it is useless; it will just act as a vacuum and suck all of the hot air from between the engine and rad. Also, check how hot your intake manifold gets after the car has been running for a while, all of your efforts to keep the air temps ambient are pretty much snuffed out. The inside that thing is like a friggn' oven.

91 e30m42 · « **Reply #28 on:** August 17, 2011, 03:43:31 PM »

ive heard that seafoam can be bad for high mileage cars..my mechanic told me that seafoam cleans the motor so well that it may be bad since those old deposits that has settled over the years have maintained the motor and that once removed by seafoam can make the motor run unnaturally and can mess it up... is this true just a curious thought but he seemed so sure when he told me

DesktopDave · « **Reply #29 on:** August 17, 2011, 05:21:03 PM »

IMHO use Techron instead. I love SeaFoam but I only use it with my carb'ed bikes - works great.

I'm not sure SeaFoam is all that good for FI cars...I've used it once and it didn't help much. I've heard it's bad for catalytic converters and high-mileage cars...especially if you have compression troubles or significant carbon buildup.