Seafoam on a 173k ej18?

[g-rider]

Good idea or no? I'm sure it's never been done on the car. I want to, but i'm nervous because of the high mileage.

I've searched and found a great deal on it, but I'm still not sure on mileage, or what vac line to feed through... Since the Brake Booster only hits the passenger side cylinders, and i dont have a turbo, so no BPV... where would it go besides the gas tank and crankcase?

Any help is appreciated.

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

[g-rider]

I think ppl are waiting to laugh at me. So, I'm just going to leave it as a bad idea, and try it when my motor finally decides to not move anymore.

[jordan s]

i don't see why it would be a bad idea........

[HeftyJo]

I just checked out the Seafoam promotional video on Google Video. It appears that you just need some type of access into the intake while the engine is running. For a carburated engine this is easy since you just pull the air cleaner cover and pour it down the venturi body. For a fuel infected engine though it is tricky to just pour it down into the throttle body -- especially when it points to the firewall. So, just look for a vacuum line that goes straight into the intake manifold or throttle body and use a funnel or spigot to pour the seafoam in while the engine is running. If that is too much hassle then you can probably do just as well pouring it into the gas tank.

I usually use a product called RxP to decarbon my engine through the fuel system. To remove build up and sludge in the crankcase I'd use Auto-Rx instead of Seafoam.

It seems that usually the guys with the Euro cars swear by Seafoam. They always talk about "smokin' the engine out". Granted BMW engines have some fairly tight tolerances and are well blue printed and balanced. So, buildup on the piston tops can throw things off over time. In theory any engine should benefit from a de-carbon treatment but some more so than others. If you are having problems passing inspection due to emissions issues then RxP or Seafoam is definitely worth a try.

[g-rider]

thanks for the replies. I'm still considering it, but i have a feeling there is a ridiculous amount of build up in the engine. And i've seen people warn against seafoaming a high mileage car, but no reason why...

[Matt Monson]

The reason they warn against it is the same reason people warn against switching to synthetic oil on a high mileage engine. Once it's cleaned out and the build up is removed there's a chance that the engine will develop oil leaks. Oftentimes, on an old high mileage engine, leaky seals get a little help from all the deposits on them. Once they are gone, leaks start. Then you are put in a position where you have to disassemble major components and replace seals.

Personally, I think the smart thing to do is just drive the car as is unless it needs maintenance. My '93 has 190k mi on it's original engine. It's recently gotten some leaks and when I go to do the timing belt in the coming months, I will pull the engine and do oil pump, camshaft, crank, and oil seperator plate seals at the same time. However, not everyone is in the position where they can just yank the engine and do such a major service. You've got to make your own decisions based on your skill level, needs, and financial position.

I will say that there are guys over on Legacy Central (the 1990-1994 era cars) forums who swear by the seafoam treatment. Even though your car is marginally different, you might go over there to the engine forum and search for threads about it. I am sure you will find details of how to go through the process and how best to introduce it to your intake.

[g-rider]

hmmm... well, i just re-sealed the oil pump and front main seal... now the car seems to hold its fluids perfectly well. I think i may give this a try.

[kami333]

I've seafoamed my 134k ej22 and 198k ej18 engines, no problems. I switched them to synthetic too I use 1/3 in the gas tank, 1/3 into the oil, and pour 1/3 through the PCV valve, then change the oil the next day.

[g-rider]

Originally Posted by kami333

I've seafoamed my 134k ej22 and 198k ej18 engines, no problems. I switched them to synthetic too I use 1/3 in the gas tank, 1/3 into the oil, and pour 1/3 through the PCV valve, then change the oil the next day.

beautiful... i never thought of the PCV valve. thanks for the tip. I'll let you all know how it works out.

[jordan s]

i want to seafoam my car badly since i'm nearing 50,000 miles and i've read countless instructions on how to do it, but i have no idea what a PCV valve is so they're all useless. can someone explain or better yet post a picture of the PCV valve? sorry if i'm retarded for not knowing.

[clokwork]

I used seafoam at approximately 120k and I went through the gas tank to avoid the hassle. To be honest, I didn't notice any increase in gas mileage or driveability. I do hope it took out some deposits on it's way out though. I did notice that for a few weeks though I actually lost gas mileage but went back to normal.

[XanRules]

I just went full synthetic on my 196k after seafoaming the crap out of it, so I'd take both comments with a grain of salt.
No problems, engine's almost as good as new according to the dealerships around here.

[Magnetrax]

do it.
start engine
pull the hose clamp on the brake booster
pull hose off booster
pour/ let it suck/ seafoam into the hose
the idle will drop so start slow and dump in as much as you can without the engine bogging out.
do half a can or so.
drive around town, flooring it at will

just dont do it when your neighbor is trying to bbq with his family, cause he will hate you for it.

[Counterfit]

Originally Posted by Magnetrax

do it.
start engine
pull the hose clamp on the brake booster
pull hose off booster
pour/ let it suck/ seafoam into the hose
the idle will drop so start slow and dump in as much as you can without the engine bogging out.
do half a can or so.
drive around town, flooring it at will

just dont do it when your neighbor is trying to bbq with his family, cause he will hate you for it.

Except for the part in bold:

Originally Posted by g-rider

Good idea or no? I'm sure it's never been done on the car. I want to, but i'm nervous because of the high mileage.

I've searched and found a great deal on it, but I'm still not sure on mileage, or what vac line to feed through... Since the Brake Booster only hits the passenger side cylinders, and i dont have a turbo, so no BPV... where would it go besides the gas tank and crankcase?

Any help is appreciated.

Some people use the PCV line, which will feed all cylinders.

[ShadowVlican]

Originally Posted by jordan s

i want to seafoam my car badly since i'm nearing 50,000 miles and i've read countless instructions on how to do it, but i have no idea what a PCV valve is so they're all useless. can someone explain or better yet post a picture of the PCV valve? sorry if i'm retarded for not knowing.

maybe this thread can help

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1648088

[antho!]

Originally Posted by kami333

I've seafoamed my 134k ej22 and 198k ej18 engines, no problems. I switched them to synthetic too I use 1/3 in the gas tank, 1/3 into the oil, and pour 1/3 through the PCV valve, then change the oil the next day.

did exactly that, i highlighted in red what i used for the intake, i used the bottom (left most in the picture) to suck the seafoam in, i felt my car coast better, no leaks, ~1k on my car, good luck

[Reble_45]

Strange, I never knew that you could use seafoam for that too. I always just did 1/2 in the tank and 1/2 in the oil. Strange.

[g-rider]

I did it today... 1/3 in the tank which will take awhile to burn through, 1/3 in the oil which i'm changing tomorrow after some light neighborhood driving, and 1/3 through the PCV. WORKED GREAT! Smoked like a mo fo! Definitely more crisp on the throttle response... But I haven't really romped on it because i still have the seafoam in the oil. After tomorrow's oil change she should be cruisin just fine.

[watchunglava]