Seafoam Danger!

[DanVB1]

I would like to offer some information I got from my brother who worked for AutoZone (and now O’Reilly’s) as a commercial parts driver.
He talked to a few professional mechanics that performed the Seafoam cleaning by adding it directly to the intake manifold via vacuum hose. A few said they hydro-locked the engine after the engine sucked up most of the can within seconds. A Cadillac mechanic actually destroyed a Northstar by doing this (broke a rod).
Coincidentally my brother had a similar mishap with his Camaro. Once the SF liquid got into his engine, it stopped (locked-up). After trying to restart, he broke the starter drive since the engine was locked! Luckily, only a starter replacement was necessary.
Bottom Line? If you attempt, Please do so slowly with caution. I did this to my Ranger by dripping the liquid into a vacuum fitting at the front of the engine using a large plastic lab pipette (“eyedropper”).
You can find the typical procedure on the net, but most sites do not warn of the potential disasters that await if done too quickly.
I hope this will prevent one of us from destroying our engine!

 

[DCarey515]

It tells you on the can to do it slowly............

 

[small ranger]

Who ever reads directions? The only time most people read the directions is after the fact, you know..... When it did not work, or in this case the motor stopped and the can is empty.

 

[DCarey515]

LMAO!!!

 

[DanVB1]

The point is that the contents of the can may be sucked so quickly that many ounces of liquid may be drawn into the cylinders.
Literaure on the cleaning does not really say how this can be prevented. Every engine is different, places to add the SF different, etc., so a blanket procedure is not possible.
You may think you are doing it slowly, but within in a few seconds, the damage can be done!

 

[Crunchy]

I always hold my finger over the vaccum line - in other words, be a human regulator.

Wasn't there some guy who poured the foam into his intake with the engine off and then tried to crank it?

 

[DCarey515]

probably that Cadillac mechanic..............

 

[240cubes]

i put it in via the vaacum hose on all of my vehicles and ive never had any problems...

 

[shadetree]

I use water. Cheaper, no damage, and does a better job.shady

 

[rurouni20xx]

i did it once, on the vacuum line i put a lawn mower inline fuel shutoff and cocked it a hair, if the engine slowed i closed the valve and once it picked up again i eased it open and let it take some more. basically i just cracked the valve and it did fine.

 

[fleck]

You're only supposed to use 1/3 of the can through the vacuum. I used the PCV valve and it took about 5 minutes to suck in a coffee cup worth without dying.

When we changed my spark plugs and oil I put an ENTIRE can of intake cleaner into the manifold while the truck was off (woops). The truck was seized. I was worried. My mechanic took out a spark plug and it was soaked, started the truck and it spat out all the fluid out of the spark plug hole.

 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Liquid doens't compress? Hmm thats a new one.


j/k YEA you absolutely will hydro-lock an engine if you put too much of a liquid in a running engine. There is no "DANGER", it's more common sense. If you aren't "educated" enough to use it through the vacuum source, then you need to just run it through the fuel and stay out from under the hood.

..sorry, just my 2cents. It's kinda like if i said "flying is dangerous! i tried to fly a 747 and crashed." Yea, it's dangerous if you don't know what the hell you're doing lol

 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I use water. Cheaper, no damage, and does a better job.shady

ATF as well

 

[shadetree]

ATF as well

Still not as cheap as water, plus, it's still a petroleum product and will leave residue when burned.shady

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

I use water. Cheaper, no damage, and does a better job.shady

water will cause a hydrolocked situation the same as seafoam if added too fast...