SEAFOAM BEWARE...

waynej · Post by **waynej** » 07 Dec 2007, 12:19

Was the car sitting on a completely level surface when you added the Seafoam?

vlv850 · Post by **vlv850** » 07 Dec 2007, 15:11

I had pulled the car infront of my house along the street, so I didn't stain my driveway with the exhaust. It was on a pretty level surface, maybe a very slight downslope with the road with the passenger's side being lower.

waynej · Post by **waynej** » 07 Dec 2007, 18:36

Sounds like you might have caused a hydraulic lock on the #1 cylinder and damaged the rod.

Maybe we need a new procedure for Seafoam treatment. After the 15 minute soak you disable the ignition and crank the engine for a second. If it didn't come to an abrupt stop, then you reconnect the ingnition and start the engine.

vlv850 · Post by **vlv850** » 07 Dec 2007, 20:29

From what I've been reading on other car forums, I think you're right waynej. It seems to be a common thing with other vehicle makes, but didn't find anything on any volvo forum of this happening, figured I was safe.

I told the Seafoam rep what happened, and he was like, "Why did you run it through an intake vacuum hose? It needs to be poured into a brake vacuum line, slowly, so that it is mixed with a lot of air."

"Because that's what the directions said on the can, you idiot" (His name was Dick) If the shoe fits.

As an alternative way of applying it, is there a way to run the seafoam through a fuel line and through the injectors? This way it's more concentrated than just pouring it in the gas tank, and hopefully much more safe than through the intake.

waynej · Post by **waynej** » 07 Dec 2007, 23:52

You're talking about 2 different treatments. Running it through the injectors will clean the injectors which gives you a better spray pattern. This will very slightly increase the mileage and power.

A bigger problem is the deposits on the back side of the intake valve. The injectors usually spray right at the back side of the intake valve. The valve is hot and the fuel will vaporize, this is good for efficiency. The problem is that some stuff in the fuel does not vaporize and this leaves deposits which block the flow of air into the cylinder. If you bought a new car and always used fuel with a good cleaner built in like Chevron, then you may never get deposits.
Most cars I have worked on do have deposits. Putting straight cleaner into the intake is the best and quickest way to remove them.

You can get some improvement by running the Seafoam through the injectors with the following procedure. Wait till your tank is down to 1/4 or 1/8 and pour a full can of Seafoam into the tank. Now give it the Italian tune up and then go immediately to the gas station and fill the tank. If you let the car sit overnight with the high concentration of Seafoam or other cleaners, you may dissolve any plastic or rubber in the fuel system and there is lots. This procedure will sometimes give you a noticeable increase in power and sometimes not.

gtaylor36 · Post by **gtaylor36** » 14 Dec 2007, 15:06

I'm a first time S70 owner. Can Someone tell me what Seafoam is?

Post by **redbrick** » 14 Dec 2007, 15:58

gtaylor36 wrote:I'm a first time S70 owner. Can Someone tell me what Seafoam is?

Something that someone reading this thread might conclude is capable of destroying your engine...............................................

http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUp.htm

Tsquared · Post by **Tsquared** » 18 Dec 2007, 21:25

I have read this thread three times. Without pulling the engine apart to see exactly what failed everything is speculation. I could see where a chunk of carbon broke off and damaged the head or piston, but nothing on the bottom end. I would find a different mechanic if he suggested a lower end component crapped when Seafoam was applied through the vacuum system - he is a dumb $h!t or a con artist. The Seafoam applied through the vacuum tree would clean only that area up through the intake on the top cylinder components. I have done this procedure the same way and was not satisfied with the results when I looked inside the engine with a borescope.

I have been running SeaFoam every 10K though the intake using a syringe with a tube to get it past the MAF. I have my son keep the RPMs about 1500 until I have loaded up the Seafoam. Shutdown and wait 10 minutes. Crank and it fog city. When that settles I will take it down the interstate for the Italian tune. I then wait for the engine to cool and then clean the PCV and all other hoses on the intake system.

I have had good results with it and it is a good product.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 18 Dec 2007, 21:44

You clean the entire PCV system every 10K miles? Wow!
Where do you in-put the Seafoam to get it past the MAF??

I'm stumped on both of your comments, so please elaborate.

Tsquared · Post by **Tsquared** » 19 Dec 2007, 07:44

MadeInJapan wrote:You clean the entire PCV system every 10K miles? Wow!
Where do you in-put the Seafoam to get it past the MAF??

I'm stumped on both of your comments, so please elaborate.

Use a 250 CC syringe with a 9 in tube connected. With the air filter out the tube will fit through the waffle part the sensor. Squirt away.

Unfortunately I do not clean the entire system every time. I do get the worst parts - tube where the flame trap used to reside is usually the worst. I have pulled everything apart at the 120K to clan the gunk and varnish out of the system.