Sea Foam?

[KenC]

So which hose on a M20? I need a diagram, or use a digital camera to snap pics and confirm?

It's the hose that I've 'outlined' in green. It's a little skinny one that comes from the bottom of the intake manifold into the fuel pressure regulator. The fuel pressure regulator is the cylindrical goldish colored thing. With the car running, as soon as you pull the hose off of the fuel pressure regulator, just stick your finger over it, you'll feel vacuum pressure.

[rwh11385]

Yeah, I definately wish I waited until someone else got home. Holding the vacuum hose in the bottle and trying to start the car is tough. I poured 2/3 in the gas tank (with only like 2 galloons left) and sucked as much as I could in the vacuum hose. But I couldn't hold the hose in the bottle, start the car, and blip the throttle at the same time. And I didn't feel like waiting for anyone to get over here, so whatever. I'm waiting to see how it worked in about 2 minutes.


For the M20 drivers, it's my red hose attached to the front of the intake manifold. Like Ken said, pull it the hose off the fuel pressure regulator, and put it in the sea foam.

p.s. It was easier in the later attempts to use a clear bottle rather than the Sea Foam's metal one.

update: not too much smoke really in my car, but there wasn't too much of a difference. Maybe the car seems to have a little better throttle response, but meh. I used Z-Max about a month ago, so the engine should have been pretty well cleaned already.

[KenC]

If you're going to do it, definitely get someone to hold the hose in the bottom of the can while you control the throttle (the engine will stop if you don't keep it at 2k rpms or so). Suck the whole can up and then turn the car off. Let it sit for ten minutes and then start the car up. There will be a shitload of white smoke while you're sucking it up and after you restart it.


*On a side note, when I initially stuck the hose in the bottle the engine started to die immediately so I gave the throttle cable a quick tug and a huge smoke ring came out from my exhaust pipe. It was kinda cool. 8) :)

[e30Matt]

Ran it through the M42 last night, smoked like a mo-fucka, but now I'm definitely feeling some increases in response and maybe I venture to say a little power as well. Definitely revs smoother, and I can feel a difference on the highway.

On a side note, the exhaust smelled like ass for about the first 5 minutes of driving after I had let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

[chesster6969]

On a side note, the exhaust smelled like ass for about the first 5 minutes of driving after I had let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

Your car smelled like ass too! Mine did too with the Sea Foam. Im running another bottle tommorrow.
I did it by myself too. I let the car start and idle for a few minutes and then I didconnected the fuel regulator vacuum hose and let it suck Sea Foam in a quarter at a time. After each quarter I let the car sit for 10-15 mins and then came back and started her up. Looks like my exhaust was getting stoned with huge puffs of smoke.
I dropped 1/2 a can in the gas tank and the last half into the engine again. I turned the car off and the engine kept turning for another 10 seconds or so, with no ignition or nothing!
Scary :roll:

[LowR3V'in]

I use water, works just as good :idea:

[KenC]

I use water, works just as good :idea:

I've heard water works very well for cleaning the carbon deposits out, however, I wouldn't add water to my gas tank to clean the injectors (which is something you can do with sea foam).

[chesster6969]

I use water, works just as good :idea:

I was going to use a water/alcohol mix too but then I decided to try out the Sea Foam.
You cant let water soak into the engine like you can with Sea Foam.

And the possibility for HydroLocking my engine is highly reduced ;)

[Ryan Stewart]

I used injector cleaner. Smelled awful and ran like shit for like 5 mnutes then was fine. My car didnt feel any faster.

Have done the sea foam thing on a friends truck to the same effect, couldnt tell a difference.

Sea foam is a liquid so it would hydrolock too, if yo ucould suck enough to do that but I let that shit suck at full gait and the engine just studdered.

[Jand3rson]

We did something similar to this on my little Subaru I had back in college in my auto repair class. It was called "Top Engine Cleaner". Same procedure, just sucked a whole can of it through a vacuum hose, gave it gas, and watched the cloud of smoke enclose the whole college. :D We ended up doing 2 cans, and the car ran noticeably better afterwards.

[KenC]

I just put an entire can of sea foam through my vacuum hose. Not nearly as much white smoke as the first time I put the 1/2 can through. I ran half the can through, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then ran the other half through and let it sit for five more. Then I took it for a drive to campus and back (3 miles or so) to burn all of the sea foam out.
I'll give a review of my experience next time I take it for a drive.


EDIT:

OK, I just took the car out for a nice drive and I think that the sea foam helped. The car definitely sounds a lot smoother, and it seems to me like it revs a lot smoother too. Even if it is all a placebo, I still think it's worth the $5 for the can.

[JPbmw]

ok im gonna probably do this tomorrow, but first i want to get everything right.
1. put 1/2 of a can in the tank with the car off(does the tank have to be full, empty, or it doesnt matter?)
2. start the engine and pull the vaccum hose and let it soak the rest of the cane, and keep the engine running for about 5-10 mins.
3. turn it off let it sit for about 5-10 more mins and then take it for a drive.

did i get everything right?

Thanks

[KenC]

ok im gonna probably do this tomorrow, but first i want to get everything right.
1. put 1/2 of a can in the tank with the car off(does the tank have to be full, empty, or it doesnt matter?)
2. start the engine and pull the vaccum hose and let it soak the rest of the cane, and keep the engine running for about 5-10 mins.
3. turn it off let it sit for about 5-10 more mins and then take it for a drive.

did i get everything right?

Thanks

This is what I did (and what I recommend you to do):

1. Buy two cans.
2. Get your gas tank down to about 2 gallons left, put one whole can in the gas tank.
3. Start the engine
4. Unplug the vacuum hose from the fuel pressure regulator
5. Have a friend hold the hose in the second can of sea foam, while you control the throttle (the car will want to die if you don't keep the rpms way up).
6. Run half the can through the vacuum hose.
7. Shut the car off and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
8. Start the car back up and let it idle for a minute or two
9. Put the other half of the can through the vacuum hose.
10. Turn the car off and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
11. Start it back up and drive it around for a few minutes and burn all of the sea foam out

[JPbmw]

ok, Thanks for the "write up" ;)

[KenC]

No Problem. I would really recommend it to everybody. I just took my car for another drive and it does rev a lot smoother. It used to have a bit of hesitation around 2500 rpms while accelerating... but now it seems to be gone.