Okay, not trying to pick a fight, but just wondering how much benefit there is to sucking SeaFoam through the TB and IM in addition to adding it to the gas tank.

Here's my thinking: adding SeaFoam to your gas obviously helps clean your injectors, and in the process the injectors spray the intake valves, helping to clean those as well. All good.

So what does sucking SF through the TB and IM do that is above and beyond? The inside of the TB and IM remain very clean (only air flowing through those), so what is the supposed benefit of running vaporized SF through them? I might understand if it was cleaning the butterflies, but isn't the vacuum port behind those?

Again, I'm not questioning adding SF to the gas tank (or the crankcase), but just wondering about the sip and suck into the TB.

 

The purpose of spraying thru the TB air plate is to clean it front and back and especially the edges - that plate regulates the air coming to the engine.
The pcv system makes it dirty all the time

Seafoam leaves behind a lubricating oil that helps the pivot hinge of the air plate.
It also can clean and lube throttle return springs (and throttle cables with some extra work but worth it)
That makes a big differance in how the car responds to throttle input

The master vac port is inboard of the TB -Master gets 20+ inches direct manifold engine vac at idle,
while its far less at the TB mouth- put your hand there and feel

You can do the whole procedure thru the TB if you want- with less vacuum its less effecient at blasting crud. ck seafoam site for info on 2000 rpm method
you can pour it into a carburator on grandpa's 80s chevy

do a little thru TB just to get any strange areas and the TB air plate,,majority done thru vac port

The intake manifold is actually very dirty- the PCV sends crankcase vapors of gas and oil directly thru that metal pipe to the rubber snout feeding the TB! That goes in and gets stuck to the inner walls of the intake runners-

For the hardcore: Seafoam makes a special 3 foot long straw that gives you access to the entire length of the manifold for direct cleaning into each runner,,you spray as you pull the straw out- it has a 360 degreee spray head


The oil method helps clean the pcv system

In the gas- 2 ounces per gallon of gas- thats about 1 can to just under a half tank = cleaning dose,
1 to 1 is maitenance dose you can do every 5000 miles if you want- or if you use cheap off brand gas

On the special cleaning machine at shops- it runs on 50/50 mix seafoam and gasoline in a 1 gal can,,,
your half tank is nowhere near that concentration~

It works OVER TIME thru the gas, getting the intake vlaves-pistons and injectors- fuel rails...
while the TB or vac port gets instant results on the intake valves, piston top, and cleans the cat on the way out.

Spoke with a tech at seafoam who said HEAT is your friend in making seafoam work- the warm up drive and blow out drives are critical, with ~cooking~ time to allow glaze to dissolve- but dont let the engine cool too long- go drive it!

Heavy concentration of nearly 50/50 right into the plenums can be obtained thru vac port- the engine will barely be running at about 3/4 can -then wait 15 minutes to percolate, dissolve glaze and crud

ck this for all the methods www.seafoamsales.com they have instructions using 2000 rpm - boy does that make it smoke sitting on the street!

 

how much benefit was your question-
I would say 70 percent better results-instant results with direct method and gas as a secondary method focused on cleaning injectors

Redline SI-1 fuel injector cleaner works awesome too- use at max dose on any of the gas cleaners--thats In my opinion for what its worth~ disclaimer-read makers website

 

Thanks for the info. I will add some via pre-TB line, but most through main vac line in TB.

I added half-a-can in half-tank of gas today, and put the other half in the crankcase. Unfortunately in my zeal, I did some 'spirited driving' today, which I now know is not recommended for the crankcase application. I put on a fresh oil filter before adding it, and will be doing a full oil change with another filter tomorrow. Hopefully I haven't done any damage running it so hard.

 

As soon as I opened this thread, I already knew that 01tl4tl already responded.

He can talk about seafoam for days!

 

^Lol.

 

pre tb line? what are you talking about?

You can either spray deep creep-(seafoam aerosol version) into the TB throat, (make your own with a small plastic spray bottle and regular liquid seafoam)

OR
put it thru the master vac port- using sip sip stablize -with a hose into a container of seafoam-dont sit end of hose into liquid! very bad things happen- maintain 1 inch clearance of hose above liquid- it will pick it up and make tornado~

Deep Creep users spray spray stabilize

Note carb cleaner is ok to clean the TB air plate, but lacks the lube oil for pivot hinge

Master Vac port is the one with a metal nipple coming from it- and feeds all the cylinders
There are other vac lines, but they dont get all 6- doing half the cylinders would be very bad

No problem running it in the oil up to month-
I do intentional vtec burst several times in order to clean its slider mechanisms- gen3 has an prob with that,,,cleaning mine to be safe-
vtec operates off changes in oil pressure so a clean system operates better
100-200 miles with a new filter is optimal- 30 minutes continous running time minimum for best results-meaning freeway drive
It takes heat and time to dissolve the glaze and stuff with it

Makes sure engine is warm for the oil change-15 minute freeway drive to liquify all the sludge

put another 1/2 can in the gas to make it a cleaning dose= 2oz per gal of fuel, you are 1 to 1 now, thats good for maitenance dose to keep it running like new
throw a can in gas at oil change time and that works good-7500 miles

Noobs to seafoam:
repeat intake and gas in a month then good for a year

seafoam even has a money back guarantee at- the place of purchase, if you dont think it helped, go back- here is your 9 dollars Sir

Wish I had stock in this stuff!- its been around since the '50s, has excellent tech support and does what it claims.

 

The vacuum lines coming off the 3" black tube between the air cleaner box and the TB; there are lines on either side, which according to what I have read in other threads here, are not a very strong vacuum, but could work for getting the TB plate cleaned.

If you take that tube off so you can spray the TB plate directly, I assume the car is running while you do it? Unfiltered air? What has this forum come to?!? Also, I read one of your posts in another thread (older one) where you were concerned about the detergents and the edges of the TB plates?? I guess you got past that fear?

Anyway, is a full can recommended for the TB/IM vacuum application? I have one full can left, so trying to decide whether to split it between intake and gas tank, or all intake.

BTW gang, Walmart has Sea Foam for $6.97 a can. ymmv

Thanks for the advice!

 

Well I used the main vac port on the TB and did a whole can of Sea Foam today. It took a little less than 10 min to suck it all up, then I let it sit for 15 min. After that, I cranked it back up for the blow-out drive. Lots of smoke and my valves were rattling when I hit it hard. The smoke was gone after about a mile on the interstate. I drove about 3 miles out, then back again, with high revs.

I also changed my oil after having Sea Foam in it for a day. I'll have to say that drain bolt was a bitch to get loose. I guess the last tech to change the oil used an impact wrench to tighten that sucker. The head of the bolt was already a little bit rounded, so that didn't help matters. Luckily I had a six-point socket 17mm socket handy, but I actually had to remove the passenger-side wheel in order to get a good angle for a solid pull on the bolt head. It all worked out, though.

Overall, a good weekend. A 3qt ATF change, and Sea Foamed the crankcase and IM.

 

remove the rubber snout from airbox to TB- spray directly at TB plate from there- first with engine OFF, spray liberally on BOTH front and back sides of plate and edges
Wipe up excess and start engine
Thats why not a vac line there but actual access to the part

for afterdrive- let engine idle a few minutes until it runs smooth enough to rev up to 2000, then start slowly driving in low gear at 2000
wait until bad noises in engine stop- thats when more gas than seafoam is back in the system
now do 4000 rpm with some blast to 5000
It will take 5-10 minutes of aggressive driving to blow crud out properly-
otherwise expect CEL

In speaking with seafoam tech rep on phone and emails I learned more than anyone needs to know about their products and methods to apply it

 

1/2 to 3/4 can in intake- I do as much as it will take and keep running~
seafoam says as little as 1/3 will work...but a bit more wont hurt either

getting the gas ratio to 2oz to 1 gal is the important thing for longer term cleaning-- of a few hundred miles- for the injectors