Cleaning the combustion chambers/IMRC's/runners with Seafoam!!!

[Shifty]

Ok, you all wanna know about Seafoam. Seafoam is this stuff that is used to dissolve carbon deposits in your combustion chambers and will do the same on the IRMC's pretty well. I was sceptacle at first, but then I used it and WOW, what a difference on my 96 Cobra. It can be bought at most autoparts stores. People say to put it in the gas, but then it's just like injector cleaner and doesn't do shit barely. I was told to use the PCV valve to suck it into the motor, so that's what I did.

Step 1: with the motor off, simply pull the PCV hose out of the DRIVER-side valve cover, but leave it connected to the manifold.

Step 2: Open the bottle of Seafoam (the fluid, not the aerosol spray kind) and put the end of the PCV hose into the can, while keeping the can as upright as possible at first. You'll need 2 people, one to hold the can, one inside the car.

Step 3: Start the motor for about 12 seconds. This will suck all the contents out of the bottle into the motor. The can-holder should signal to the person in the car to turn-off the motor as soon as the can is empty. The faster you turn it off, the better. You'll notice that the motor will nearly die when it sucks in the Seafoam, this is normal. Seriously, it'll work fine after the process is done.

Step 4: Let the car sit for 30 minutes with the engine off.

Step 5: MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN A VEEERY WELL VENTILATED AREA. This will cause quite a smoke-show. Start the motor, let it idle for about 30 seconds. The engine will be sluggish and want to die, but will usually stay running. After 30 seconds or so, raise the RPM to about 2800 and hold it there until you feel the motor start to rev more freely (usually about 20-40 seconds). This step makes lots of smoke. That is all the dissolved carbon blowing out.

Step 6: Take the car out for a spin. Go WOT as soon as possible. This should clear the remaining contaminates.

Step 7: Drive the car around at different speeds and RPM's until it feels like the car is running like normal. After 10-15 of driving, you should notice a large increase in power, more smoothness in revs, and an all-round better running motor. After 74,000 miles I did this, and it felt like the engine had gained 20 horsepower, even though it was probably just underpowered with carbon before.

A can of Seafoam is about $4-5 and the can looks old-school. It has ornate style writing and kinda resembles an old shaving-cream can. Ask the store people, they'll know. It should be by the injector cleaners, etc.

Try it. You won't be dissapointed. PM me if you have questions/comments. Oh, enjoy going 007 smokescreen style on people behind you!

Here is another write-up to clean out the IMRCs and runners manually as well.

http://www.svtmustangcobraclub.com/media/pdfs/tech/IMRC_Cleaning.pdf

Edited July 12, 2012 by Shifty

[dannysvt]

when you add it to the oil it should be very close to ur next oil change

[Shifty]

Also forgot to mention. IF your changing your spark plugs soon. Do this before you change them. Its not needed, but a good practice.

[AZSN95SNAKE]

you will not notice a huge power increase if they are not filthy, this only works if they are dirty. i'm skeptical about sea foam cleaning imrc. I'll have to experiment with that soon, I'll post reactions. 68k miles, and haven't cleaned them.

[Shifty]

youll be fine. its not a big deal. Its not something to give you more power.

[AZSN95SNAKE]

Oh no, I meant I'm skeptical of any good results occurring with using sea foam to clean IMRC's. I've seen before and after pics and I am not impressed. But worth a shot! But it worked for you; although did you open it up and check the IMRC's themselves?

And yes sir that is correct, although in part of the write up it sounds as if you are saying adding sea foam through the PCV adds power. I was just adding that in as it the verbage is misleading. No harm meant; I'm not expert.

[Shifty]

Oh sorry about that. But no, no power added at all. I did not check my IMRCs, but when I did it I had about 115k on the clock. So I figure it need be done.

And yes I am sure if you took your IMRCs off and cleaned them manually you would have 100% better results. But this is not a bad way for the person who does not want to do that

[SniveTroll]

Or remove imrcs and clean with purple power cleaner in a bucket.

Sent by smoke signals

[justinschmidt1]

Ive heard many people bitchin about how this stuff does more harm than good.

[AZSN95SNAKE]

I haven't come across seafoam doing harm, but I have seen it not really doing anything to gummed up IMRCs. You really need to open it up and hit it with carb cleaner or the like, and scrub with brushes. It's gummed up and does not just magically come off.

Idk I guess you might notice a tiny bit of a diff with sea foam but nothing major.

Sure it's more extensive and time consuming to remove the intake but that's the best way to clean them and be okay for 30k+ more miles before another cleaning. Or just delete the stupid things.

[SniveTroll]

one of my buddies has a 99 lightning. his heat exchanger was completely gummed up after 100k miles. he took a walmart rubber maid bin and sat it and manifold in the purple power junk. he pulled them out and gunk completely rolled off of it like light syrup. he said that it looked like new afterwards.

in close, i dont like seafoam. take a light wiff and its kerosene and other additives. sure it cleans shit up its kerosene.

[Loco]

Doing a good decarb is always good for your engine. Now as far as sea foam I'm not to sure about this product. Me being in the auto repair side of this I do remember a customer coming in my shop with a run ability concern. Vehicle had a knock and hard issues holding a idle on a 2002 f150. Anyways after diag we found the vehicle had a bent connecting rod. What happens was the customer did something similar to the method you where just listing. Anyways it turns out he added to much sea foam to the intake system when the vehicle was ready to start back up after the 30 min wait. Well he sucked all the sea foam in to one cylinder and hydro locked one cylinder which created that one cylinder to knock. The best and safe method is to do a engine running decarb cleaning thru a drip system that will plug in to your vacuum booster hose. You can meter how much chemical your allowing in the engine while making sure the vehicle is safe, and your right it will put on a smoke show because it's all carbon, anyways I hope this will help you in the next time you think about doing a decarb. And I only recommend doing this every 30k along with your regular maintenance that should be done every 30k. Now my shop does what they call a 4step fuel system cleaning which is not snake oil by any means. It's a four presses cleaning that's performed, first step is cleaning the throttle body and mass air meter, 2nd step is the decarb on the engine and intake and valves, 3rd step is the fuel injection cleaning which we disable the fuel pump and used a pressure system to clean your injectors and last part #4 is the additive in the fuel tank to dehydrate the fuel of any water and continue cleaning the injectors, I do this service on all my vehicles and I will tell you what WOW it works

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[justinschmidt1]

I haven't come across seafoam doing harm, but I have seen it not really doing anything to gummed up IMRCs. You really need to open it up and hit it with carb cleaner or the like, and scrub with brushes. It's gummed up and does not just magically come off.

Idk I guess you might notice a tiny bit of a diff with sea foam but nothing major.

Sure it's more extensive and time consuming to remove the intake but that's the best way to clean them and be okay for 30k+ more miles before another cleaning. Or just delete the stupid things.

Do a quick google search...plenty of people says it knocks shit loose and actually does more harm than good.

Also the possibility of hydro locking as loco just mentioned

Ive actually used it before back in the day...but after some of the horror stories ive read ive decided not to use it again.

[AZSN95SNAKE]

Do a quick google search...plenty of people says it knocks shit loose and actually does more harm than good.

Also the possibility of hydro locking as loco just mentioned

Ive actually used it before back in the day...but after some of the horror stories ive read ive decided not to use it again.

I was speaking in regards to the IMRC's, not anything else. I have read those horror stories; and good Lord that stuff is scary. Well I know I won't be using it since I plan to open mine up hopefully next week on my 4 days off I have an IMRC stuck open code so it will most likely be a frayed cable or snapped cable or the actuator is out. If so, she's gonna sit awhile till I figure out if I want to delete them and risk a Bama imrc delete email tune, or find another set.

[justinschmidt1]

Im not a 4v guy but seems like a lot of people delete them?

[AZSN95SNAKE]

Yes sir. Just to avoid IMRC headaches that cause a huge loss of power due to malfunctioning or gumming up. On average, an IMRC delete will cause a tiny bit of power to be lost down low and some power to be picked up at top. But that's what gears are for. Cobras love the gears!

[Shifty]

Ive known no cobra owner that has had any problem using this product or doing this procedure. But I guess each one of them has done it correctly.

Also, if this scares you. There is the link to the manual process of cleaning them at the bottom of the post