bman149

Now I do all the proper maintenance on all my vehicles (oil changes, tire rotations, air cleaners, etc). Now I hear a lot about fuel treatment, either for improve gas mileage or removing the junk that accumulates at the bottom of the tank. Is this a myth? Do they actually work? Has anyone tried them?

Thanks

AwsmGy

iTrader: (4)

About once a year I treat my gastank with 1/2 can of seafoam. The other 1/2 I pour in the brake booster.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

using the brake booster hose is bad juju.....your only feeding the back cylinders........use the front PCV nipple on the intake

senicalj4579

iTrader: (41)

I dump some in the brake booster AND front PCV on intake. Then the rest in the gas tank.

Element

iTrader: (5)

The only way to "remove" the junk that accumulates in the tank, short of dropping and flushing the tank, is to run it through the engine. I'd rather that **** stay in the gas tank.

I will normally get a can of Seafoam and dump it into the gas tank once a year, to help keep the injectors clean, and I'll spray some Deep Creep into the intake manifold and let it sit for a bit and then take the car out.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Only way to keep your gas tank from EVER accumulating junk in there is to stay on top of it from when the car is brand new. For the past 13 years on my Trans Am, every 3-4 months, I pour a FULL can of SeaFoam into 1/4 tank of gas and let it clean everything from the tank to the fuel injectors to the valves. My stock engine was always fine, and my 427ci for the past 9 years has been fine. For $7.00 every 3-4 months, why not.......

Now if this is the first time pouring a cleaner into the tank......you MUST also change the fuel filter after you run that gas out. Because you're certain to loosen some crap and it could clog the filter. But they are cheap and take 5 minutes to change. I do them every 10,000 miles anyway.

NEWS FLASH.........DO NOT pour anything in LIQUID form into the brake booster line......for the millionth time.


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Black96z28

I have seen it help out in severe cases, but unless your having problems now, you wont see a change as it will be preventative.

What is your basis on this? There is nothing wrong with putting sea foam in your brake booster hose, you just need to pull it in slow. It will not hurt anything, unless you suck too much in at a time.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Man, you haven't been reading all the posts/threads over the past 5 years on this subject I guess.

IN SHORT:
There is absolutely no possible way that SeaFoam can move forward once it enters the intake from the back (brake booster port) as it will be fighting the very fast incoming air from the TB. Therefore, people are risking accidental hydralock of a rear pistons and all they are doing is barely cleaning those back two pistons and two runners....WHY? Because liquid is too heavy and gets sucked right through the engine. So you are barely cleaning two pistons and two runners. The entire rest of the intake doesn't get touched and the other 6 pistons and runners don't get touched.

Be smart.....use a product that is designed to touch every single square inch of the inside of the top end....AND have the ability to sit in there and soak into the crud and soften it up. MCCC (Mopar Combustion Chamber Cleaner) or the GM cleaner. They are an expanding FOAM, and that foam expands while it sits in there and cleans everything.

I did the SeaFoam treatment like 5 years ago. I'm the one that started all the talk about its total bullshit to clean a top end. I used 3 full cans over a couple weeks, did it 3 separate times through the brake booster line. I did it 3 times because I kept getting just a little bit of smoke, I wanted to do it till it didn't smoke anymore. That to me would mean its totally clean. Then about two weeks later my friend gave me a can of MCCC....it smoked more on that cleaning than all 3 SeaFoam cleanings combined. Most of the smoke people get from SeaFoam is the SeaFoam itself smoking because it pools inside like a puddle because its a liquid. So if you SeaFoam your engine 100 times in a row in a one month period....you will keep getting a smoke show. Do the MCCC and it will clean all the crud that can be cleaned....some cannot no matter what you do. Some engine need to be torn down to clean them 100%.

There's allot of people out there that might pour some SeaFoam in to fast....why have them **** up there engines. MCCC or GM cleaner has absolutely no chance of hurting anything and it actually cleans the entire top end.

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bman149

Thanks for all the info.

Black96z28

You are correct, I have not bothered to read everything posted in that last 5 years. I guess I assumed you meant not to on any vehicle, it was not clear to me that you meant LS equipped cars. I assumed that you may have been one of those people who are misinformed about putting liquids into the intake. I apologize.

senicalj4579

iTrader: (41)

3 ls1s later of using seafoam through brake booster and through front of intake and my cars have always been fine. Its just kinda funny the one and only time I used MCCC I ended up with a misfire and craped out o2s. Maybe it was just me having that issue but never once did I ever have any kind of problem with seafoam not only on the 3 ls1 cars but a few other kinds of cars also. My dad is a fan of seafoam also and has been using it alot longer than I have.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

I just figure its roughly the same cost for a can of MCCC and SeaFoam. Its much easier to introduce the properly designed product into the top end. Also, its a snap, literally a 2 minute job to use the MCCC, on any vehicle. Not good pulling on that brake booster line, its easy to break that port because over time they get briddle. Spraying into the vaccum line is effortless.

For almost any car made.

And it will actually clean like we want to. The SeaFoam will not work thoroughly on any car. Its impossible to get to all runners/cylinders.

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chevystyle

iTrader: (1)

IMAO, I don't think it's really worth it as long as you use top tier gas http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html and don't gas up when the tanker is delivering gas as it will bring up the junk from the bottom of the under ground tanks and mix with the gas before it settles at the bottom again. And don't let your gas tank go below 1/4 as it may/will suck up junk from the bottom of your gas tank and clog the filter/screen.

99FormulaM6r

iTrader: (2)

I use either Seafoam or Techron fuel system cleaner once every 6 months or so in a tank of gas, and haven't had any issues yet.


As far as pouring a liquid in your vacuum line, I think it's useless as well....you're just filling your rear two cylinders with fluid and burning it off.

LeanPocket

iTrader: (6)

It is a good idea to dump in some fuel treatment atleast twice a year. I don't think it will improve fuel economy, but it might restore some fuel economy by cleaning your injectors, and removing contaminants like water from your gas tank. Water and gasoline .. along with ethanol, will separate over time, fuel treatment helps with this issue. Theres a few lab tests on youtube to support this, along with personal experience in school.

As far as brands, seafoam and techron are good choices, I haven't heard anything bad from lucas products.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Just remember....you ARE NOT cleaning the front 6 runners and cylinders when using SeaFoam through the brake booster line. That much is a fact.

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sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

we must have a lot of crappy gas around here.....anytime the engine is runnin rough.......some gas treatment always smooths it out

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Your gas pick-up tube is always sucking from the bottom of the tank. Where do you think everything settles when the car sits overnight.......at the bottom. And it also settles right in the bottom of the "bowl" where the fuel pump and pick-up tube sucks from.

Either a tank is clean or its not. If its not you will get a clogged fuel pump screen or whatever gets through the pump will clog the fuel filter.

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senicalj4579

iTrader: (41)

And thats why I put some in the front of intake as well. I put in gas tank to

senicalj4579

iTrader: (41)

I run my car with a 1/4 tank gas or less unless im on a big trip. Iv never had an issue with "gunk" lol