PCV valve, Sea-Foam and Tune-Up for 1999 Explorer 302 AWD V8 302 8 cylinder

[97greenmonster]

You also can put it in your brake booster hose, just remember to have the car running if you are going to add it to the motor!

 

[Phredawgy]

SeaFoam Deep Creep

God I love that.....instead of the Orig. bottle it's got one of those nice long little red straws to spray it.....sprays better upside down ..... much easier to get to any hose....And Autozone and PepBoys here in town are finally carrying it.......Now if they would just hire people who were either knowledgeable mechanically or smart enough to not try and fake it

 

[celly]

You also can put it in your brake booster hose, just remember to have the car running if you are going to add it to the motor!

The whole purpose of doing the PCV route is that it hits all cylinders. Brake booster method only hits "some".

 

[Phredawgy]

Brake Booster

The whole purpose of doing the PCV route is that it hits all cylinders. Brake booster method only hits "some".

Is that a V8 problem only? Unless I am totally lost the hose on my 4.0 SOHC goes to the top of the Intake manifold and would hit all cylinders. I'm not familiar with those of you who are more bountiful of engine

 

[celly]

Is that a V8 problem only? Unless I am totally lost the hose on my 4.0 SOHC goes to the top of the Intake manifold and would hit all cylinders. I'm not familiar with those of you who are more bountiful of engine

This thread is about the V8 and specifically the PCV method of Seafoam application. I had a SOHC equipped Explorer before this and used to use the breather tube that connects the air intake to the IAC. Worked extremely well and supposedly gives great coverage. There is a thread somewhere on the site discussing that method. No similar approach for my 5.0. I've used the BB method a few times only because the PCV method is a royal PITA.

 

[Phredawgy]

Thanks

This thread is about the V8 and specifically the PCV method of Seafoam application. I had a SOHC equipped Explorer before this and used to use the breather tube that connects the air intake to the IAC. Worked extremely well and supposedly gives great coverage. There is a thread somewhere on the site discussing that method. No similar approach for my 5.0. I've used the BB method a few times only because the PCV method is a royal PITA.

I was just curious.....I hadn't even looked at the topic and noticed the engine size.....I am just looking into purchasing another Explorer (perhaps) and it is a V8.
IMO the PCV valve is a pain in my V6 *** too.....that and having to remove tires to change spark plugs.

 

[Zero Signal]

Well, I finally got it taken care of. I went ahead and replaced the PCV valve in the process. It is definitely a pain to get to. I managed to the the PCV valve out without disconnecting all of the hoses.... I simply reached back there and pulled it out of the socket. Total install time was less than ten minutes.

The SeaFoam application was a snap. I bent the PCV hose around until I had the open end just peeking over the intake manifold. I didn't have a funnel or any tubing small enough to put into the hose end.... BUT, my wife had an extra-large turkey baster in the kitchen. I pulled the suction bulb off, stuck the plastic baster into the PVC hose, and voila! ...poured the SeaFoam into the hose and smoked out my entire court!

I poured in about 1/3 - 1/2 pint, and poured the rest into my crankcase. Then, tossed another bottle into my gas tank in order to clean out my fuel system. It's only been a few dozen miles, but I have noticed considerable improvements.

 

[97greenmonster]

Yea.. i have the 4.0 SOHC motor, and thats where i put the seafoam, i dont know there to put it in the PVC vavle on my motor!!

 

[philo]

i can't find the pcv valve . . . am i losing it?
i poured a 3rd of a can of seafoam into the throttle body at idle.

 

[philo]

aight, put a third of a bottle throught the pcv valve grommet, and replace (unecessarily) the pcv valve.

all deep creep/seafoamed the throttle boy,
and put a third of the aerolsol through the vacuum line (straight into the manilfold.
no smoke, not burning eyess

so what's the skinny? if my motor just clean?

 

[rizzjc]

OK, that stuff will smoke, regardless of how dirty your engine is. Your pouring a liquid into your intake. Not sure why no smoke, maybe just not enough to make it. But you should have put in in the HOSE that you pulled out of the grommet, not into the grommet. That goes into the crankcase, right? Basically, if you sucked it into the hose that you pulled out, then you shoulda had some smoke.

 

[philo]

awright, so you're saying i pulled a major retardo move here and poured a bunch of seafoam onto my rockers via the crankcase, where instead, i shoulda pull the pcv valve out of the hose, and poured the seafoam down that house.

so check this, seafoam into pcv crankcase grommet - WRONG
seafoam into pcv house - RIGHT

let me know if i got it right now, and if i mucked up the works by pouring bunch seafoam into my crankcase

(it says on the bottle you can pour it into the crankcase, but i can't figure out why you would).

break it down for me before i do anything else that may be crazy, like pour lighter fluid into my coolant overflow tank, or gravy into my power steering reservoir.

thanks,
philo

 

[rizzjc]

Yep, you got it right. Yeah, Seafoam says you could pour some in the crankcase , I guess to clean out any sludge. I'm not sure if you're supposed to change the oil soon after or not. Seems it would be sorta like an engine flush, in which case you change the oil after, and things should be nice and shiny! ;-)

 

[philo]

Yep, you got it right. Yeah, Seafoam says you could pour some in the crankcase , I guess to clean out any sludge. I'm not sure if you're supposed to change the oil soon after or not. Seems it would be sorta like an engine flush, in which case you change the oil after, and things should be nice and shiny! ;-)

Thanks. I appreciate the heads-up. I'll check the instructions on the can and see if I need to change-out the oil. I recollect reading that it can be added to the crankcase.

Needing to change the oil would be a real treat, as I've put about 30 miles on the X since the last oil change.

Terrific.

Thanks again, and please pass on any other tips/knowledge.
I was planning on refilling the brake fluid with maple syrup.

 

[rizzjc]

Everything you ever wanted to know about using Seafoam:
Dead Link Removed

Sounds like you're OK, and a pint in the crankcase is one of their recommended treatments. I've only used it once, and it was to the intake - a whole can. I use Amsoil Performance Improver in the gas, and I've use Amsoil Engine Flush in the crankcase when I changed the oil.

 

[philo]

hey, thanks a lot man.

 

[philo]

Everything you ever wanted to know about using Seafoam:
Dead Link Removed

Sounds like you're OK, and a pint in the crankcase is one of their recommended treatments. I've only used it once, and it was to the intake - a whole can. I use Amsoil Performance Improver in the gas, and I've use Amsoil Engine Flush in the crankcase when I changed the oil.

just put a half-can of Seafoam into the pcv hose, and another half-can into the gas tank. let her sit for 10 mins, and then went out for a "spirited ride."

saying there was a lot smoke is a serious understatement. I actually pulled over to make sure my car wasn't on fire. with all the smoke i was making - i'm talking mad clouds, other cars were pulling over, putting on fog lights, etc., i'm really surprised someone didn't call the cops (i'm in SoCal, so making "smog" is like stomping kittens).

ran amazing. i hit higher rpm's and did so more quickly. i'm curious if that is a performance advantage i will continue to notice over the short term, or merely a by product of having a bunch of petroleum based additives floating around in my cylinders enhancing detonation.

anyway you cut it, i drank the kool-aid.

rizzjc, please tell me about your experience and knowledge with the Amsoil Engine Flush and Performance Enhancer. I'm very interested in Amsoil products and have been doing a great deal of research.

Also, I'm noticing that Lucas Oil Stabilizer, Seafoam, and Amsoil Perf. Enhancer all advertise upper cylinder lubrication (which is something I thought oil did). Do you have any information on this?

Break it down.

Thanks so much.

philo

 

[rizzjc]

Experience? I've used it. I used the engine flush once, to clean things out when I have a "dirty" oil analysis. It was somewhere around 100k miles. I didn't notice anything substantial happening, and didn't expect to, but it's cheap insurance to try cleaning things out now and then. I don't intend to get rid of my truck anytime soon. The PI is used in the gas tank, more with the initial treatment, and then a "maintenace" treatment everytime you fill up until the bottle is gone. Should do the same thing as the Seafoam, only takes a little longer, and get the injectors as well. I don't have any complaints.

Amsoil products are expensive, but I feel that they stand behind them, and I have never had a problem. I use Amsoil throughout my vehicle, and all of my vehicles now. '92 Lexus SC400, Amsoil XL7500 and Amsoil ATF. '05 Sienna van, Amsoil Series 2000 0W30, and soon to be Amsoil ATF. '97 Explorer, 100% Amsoil in everything - engine, tranny, transfer case, front and rear diffs, power stearing, and radiator.

I'm no engine guru, but by "upper" cylinder I'm sure they are refering to where detonation takes place. If you get oil in there, then you're buring oil, get a lot of deposits, and have other things to worry about. The oil doesn't get to that area, which is why you use PI or one of the others, which gets there the same way the gas does, by being injected. That's why it cleans the injectors and the upper cylinder and valves.

 

[EMBPilot]

i pulled the PCV valve up, but i didnt happen to see where it came out of. i know it plugs into the hose that plumbed into the intake but when i pulled up on it and it came right up, was it sitting in anything? Was it plugged into a receptor or vent?

do i need to put it back where it was sitting?
====edit=====
okay figured it out, i just had to feel around back there and stick it back into the fitting that it was 'sitting' in.

and man did it smoke!

Simply put... reach behind the center rear of the intake, reach down feel for a hose, it will pull up with hardly no force and you'll see the valve on the end of the hose, pull it off, use your choice of hose/funnels to plug into the hose where the PCV valve was, start the truck, pour the seafoam in, shut it off, put the PCV valve back on the end of the hose, plug it back into the receptor somewhere behind the back of the engine where it came out of, you'll feel it. start it up after waiting 10 or so minutes drive around and fog out your neighborhood.

 

[CHRISTOFFS]

I have a 95 Xplorer 4.0 and Im confused on where exactly is the best spot to apply the Seafoam? How about applying it to a 2001 Escape?