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

[mounty71]

Thought i'd revive an old but useful thread. Can anyone attest to whether a cheaper PCV valve from, say, autozone for under $5 is comparable to a $21 motorcraft part? I know it's not much money either way, but i'm poor.

 

[mounty71]

Anyone?

 

[celly]

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. I seem to recall playing less than $21 for my Motorcraft PCV, but can't be sure.

 

[mounty71]

Finally got around to doing this, and not a single puff of smoke came from the truck. But it does feel more responsive and maybe a little smoother at idle.

 

[celly]

Finally got around to doing this, and not a single puff of smoke came from the truck. But it does feel more responsive and maybe a little smoother at idle.

You did the PCV method and no smoke? That doesn't sound right.

I've used the brake booster method with my 5.0 and two different methods with and old SOHC 4.0 and the PCV method on my 5.0 always gives me way more smoke than the other options. Most people don't realize that the smoke is just the Seafoam itself, not crap burning off. If the Seafoam is getting into where it should be getting in to and you're letting it sit, there should be smoke and lots of it.

 

[mounty71]

That's what i thought. It confused me too. I could smell it a little bit though.

 

[mounty71]

A friend of a friend proposed that maybe i put the seafoam in too slowly which could be why there was no smoke. I put a tube inside of the PCV tube and let it vacuum up the seafoam very slowly, it probably took 5 mins or maybe a little more to suck it all in. So while the engine was running, could it have burned off all the seafoam before i shut it off to let it sit? The engine never stalled, i had to shut it off myself.

 

[celly]

A friend of a friend proposed that maybe i put the seafoam in too slowly which could be why there was no smoke. I put a tube inside of the PCV tube and let it vacuum up the seafoam very slowly, it probably took 5 mins or maybe a little more to suck it all in. So while the engine was running, could it have burned off all the seafoam before i shut it off to let it sit? The engine never stalled, i had to shut it off myself.

That's possible. I tried to get mine in fast enough so that it would almost stall, but not too fast so it does stall. I guess there is a happy medium.

One caveat though. I did my last Seafoam treatment a few months ago and it ran smooth as hell afterwards. I did a massive road trip this summer and one of the highlights was a trip to Kansas to get my headers put on by Turdle and Techieman (among others). I had a horrible misfire around the time I hit Milwaukee (a stopping over point to drop my family with the inlaws). I got to Kansas (700 miles) with some misfiring. but made it there in one piece. Jon and Eric pulled the sparkplugs right away and they were horribly fouled by the Seafoam. This was the second treatment I had done on Motorcraft double platinum plugs barely over a year old. Perhaps I needed to wait longer before doing another treatment!

So be wary about running a can through again. As you mention, you may have burned it off by going slow. If you see any sign of misfire..check your plugs!

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Mounty71,

Was your Mounty warmed up & did you let it set at least 1/2 hour before restarting it. These are key for the Seafoam to work properly.

 

[mounty71]

It was only slightly warm before putting the seafoam in...i had to let the engine cool a bit so i didn't burn myself reaching to the pcv valve. But once the valve was out the engine was on as i put the seafoam in, which took several minutes. I waited about 30 mins. after putting it in, then started it up and let it idle for a minute, then went for a drive for about 15 mins.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Since the engine was not at operating temperature that is most likely why you didn't get a lot of smoke.

I just did the Seafoam treatment on my '97 last week. I put a splice in the PCV hose so I didn't have to reach around to pull the PCV out. I started it and let it get up to 180* then I added the Seafoam. I then shut it off & let it set for 30 min before I started it up. I then took it for a drive. It took quite a bit of time (15-20 min.) to stop smoking.

 

[mounty71]

Hmm, the temp seems to be the only difference so that may be it. And celly, i just noticed your last post, but i have new plugs waiting to go in that i was gonna do after the seafoam treatment, so i may try it again before installing them.

 

[alohamonte]

I bought my X 2 years ago, and have done regular seafoam cleanings with it through the gas tank and PCV since.

Just the other week, I pulled the injectors as part of the upper intake gasket job I was doing, and they were all very dirty with a thick carbon build up. Required a soak and scrub to clean them up.

I like to think seafoamed helped and I wasnt wasting money, but I cannot say it was a miracle in a can.

 

[Kriegen]

This is about the only article I've found that really identifies where the PCV Valve is located on the 5.0. Haven't sea-foamed yet but planning on it soon.

 

[celly]

This is about the only article I've found that really identifies where the PCV Valve is located on the 5.0. Haven't sea-foamed yet but planning on it soon.

It's a great thread, but it took me eons to actually get it out for the first time. It's in a pretty tight spot.

Good luck!

 

[99ex22]

okay im burning the crap out my arm trying to find the PCV hose. can someone give me some pointers? Ive read through this whole thread twice.

 

[celly]

okay im burning the crap out my arm trying to find the PCV hose. can someone give me some pointers? Ive read through this whole thread twice.

LOL, think of it as the "G-Spot". It's there, so we're told.

Just be glad you don't have an upper intake spacer. Mine is even harder to get at now, but I did manage to grab it at first try a week or so ago (not to Seafoam....just to see if I could get it). You basically just need to reach down below that big black connector on the firewall and it's there...honest. You won't know what you're grabbing until it lifts out. That's how I found it the first time and now it's no effort to get it, but with the spacer, it's definitely harder to rig up the funnel I put together. I'm so wary now about this method after trashing a new set of Motocraft Double Plats. Consider swapping your plugs once you get it done.

Sorry, I can't be more helpful. Since you read this whole thread, you know how much I struggled too.

 

[99ex22]

damnit lol ive pulled on two different hoses and they wernt it i dont think. I pulled on one because I felt a foam thing on it and all it was was one hose that I think goes into the engine block. Ive been trying to find it for two hours now.

 

[celly]

damnit lol ive pulled on two different hoses and they wernt it i dont think. I pulled on one because I felt a foam thing on it and all it was was one hose that I think goes into the engine block. Ive been trying to find it for two hours now.

The foam thing surrounds the PCV valve.

 

[99ex22]

So if im looking at the pictures right the hose coming from the brake booster plugs into the pcv?