Pinging/seafoam/high milage Q's

[Darrman]

My '91 has 216,000 miles on a original motor, runs great, got some slight mods like catback, full intake, new o2 sensor, new intake gaskets and orings, wires and plugs
But I have noticed it start doing the pinging crap whenever I get up to 75+ on the freeways, which I dont do very often. I have read about the seafoam treatment and am considering doing this to try to get rid of the pings, but I am wondering, what will this stuff do to the old gaskets and seals?
All the sensors have been pulled and cleaned, TB is cleaned reguarly, plugs are Bosche single platinums, is there any thing else I can try?

 

[mall0y]

My '91 has 216,000 miles on a original motor, runs great, got some slight mods like catback, full intake, new o2 sensor, new intake gaskets and orings, wires and plugs
But I have noticed it start doing the pinging crap whenever I get up to 75+ on the freeways, which I dont do very often. I have read about the seafoam treatment and am considering doing this to try to get rid of the pings, but I am wondering, what will this stuff do to the old gaskets and seals?
All the sensors have been pulled and cleaned, TB is cleaned reguarly, plugs are Bosche single platinums, is there any thing else I can try?

My '94 has around 91,000 miles on it and it pings every once in a while. Then it became pretty frequent. So what i did was clean up the MAF. When i pulled it out it was filthy. So, now i clean the MAF whenever it starts pinging and it seems to do the trick. give it a whirl

 

[jrara]

I would advice against the SeaFoam. It will eat through your gaskets. Last time a fellow tuner used seafoam on his 92 integra it ate his head gasket.

 

[Maniak]

Seafoam has been used by many many people here (and elseware). I have yet to hear of it causing that kind of a problem. Also, SeaFoam isn't going to eat a head gasket anywhere near fast enough (if it did at all) in the time you have it in the engine.

If they were related at all, the head gasket was possibly already bad, and had carbon etc blocking the break in the gasket . When the seafoam cleaned up the carbon, the problem in the gasket was exposed.

Anyway, Assuming the upper intake isn't leaking, the MAS is clean, you aren't running bad gas, I would go with cleaning up the carbon next, which is seafoam or something like it.

~Mark

 

[SVO42]

I have a similar problem. My X has 140K miles, and it only pings under load on the highway. It doesn't matter if it's loaded down or not. If I run premium gas it stops it, but I don't want to pay for it all the time.

Here's what I've done so far: checked MAS, it was fine. Ran Seafoam through a vacuum line into the intake with no effect. Couldn't find any vacuum leaks.

My future plans include new O2 sensors, plugs, and wires. If that doesn't take care of it, I give up.

 

[Vanquish502]

If Seafoam actually did any damage, they wouldn't sell it. It's that simple. If it did any damage they'd have been out of business long ago.

Clean your MAF first, since it's free. If that doesn't work, then try Seafoam.

 

[Darrman]

Thanks guys, I am still debating the seafoam treatment, maybe I will try it this weekend. I have already cleaned the MAF, didnt seem to do anything, and it looked very clean to start with, but who knows. I was getting good MPG's till I installed the intake system, but it pinged before and after that, now it just has more power, it wants to haul ass down highways, till you get to fighting high speed traffic. But like I said, I dont go out on the highway very often, I work and shop here in town, all is low speed and distance from my house, and I have only heard it ping once here, when I was doing about 50 around a somewhat sharp curve.

 

[SVO42]

Oh, I forgot to mention that when I change the spark plugs, I'm going to go one heat range colder so see what happens.

 

[Positive Vibes]

Have you guys noticed any of your vacuum lines getting soft and weak??

 

[Copespitter]

Pinging can be caused by a stretched timing chain.

 

[Darrman]

I bought a can of seafoam last nite, I am going to give it a try tomorrow. Should I do half a can, twice in a row, because this motor is probably pretty filthy inside, or do half now and wait awhile?
I sure as hell hope it not a stretched timing chain, till I get my '92 a new trans, the '91 is my daily driver, and I dont have the time to change out the chain.

 

[Foggman]

Darrnam, how'd go with the seafoam? I am thinking about doing the same to my '94...

 

[Darrman]

I did run some this morning, I havent been out on the highway yet tho, so I dont know if it stopped the pinging, but I did notice the engine is running absolutely still, no vibration or twitching, I have spent a lot of time and money to kill the low rpm twitching, this finally completly stopped it. Running the stuff was easy, I ended up pulling the vacuum line to the cruise diaphram and using a funnel and duct tape to seal it all up, then used half a can. I may run the rest tommorow, I am sure it could use it.

 

[Rhett]

You need to get it out on the highway IMMEDIATELY after letting it sit for 15 mins with the Seafoam in it. If you let the truck sit for hours, and then go drive it out, the SF treatment won't work as well.

 

[Darrman]

I did drive the stuff out, just not on the highway. I drove it all day after that, but I stayed in town. I did not let it sit for 15 min tho, the can said 5min, so I think I will do it agian tommorow.

 

[savagefan]

Have you guys noticed any of your vacuum lines getting soft and weak??

We're hijacking here but check your vacuum modulator valve, trans oil getting by will soften your vac nipples.