I've been Seafoamed!
OK, here is yet another Seafoam post. Imagine that.
I was a bit nervous about trying this stuff out, especially with my lack of ability when it comes to working under a hood. Seafoam was so hard to find in Canada, that I never thought I'd ever try it. Then I saw a
post recently about how it was available in my hometown finally, so I scored a couple of cans the other day (bilingual labels and all).
Today came the day where I'd have to actually put this stuff in my Ex. I dreaded that moment because of the varying schools of thought on where to insert it. I did a bit of reading up on the "IAC Method" after finding mention of it in this thread. I knew this technique was for me, because I actually understood which hose to use having installed two different air intake systems on my Ex. In fact, having a Volant setup actually made it easier to pour in than would have been the case with my MAC (read on).
Installing the Volant a few months back took way longer than I expected, because instructions were sparse. I finally clued in that I had to cut my IAC hose down an inch or two, insert an "L" adapter, then connect to the intake tube with a short section of hose. All parts were included with the kit, just not instructions on what to do with them. Beauty of this setup is that I simply remove the hose from the intake tube, rotate it 90 degrees, and insert a funnel.
I took my Ex for a short drive to warm it up, then came back. I re-read the instructions, then started the process. As expected she sputtered and ran rough as I poured in the Seafoam. The "Volant IAC Insertion Method" worked like a charm. I finished off the 1/3 can then shut her down. In the mean time, I did the other 1/3, 1/3 thing, put the MAF connector back, followed by the IAC hose and the engine cover. I then waited for a few more minutes (probably 10 minutes in all) to start her up.
My Ex started rough and let out a mini backfire and then the smoke poured. Having read so many people's tales of smoke, I wanted to get out of there so as to not piss off my neighbours. As I tried to back out of my place, traffic was a bit heavier for our street and I had to wait, smoke still pouring. I finally got going and the smoke started to disappear. I did the loop I always do (same one I did to warm up the engine). It includes residential driving, a playground zone and a good stretch of highway speed.
I got back and let her idle in the driveway. I got out and wanted to hear what she sounded like. Definitely a mellower rumble coming out of the Flowmaster. Inside, it felt like the engine wasn't even on. I was skeptical before trying Seafoam because my Ex has been running superb for quite some time, especially with Bama's "Torque" program utilized almost full time. I also had a extensive (and expensive) fuel system treatment done not too long ago and my idle was far from rough.
At the end of the day, even with my Ex running great and not in need of much work, Seafoam definitely made a difference. I had definitely bought into the Seafoam hype , and can firmly say this stuff is as good as you've heard.
