Intake cleaner (i.e Seafoam) treatment on a GM 5.3

[mjk]

Hi,

In a previous thread, I noted a P0171 code on my 2001 Tahoe. Well, I got it over to my mechanic today, and sure enough, had a very small failure on my intake gasket (3rd cylinder back on bank 1).

So, in went the new updated Felpro, along with a MAF and thorough throttle body cleaning.

When he pulled the head, what I saw disgusted me. Rodent poop, corn, all kinds of garbage down in the valley by the Knock Sensors.

This was a low useage vehicle when I bought it this summer, and obviously the rodents had found there way into the block. All of it was cleaned up, however....

My intakes are severely carboned up. To the point where my mechanic said he hasn't seen one in recent memory this bad. I would hedge this is very typical of a vehicle that didn't see regular useage at normal operating temps ('short tripper' its entire life).

I want to get aggressive in a few weeks, and get a Seafoam treatment thru a vacuum line. I just ran Amsoil PI, and obviously need to go a few extra steps to get this cleaned up.

So....Seafoam tends to be a gentler cleaner, is there something out there that would be more aggressive?

My mechanic said he used to use a Wynn product, but thinks it is not being made anymore. How about Berryman B12 chemtool? Others?

Appreciate getting me on track.....

 

[JHZR2]

Open it up and clean it properly.

 

[oilpsi2high]

I wouldn't do it unless you're going to change plugs and oil right after.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Open it up and clean it properly.


This. However my 02 was used lightly. I put some in the tank and through the brake booster line and the carbon spark knock stopped. I pulled the intake a second time to put the updated gasket in and it was really clean.

 

[amusing]

Yes, chemtool b-12 berryman's is serious treatment in fuel tank and throttle body Air valve
Half a bottle for each then ... Piston soak over and over to free up sticking oil control rings and piston tops
Then oil change and clean PCV and pull / clean and re gap spark plugs. Check air filter too.
EGR and related plumbing may be clogged and may require a deep clean as well

 

[ls1mike]

You mean when he pulled the intake?

 

[3800Series]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Open it up and clean it properly.


This.

Iv seen someone post a before and after with pictures. Cleaned very little. What really caught my attention tho was all the oil sticking to the intake afterwords. Can't help but feel that it would be the optimal condition to help increase build up.

 

[donnyj08]

seafoam is decent. if you really want to clean it better without a tear down i recommend GM top end cleaner or Mopar Combustion chamber cleaner. Both can be fed just like seafoam but seem to be more potent. The Mopar stuff is half the price of the GM stuff so that's what i would use.

Also its a good idea to feed the cleaner through a vacuum line on the throttle body or through the throttle body rather that the brake booster IMO. I never understood using the brake booster as the throttle body is sucking in air in the front generally and you are pumping chemical in the back via the booster. this ends up putting most of the cleaner on the rear cylinders. when you spray it in from the throttle body side you get a much better distribution of fluid down the runners and into the cylinders.

 

[mjk]

Actually, I think I just found the ticket. Mopar Combustion Chamber Cleaner.

Here is a thread - thoughts?

http://ls1tech.com/forums/general-mainte...seafoam-vs.html

Quote:
It has nothing to with the gas....it has to do with thousands and thousands of miles of having oil going through the intake and into the engine via the PCV system.

The dumbest, most ridiculous system ever designed was having a PCV system sucking oil into an engine. How stupid. Only air is supposed to go through there. So..its oil that is causing all of the build up, not gasoline. Look at the pictures below of the pistons, that is MY pistons after I had all of my valve seals go bad. It was like that for about 4 months till I realized what to fix, I need my heads rebuilt after 5 years. That is nothing but burnt oil on my pistons FROM OIL getting through to them. It was causing massive hot spots, which caused massive detonation at all rpm levels. This is what happens over thousands and thousands of miles to allot of engines via bad or failing PCV systems. Not all, but allot. Some PCV systems allow more oil to get through than others do. Someone needs to design a simple vacuum pump that sucks vacuum from the crankcase and sends the oil mist to the headers so it can be burned pre converter.

Or just take the [censored] systems off.........they suck. I had mine off for a 6 month period and there was absolutely ZERO change in anything. oil was exactly the same. ZERO water in the oil...nothing, it was unaffected in every way.

BUT.....yes the MCCC works like a charm. I did 3 SeaFoams in one week...I'm talking full cans each time to clean my 130,000 mile 427ci. I figured it had to have some build ups in there. Then I realized how stupid it was to put a heavy liquid into my top end. It cannot work. It can only possibly get into the back two cylinders via the back two intake runners....no way in [censored] can it go against incoming air and reach all the way to the front of the intake and all the other runners. So if anything, SeaFoam can only do any amount of cleaning to those two runners, cylinders and pistons. Its heavy liquid, that stuff will get blown right through the engine. Then when you start it up after 2 hours, the SeaFoam puddles that are in the intake is what the smoke is from. It will make a smoke show till its all burned up.

MCCC is a FOAM...unlike SeaFoam....lol
MCCC goes into the vacuum line and starts expanding, its a FOAM. It won't expand if you just spray into a cup or something. I assume the heat makes it expand. Because I did it and had it coming out through the TB blade. But I do it correctly. You must let the engine get to operating temp, then let it idle only, then spray the bottle into that vacuum line. You need another person there with you to turn the engine OFF just BEFORE the can runs out. This will keep the foam in the top end as much as possible. If you try to run over and turn it off yourself, that foam is long gone from getting sucked right out of the engine and through the exhaust pipes. Best to have the engine turned off while you are still spraying it into the vacuum line. Then you can stop spraying after the engine has stopped turning.

Do yourselves a favor and use products that are designed for the job you want to have done. SeaFoam is great for cleaning the entire fuel system.....thats all. Some like to run it in their crankcase for a few minutes before an oil change, I see nothing wrong with that as long as you don;t rev it or drive it with it in there. Any type of thin water-like liquid in the oil is terrible for the bearings if you rev it or drive..... Then get all of it out before adding the new oil.

But do your own research, I'm just a guy with a 153,000 miles on my fully built 427ci and its running like a charm still.............I use SeaFoam in my fuel system every 4 months. And I used MCCC twice in the past 2 years for my top end..

 

[DoubleWasp]

Amsoil Power Foam will do the trick, but will require repeated treatments to get everything out.

To do this right, you have to fill the entire manifold with the foam, engine off, and pull the spark plugs to purge the foam. It will get everything out of the intake and combustion cjambers/pistons, but it will be a bee-otch to get done. You will end up with intake/pistons you can eat off of, however.

I know this process,,because I have treated stationary generators that were literally so carboned up,,they would not start. I say to pull the plugs,,because the stuff released may literally be so much that they will choke the plugs.

Just let the crud fly out.

 

[Olas]

2 bottles of si1 in the tank, 2 spray cans of brake/carb cleaner down the inlet while it's running, followed by a bottle of si1 through a vac hose, followed by a good ol Italian tune up. ( if you can't be bothered to open it up and clean it properly)

 

[SteveSRT8]

All you need is a can of kreen.

I've raised and killed more 5.3's than most on this board, all city miles. Carbon is very common in these motors if you don't get your foot in it regularly.

2 cups of kreen in the gas tank and problem solved in 100 miles or less...

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
All you need is a can of kreen.

I've raised and killed more 5.3's than most on this board, all city miles. Carbon is very common in these motors if you don't get your foot in it regularly.

2 cups of kreen in the gas tank and problem solved in 100 miles or less...


Have they ever thrown any codes when this is done?

Mine did, but then some of my DTCs are razor's edge borderline to begin with, and I added a full quart can of Kreen to a full 17 gallon tank, and then did the good old Italian Tune Up out on the highway.

 

[mjk]

Thanks, Steve. I will look into that.

I'll also be opening it up more often. I tend to drive like an elderly person, but will bump it up to 4k or so several times during my drives going forward.....



Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
All you need is a can of kreen.

I've raised and killed more 5.3's than most on this board, all city miles. Carbon is very common in these motors if you don't get your foot in it regularly.

2 cups of kreen in the gas tank and problem solved in 100 miles or less...

 

[mjk]

Steve,

When you say '2 cups', are you speaking of a 16 oz dosing?

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
All you need is a can of kreen.

I've raised and killed more 5.3's than most on this board, all city miles. Carbon is very common in these motors if you don't get your foot in it regularly.

2 cups of kreen in the gas tank and problem solved in 100 miles or less...


Have they ever thrown any codes when this is done?

Mine did, but then some of my DTCs are razor's edge borderline to begin with, and I added a full quart can of Kreen to a full 17 gallon tank, and then did the good old Italian Tune Up out on the highway.

No codes thrown here, we even got rid of an evap code after a kreen fix.


Originally Posted By: mjk
Steve,

When you say '2 cups', are you speaking of a 16 oz dosing?


Yes, the instructions on the can want you to use 2 cups in a full tank. Works very quickly and extremely well...