Steam cleaning the engine

[shazapple]

http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/8328/p41100213ni.jpg

http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/7773/p41100224ac.jpg

http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/9222/p41100238gp.jpg

http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/365/p41100243qw.jpg

Post #14
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=949858

Apparently its supposed to do the same thing as seafoam. He said he went through two buckets! It was receommended to him by a dealer

[NewGenSTi]

hmmm something about running water through my engine that i just dont like

[fsuskppy]

I read the nasioc article but I still dont understand what is going on here? any help

[Wiscon_Mark]

hmmm something about running water through my engine that i just dont like

agreed. that makes me edgy right there.

[NewGenSTi]

I dont see what they could possibly be cleaning..... in the throttle body it would still be water, and by the time it turned into steam the only thing it could clean is MAYBE the valves and piston and exhaust... but thats sensless and I cant see how steam would take that off. that stuff is like a rock.......

Now the seafoam stuff is put into your oil or gas, correct? if its going through the fuel system it would clean the injectors, and in the oil it would clean all the internal moving parts of the engine...


This seems a little crazy to me.. Water and engines do not mix at alll.. I was expecting to see someone cleaning the outside of the engine with a steam cleaner when I clicked the post.. lol

[Plays_with_Toys]

Seafoam can be run through a vacuum line like above, and in fact, for heavy duty cleaning, is the preferred method. It is a solvent though, and I imagine should break down carbon deposits alot better. The fact that you can foul your spark plugs would be proof enough that it is cleaning something off.

[shazapple]

I doubt running water like this would do any damage, especially considering the amount of water going in compared to the amount of air. Your engine sees much worse than a bit of H2O.

Its not so much 'steam' as it is vapourized water. soaks the carbon deposits and loosens them up.

[JjSwee]

I would like to see someone do this but have filter paper on the tail pipe and see if anything comes out. Most might get stuck in the cat tho. Open header test anyone? :wink:

[Huffer]

Open header test anyone? :wink:

Kind of what I'm thinking about doing with the Seafoam. :twisted:

[ooberdoob]

seafoam in the intake smokes like a mofo, i love it.

[ivwarrior]

Anyone who's seen an engine with a blown head gasket/cracked head that allowed coolant into the combustion chamber can tell you it really does clean the cylinder out nicely. I've seen a few, chambers would be all black and gunky, except the one where the blown gasket/crack was. It was spotless, looked like brand new.

[Wiscon_Mark]

seafoam in the intake smokes like a mofo, i love it.

Me too :twisted:

[Reason]

Anyone who's seen an engine with a blown head gasket/cracked head that allowed coolant into the combustion chamber can tell you it really does clean the cylinder out nicely. I've seen a few, chambers would be all black and gunky, except the one where the blown gasket/crack was. It was spotless, looked like brand new.

Mine was like that. I still wouldn't do what this guy did.

[shazapple]

Whats the difference bewteen seafoam and water? Nothing, except seafoam probably cleans a bit better.

Anyway I tried this today. I put about 6L through (only took about 30 seconds to suck up 2L) Didnt seem to make much of a difference

[Tokio]

this is a version of an old mechanic's trick to clean carbon off valves...

that thread is wacky...and this is a delicate thing to do... too much and you could really do some damage...

i recommend you stay away from this trick. seafoam is much safer...

[Wiscon_Mark]

Whats the difference bewteen seafoam and water?

Water is H20, seafoam is definitely not.

[shazapple]

Thats pretty good evidence right there :roll:

Water doesnt damage engines, liquids do. Seafoam is still a liquid.

Anyway, I didnt have the hose sucking in all water. It had a pretty decent vacuum so I just put it close to the surface.

[Manarius]

[quote="sha_zapple":1xy4x7ma]Whats the difference bewteen seafoam and water?

Water is H20, seafoam is definitely not.[/quote:1xy4x7ma]
Seafoam is basically alcohol. It smells just like racing alcohol.

[strat81]

seafoam is a petroleum distilate... aka combustible.

water on the other hand isn't...

[NewGenSTi]

Thats pretty good evidence right there :roll:

Water doesnt damage engines, liquids do. Seafoam is still a liquid.

Anyway, I didnt have the hose sucking in all water. It had a pretty decent vacuum so I just put it close to the surface.

Oil is a liquid.. so is gas.. :D But anyways, I guess if small amounts of water went in as long as the engine was warmed up before doing this the water would probably evaporate instantly and kind of steam wash whatever, but still I cant see running water through an engine. I guess it doesnt hurt as a few people did it and seem to have no problems. so I say whatever. neat idea but not for me. heh

[shazapple]

It may be combustible, but it still has to go through a compression stroke.

[ivwarrior]

The key with this, as with Seafoam is making sure you don't pull TOO MUCH at once. Seafoam may be combustible, but too much at once won't vaporize and will hydrolock the engine just as quickly as too much water would.

[Tokio]

Water doesnt damage engines, liquids do. Seafoam is still a liquid.

.

water DOES damage engines...its called hydro-lock.

[ivwarrior]

Water doesnt damage engines, liquids do. Seafoam is still a liquid.

.

water DOES damage engines...its called hydro-lock.

Well, the point was it's not just water specifically. It's liquids in general. Even gasoline could hydrolock an engine.

[stipro]

Oil is a liquid.. so is gas.. :D
Actually gas is not liquid, its fluid!!

The old water in the intake trick aye!! Its actually an old muscle car thing.
The trick is not too much water, we are talking like a cup. With the engine warm feed the water in through the intake, sucking it up through a vacuum line, sitting it in a pail of water is not the preffered method. The water hits the hot cylinder and flashes, creating steam. As it does this it expands 1700 times and basically blasts the carbon off the valves, pistons, and everthing else in its path. Also water is an excellent conductor of heat, so as it turns to steam it takes a lot of the heat away from the cylinder contracting objects as it goes. The carbon contracts and falls off. The worst that could happen is a piece of carbon gets stuck in the valve, but that would break away in no time. Seafoam does this in a little bit different way. When you put the Seafoam in the motor, you also suck it in through a vacuum line, turn the engine off and let it stand. In doing so it has a chance the bond with and "eat away" at the carbon. Then when you re-fire the motor, it all is burnt and sent away through the exhaust.