Seafoam

[prepowerstroke]

Hey Guys since my truck is kinda low on compression would it help to try putting some sea foam in the cylinders and let it sit over night? Has anyone tried this? And with what results? Thanks


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[79jasper]

Look up auto - rx.

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[BDCarrillo]

Straight Seafoam is a solvent... It may help unstick carboned up rings, but it's advised to change your oil 500 miles after getting Seafoam in the crankcase. Dumping it down the bores won't help if your low compression is due to wear or gunked valves.

Advance Auto does have a buy two get one free deal on Seafoam. Wouldn't hurt to run it through your fuel system too.

 

[CDX825]

Get a quart of Kreen by kano labs. Much more effective stuff!

If you already have the seafoam I would try it. Pull all the glow plugs out and put it in the cylinders that way. Let it sit over night and then crank the engine with the glow plugs out to blow any extra out of the cylinders. Doesn't take much liquid to hydro lock one of these engines that's why I would pull the glow plugs. Also don't pour anything like sea foam down the intake as it could cause the engine to run away.

 

[icanfixall]

Its a really bad idea to put any combustibles in the cylinders like suggested. After all its a fuel and will burn. Now running it in the oil is much different but it can and will break loose all the gunk in the engine. That stuff can come off in large enough pieces to plug up the small oil ports like the piston oil squirters. It will break off the passages AFTER the oil filter. Then it can make a big mess. Auto RX does the same thing but it will do it slower and not plug up passages. Now about pouring any type of combustible down the open intake.. DON'T DO IT EVER.. If you have never seen a diesel run away this is a sure way of doing that. Diesels all are governed by the fuel sent to the cylinders. Adding fuel to the intake will not stop the engine from gaining rpm way past the normal redline governed by the injection pump. One it runs away you have to allow the added fuel to burn off or if the trans is a standard you can shift to high gear and slip the clutch to kill the engine. If it an auto your sure out of luck killing the engine. Maybe a rag over the open intake or a piece of wood or some C)2 might kill the engine but by that time your running far from the now screaming engine. But some Auto RX. Those here that have done it really like it.

 

[PwrSmoke]

Here comes Mr. Downer ( : < )

First off, what is "low compression?" Did you do both wet and dry tests? Did you do a CLT (Cylinder Leakdown Test... the tester isn't all that expensive, Northern Tools).

Probably a waste of time and money but my saying that has never talked anyone out of pouring some type of snakeoil into their engines. Am just about to hit 45 years of messing with engines, 20 of that as an ASE certified master tech, and I've never seen any "magic in a can." Once in a while, I've see something that shows a glimmer of some action... and that usually in a maintenance role rather than a "rescue-me-from-spending-money role." Solvents don't put metal back onto worn parts. Any rig that's been halfway decently maintained and driven often isn't likely to have stuck rings. I've rebuilt hundreds of engines and the only ones I ever saw with stuck rings were either seized with rust, very poorly maintained or with piston damage. If the oil has been changed regularly and the right oil is used, it prevents stuck rings from occurring. If you are bound and determined, the best way to attack it is via an oil additive from the crankcase side and then a fuel additive simultaneously. Kreen is a good product that can be used in the oil and the fuel. Like anything that really works, it costs. I don't have any personal experience with Auto RX but it appears to do what is advertised. The metric I would use as to whether there is much likelihood of success is the history of the vehicle. If it has a good recent maintenance history but has lots of miles, it isn't likely to help IMO. If you just got it and you can tell the engine is sludged up from poor maintenance... maybe. Over time, fresh oil will clean an engine up as well.

 

[oregon96psd]

^^ This, probably the most coherent post ever written on this site lol.

 

[riotwarrior]

Agreed.

Without specific and quantifiable data from either a leak down or a compression test one can't know where they are in condition of an engine that is.

However as stated doing the seafoam and letting it sit in the cylinder is something I've thought of but then realized that

1 the engine is a V thus the goo would not fully circle the piston/rings and help unstick them like it may in a straight engine due to the angle of dangle of piston in cylinder...vs a vertical arrangement like a straight six or four.

2 that by doing so and loosening up stuck material from goo...what happens to it and where does it go? How do you get it out from rings?

Thus my conclusion was DON"T DO IT. It just takes some simple thinking that they are just selling you CHROME lug nuts...in otherwords something you think you need but DON"t NEED

Auto RX is highly claimed to work and work well, however I've not any experience with it myself.

If it is as good as they say, then perhaps that's the bomb, but maybe be carefull what you wish for, cause the gunk the goo creates...has to go somewhere...where do carbon deposits go? up and down with the piston till it comes out into the oils...hmm...carbon...sharp....hmmm...I"m not liking that sound either myself.

Again , do as you see fit but be careful is all I'm saying

JM2CW

 

[icanfixall]

Most any product from Kano Labs is truly great stuff. Try their Aerokroil spray on rusted nuts and bolts. Its going to loosen the rust. It creeps into one millionth of an inch gaps. Its used in better gun shops all over the country for good reason. Contact Kano and read what they sell. I personally have tried the rest.. but now I use only the best. That Kano Labs Aerokroil in the spray cans. If you have the need, its available in the 55 gallon drums too...

 

[Black dawg]

Stuck rings do happen on these engines, but the best way to deal with it is to make it do some real work. Pouring stuff in the cylinders, especially thin stuff will run right by the rings in into the crankcase.

 

[icanfixall]

Really its just as posted. NOTHING replaces worn metal thats poured from a can or a bottle. Nothing. Thats a given truth. Things can be "cleaned up" just the same too by adding the correct product. Its like ATF in the new fuel filter. Run it till the engine sound changes and shut down the engine. Let it sit overnite in the injection pump and injectors. It loosens the gum and varnish that sometimes builds up sticking the injectors and the metering valve in the pumps. The high detergent action will cut that overnite. Or run a fuel conditioner in the fuel so the buildup wont happen. What ATF wont do is add metal to a worn out pump. Some might feel it repairs the pumps by adding a 1/2 gallon to the fuel in the tanks. But it can't. All it does is increases the fuel viscosity making the pump loose worn out tolerances seem tighter for a little more life in a worn out pump. You can run 100% vegetable oil or waste vegi oil or waste motor oil and get more life out of a used up pump too but cold starting has proven to be tuff too.

 

[prepowerstroke]

I have done a compression test and highest I got was 390 there were about the 360-390 area and it only had 111,000 miles


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[PwrSmoke]

I have done a compression test and highest I got was 390 there were about the 360-390 area and it only had 111,000 miles

Well, to start with, both the '86 and '89 Service Manuals I have do not list a minimum pressure. Rather they state the criteria is to first run a compression test by, 1) run engine to normal operating temp, 2) disable injection pump, 3) remove all glow plugs, 4) crank the engine a minimum of five "pumps" with each cylinder (making sure the batteries stay up), 5) compare readings from all cylinders and if the lowest reading is within 75 percent of the highest. Between 360-390 is only about 7 percent. I'd say you have nothing to worry about.

 

[prepowerstroke]

I read somewhere that a fresh idi should push anywhere from 450-500 psi and do any other years have a minimum pressure that I can compare too? Thanks


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[icanfixall]

So after reading that the compression test showed such good reading I need to ask.. Why did the original poster feel the compression was low??? I suspect it would have been much different if the very first post stated this. But still a worth while post with a very lot of valuable answers.