Seafoam in throttle body

Hi,
I have a 2000 XJ with 180,000 miles. I've run Mobil 1 full synthetic for almost as long as I've had the Jeep.

There is a slight tick coming from the engine. I think it may be a stuck lifter, but I'm not sure. This stays even after an oil change.

This is *very* slight and doesn't seem to affect the engine. I am due for new plugs and I periodically get the engine code for the lower oxygen sensor, but this never seems to cause a problem. Acceleration maybe seems a bit slower than normal.

I am curious as to whether or not anyone has had any experience with pouring a little bit of Seafoam into the engine, either through a vacuum line to the brake booster or directly into the throttle body itself. I have seen both methods done in some Youtube videos, but I am hesitant to do it myself until I've talked to some other Jeep owners.

What is anyone's opinion on this? I know there are other products available that probably work as well as Seafoam.

Thanks a lot for any opinions!

Nathan Fletcher
Bloomington, IN Jeep owner

what code are you getting for the post cat 02 senor?

I don't know the number, I had the guys at Autozone pull it for me...

I'm mainly just concerned about whether or not the Seafoam is safe to use to help clean out carbon deposits inside the combustion chambers. I have heard not to use too much as it could potentially cause hydrolock. But then again, some people swear by it and I have seen it seem to help a lot. I am thinking of doing it mainly just to see if it helps anything rather than as a fix for any real problem. The slight tick doesn't really bother me too much, but I thought since the engine is old and has a lot of miles it may be a good idea to try it.

As far as the O2 sensor is concerned, I'm not really too worried; I will probably just replace it since I have put over 100,000 miles on the Jeep myself since I've owned it and I'm pretty sure the guy who had it before me didn't do much maintenance. It is possible that it is the original oxygen sensor.

I have heard of people using it through the brake booster line. The only time I have used it, I poured a whole can into my gas tank. I didn't really notice that it did anything.

I have used Seafoam in 2.5l and 4.0l Jeep engines with good results. Follow the directions on the can. I normally mix the Seafoam into my fuel, but you can also add to the oil (prior to an oil change) or use vacuum to draw it into the intake.

Get a new O2 sensor. Fuel economy and performance will improve.

Seafoam through the brake booster vacuum line seems to work well. On my worn out 77 wagoneer, It was blowing a huge black cloud from the tailpipe. When I used it on my xj, there was barely any smoke, which I take to indicate that this motor is much cleaner inside. In the fuel, it will be more like any other fuel injector cleaner, with no noticeable results.

Seafoam Is Awesome

Seafoam is Awesome!

The only thing better is a true MotorVac service from the old Snap-on MotorVac machines, they really do work. You could probably get a bottle of MotorVac solution from a Snap-on dealer for a reasonable price.


The key to both products is the an ingredient in the solution, which was declassified after WWII. They used this solution to clean the breeches of the big guns on battleships. It breaks down carbon by wrapping a small shell of oil around each molecule of carbon, so that it can't stick to it's neighboring molecule, so carbon truly just melts away. :attom:


Remember crappy old plugged off EGR valves? We used to put them in a cup of MotorVac solution and take them out after 15 minutes and the carbon crust deposits just fell off!

The only way to hydro-lock is pouring in REALLY fast, or with the motor off, filling up the intake or a cylinder whose intake was open. Just let your jeep run at idle while fully warmed up and pour in fast enough to cause the idle to change. If it starts laboring or may stall ease up. I suggest half a can into like 1/4 tank of gas, drizzle a little down the throttle body or manually clean the plate, and the rest down the brake booster vac tube.

Oh this was too funny not to share - when I looked for a Seafoam image...

Did you mean THIS Seafoam......... or THIS one?


:guitar:

If you have a lifter tick, it won't improve by adding anything to the fuel system.

What brand of oil filter are you using?

Seafoam can also be directly added to the crank case, where it will work through and clean the internal bits. similar to adding ATF as an oil flush.

X E Ryder said:

Seafoam is Awesome!
Oh this was too funny not to share - when I looked for a Seafoam image...

Did you mean THIS Seafoam......... or THIS one?

:guitar:

Click to expand...

Although I prefer the first ... I have the feeling, tossing it into the fueling system may be a bad idea ... so I guess we'd have to go with the second choice, and a lot less fun.

Devilfrog said:

Seafoam can also be directly added to the crank case, where it will work through and clean the internal bits. similar to adding ATF as an oil flush.

Click to expand...

My point exactly.

I will admit, I have a cheaper Fram oil filter on there right now. I normally went for more expensive filters, but this was some "Extreme duty" or "Heavy duty" filter or something like that.

I know a lot of people hate Fram.

I know it won't help the lifter tick by putting Seafoam in the crankcase or fuel. I've personally always been distrustful of anything you put into the fuel itself, anyway.

I just really wanted to try the seafoam to give it a shot to see if it helped at all.

Thanks again.

Get a Napa Silver filter if you change your oil every 3-4,000 miles.

Just to close this probably useless thread, I wanted to follow up.

I had a Bosch Premium oil filter on there, by the way, and not that Fram that I thought I had...

I poured about half of the Seafoam SLOWLY into the vacuum line to the brake booster. The engine never died. I let this sit for awhile, several hours, then I restarted the Jeep and gave it some gas, and the thick black smoke coming out of the exhaust made me think it was cleaning SOMEthing out of there.

Anyway, I then went ahead and poured half of another can into the gas tank (about a quarter tank of gas) and poured another can into the crankcase to let it soak overnight. I ran the engine for a few minutes to help mix things up and to help the seafoam get distributed evenly throughout the oil. I let this sit overnight, then I did a good oil change the very next morning.

I also went ahead and threw a new air filter and some new plugs in since I was already in there.

I can honestly say that the engine is now running smoother and the lifter tick seems to have disappeared completely...at least for now. Either way, I had no problems and I really do think that this method helped me out. At 180,000 miles, I figured I want to do as much as I can to keep this engine going for another 180,000 miles.

Thanks again for all your help and advice!

The only reason I keep my 90 is that it runs really well getting the same milage it did new and it sounds great with the Borla header and exhaust. Otherwise I would sell it. It has nearly 210,000 miles on it.

I put the Seafoam in the vacuum line coming out of the brake booster. It worked well for me.

Devilfrog said:

Although I prefer the first ... I have the feeling, tossing it into the fueling system may be a bad idea ... so I guess we'd have to go with the second choice, and a lot less fun.

Click to expand...

Just saw this - hehe good call

And Glad the Seafoam worked for ya - it really does work