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tao
Frazzlebats
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join:2000-12-03
Lansing, MI

tao to SysOp

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to SysOp

Re: Decarbonising Engine with Water

35k in 12 years? That water washed out the cobwebs.

OTOH, you are treating symptoms - the water treatment mitigates the effects of the problem your car has - unburned fuel - why?

SysOp
join:2001-04-18
Atlanta, GA

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SysOp

Member

It could have been a number of things. Bad coil. Fouled spark plug. Bad injector.

After seafoam, lucas and now the water treatment, I can rule out the cobwebs

I think the malperformance I experienced was due to carbon deposits.

The car was bought new in West Palm Beach Fl and dealer maintained for 12 years until it was traded in at a West Palm Beach Volvo dealership and sold at auction. With such a low average of miles driven per year by a single owner living in an area know for it's retierment comunities I assume such short drives was not getting the engine hot enough for long enough to burn off the carbon deposits naturally.

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds to tao

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to tao
said by tao:

35k in 12 years? That water washed out the cobwebs.

OTOH, you are treating symptoms - the water treatment mitigates the effects of the problem your car has - unburned fuel - why?

Sounds like the engine actually had carbon deposits in the combustion chamber and those tend to glow red and cause early detonation/misfiring before the plug has delivered it's spark. It sounds like the decarbonization did exactly what it does and has improved the performance of the engine by removing carbon and the hot spots it creates.
tired_runner
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join:2000-08-25
CT
·Frontier FiberOp..

tired_runner

Premium Member

Interesting thread

For the past year or so I've used SeaFoam every 3,000 miles. I'll add 7 oz into dirty engine oil via crankcase right before oil change is due and drive the car for 100 miles, per instructions in the can. After I change the oil, I'll add an entire can of SeaFoam via brake booster vacuum line while engine is idling and up to normal operating temp. The white smoke that comes out of exhaust while I pour it in this is scary. It's even scarier when I drive the car at 70 on the highway after pouring it in so that the white smoke clears.

I've done this mainly to get rid of the rough idle that my Jeep had when I first bought it, and it's worked. Granted, one could never completely get rid of the good ole Chrysler shake, but I call that can 16 ounces of wonders.

Would you know if the water method is more effective than using SeaFoam via brake booster line?

SysOp
join:2001-04-18
Atlanta, GA

SysOp

Member

New fuel filter, new air filter, new transmission oil/filter, new engine oil/filter.

Then I used seafoam in the vacuum line, followed by Lucas gas treatment in the 1st tank, then Chevron w/Techron in the 2nd tank.

Still had what I assume was carbon build up and what felt like a missfire. Immediate results after decarbonizing the engine with water. Missfire was gone.

Yes. It was more effective this time around.
tired_runner
Premium Member
join:2000-08-25
CT
·Frontier FiberOp..

tired_runner

Premium Member

So you're saying you fed your engine 16 ounces of bottled water via brake booster vacuum line and went to town on the throttle? Was the improvement immediate?

I wouldn't mind trying that on my Jeep on the next oil change. A bottle of water from the store is much cheaper than Seafoam. lol

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds

Premium Member

said by tired_runner:

So you're saying you fed your engine 16 ounces of bottled water via brake booster vacuum line and went to town on the throttle?

No, the brake booster line is too big. You should spray or pour through the throttle plates / butterfly valve at a fast idle (2K to 3K).

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· N8pBHJhE
Doctor Olds

Doctor Olds to tired_runner

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to tired_runner
said by tired_runner:

I wouldn't mind trying that on my Jeep on the next oil change. A bottle of water from the store is much cheaper than Seafoam. lol

Seafoam is still needed to add to the oil and the gas so it can clean the rings, lifters, valve stems and injectors as the water does not flow to those areas and would not be beneficial if added to your oil or gas.
tired_runner
Premium Member
join:2000-08-25
CT
·Frontier FiberOp..

tired_runner to Doctor Olds

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to Doctor Olds
said by Doctor Olds:


No, the brake booster line is too big. You should spray or pour through the throttle plates / butterfly valve at a fast idle (2K to 3K).

I'm confused.

The brake booster line in my Jeep is maybe about half-inch in diameter. The throttle body is I believe about 4 inches in diameter. Unless what I'm calling "brake booster line" isn't really that. It's a rubber hose that I pull off from the brake master cylinder assembly and connects right into throttle body.

And yea.. It would be funny in a sinister way to pour water via crankshaft or gas tank, but not on my vehicle. lol

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds

Premium Member

said by tired_runner:

said by Doctor Olds:


No, the brake booster line is too big. You should spray or pour through the throttle plates / butterfly valve at a fast idle (2K to 3K).

I'm confused.

The brake booster line in my Jeep is maybe about half-inch in diameter. The throttle body is I believe about 4 inches in diameter. Unless what I'm calling "brake booster line" isn't really that. It's a rubber hose that I pull off from the brake master cylinder assembly and connects right into throttle body.

If you stick the brake booster hose into the water it will suck way too much water as you need to instead slowly pour the water into the hose (use a funnel in the hose if your aim is not dead on) while running at a fast idle. However if the hose connects to the engine where it does not equally distribute the water into the intake and then equally to all the cylinders that isn't a even cleaning as the closer intake ports will get more water than the further away ports. That's why any vacuum line is normally not recommended unless it opens centrally right behind the throttle body butterfly plates. It is best to pour slowly into the central throttle body or carb on older cars for the best distribution.
tired_runner
Premium Member
join:2000-08-25
CT
·Frontier FiberOp..

tired_runner

Premium Member

said by Doctor Olds:

However if the hose connects to the engine where it does not equally distribute the water into the intake and then equally to all the cylinders that isn't a even cleaning as the closer intake ports will get more water than the further away ports.

Gotcha

The air filter assembly is a bit of a PITA to disassemble but for this purpose it's worth a shot.

I'll post an update when I get to it. Thanks
tired_runner

tired_runner to Doctor Olds

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to Doctor Olds
Alright so earlier today I put apart the air filter assembly to acccess the throttle body (easier than anticipated, feel kinda stupid for feeling hesitant to do this after I did it). I did this after a nice 25-mile drive on the highway so the engine was nice and hot. I slowly poured all 16 ounces of bottled water down the throttle and started revving it once I heard the engine starting to sputter.

I guess either my expectation left me disappointed or I did this wrong. There were no "fireworks" or exhaust smoke. It sputtered for a bit while pouring in the water. Once I poured in all the water, I shut off the engine so I can put the air filter assembly back together. Then I took it for a spin, redlining it a few times for good measure. For right now it seems smooth and it idles a little less rough but this engine has the infamous Chrysler shake. It may idle rough one moment then it's silky smooth the next.

She's due up for the 3000-mile oil change in 1,200 miles, which at the rate of leisure driving that I seem to be doing lately this will take place next month. I think I'm going to pour an entire can of Seafoam right into the throttle body this time and see what happens.

Beezel
join:2008-12-15
Las Vegas, NV

Beezel

Member

said by tired_runner:Seafoam right into the throttle body this time and see what happens.

Lots and lots of smoke

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds to tired_runner

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to tired_runner
said by tired_runner:

I did this after a nice 25-mile drive on the highway so the engine was nice and hot. I slowly poured all 16 ounces of bottled water down the throttle and started revving it once I heard the engine starting to sputter.

I guess either my expectation left me disappointed or I did this wrong. There were no "fireworks" or exhaust smoke. It sputtered for a bit while pouring in the water. Once I poured in all the water, I shut off the engine so I can put the air filter assembly back together. Then I took it for a spin, redlining it a few times for good measure. For right now it seems smooth and it idles a little less rough

I think I'm going to pour an entire can of Seafoam right into the throttle body this time and see what happens.

Yeah, no fireworks or magic genies.... sorry. However, you should see a dirty spot where the exhaust let out broken carbon as the steam in the combustion chamber shocks it into small enough particles to get blown out the tail pipe and on to the drive or ground.

Water burnt in engine = steam vapors and carbon on the ground or shop floor.

Seafoam cleaner burnt in engine = clouds of white pillowy smoke.
tired_runner
Premium Member
join:2000-08-25
CT
·Frontier FiberOp..

tired_runner

Premium Member



If this water trick and Seafoam do essentially the same thing via throttle, I'm almost preferring to do the water instead. The smoke that starts coming out with Seafoam makes me worried enough to get hit with a citation for polluting the environment. I normally wait until it's late in the day enough and find somewhere quiet and isolated to do it.