I poured Seafoam down the spark plug holes! | Oil Burning Experiments - Episode 1

Top down approach to unsticking piston rings on the infamous 1ZZ-FE engine using Seafoam.
Here's the "bottom up" approach: • Will Seafoam stop oil ...
Here's the compression test: • Are piston rings causi...
Here's the Marvel Mystery Oil test: • Will Marvel Mystery Oi...
seafoamworks.com/stop-the-smo...

[@lanceferraro3781]

I did this on a late 80s Tercel. It had good compression in three cylinders, but super low compression in one. Possibilities were bad rings, bad valves or broken ring. Did the oil test and the three psi went up a touch. Still super bad in the one. Broken ring or stuck valve. I took plugs out and sprayed lots of carb cleaner into each hole. Vigorously wiggled the crank back and forth a couple inches ONLY. Left and did other stuff. Knowing that the really liquid carb cleaner would evaporate and also flow past the rings and piston slots I came back a half hour later and wiggled the crank and put more carb cleaner in, wiggled the crank again and went to do more stuff. Did this four times. My thinking was the carb cleaner is a serious grease killer and would soak and soften the carbon, and moving the crank would squish out the softened stuff from the ring grooves. Changed oil and it wsa ugly, like yours was. Fired up the engine and drove about for a bit and did a compression check. Bad one was back up to the others psi, and all cylinders were a bit higher. A lot cheaper, and I didn't want to take it apart unless I had to. In the Navy we wouldn't mess with stuff we didn't have to to avoid making more problems.

[@redlywaxer]

Dude this is 👍🏼

[@williamcerar7308]

Go Navy!!!!!

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Didn't they have mechanical valve lash adjusters? Did you check the valves?

[@lanceferraro3781]

@@gregorymalchuk272 I suspected that. The valves were fine.

[@imranshah-ll1wk]

I got nothing but respect for the people that keeping the manuals alive 💯

[@honestguy7764]

Even in Europe, its a dying breed

[@sylkelster]

I keep at least 1 at all times. Two most of the time.

[@quiksilver1j]

Love them except if you are driving in city stop and go traffic ..but that's easy avoid cities at all costs..lol

[@TheCrabbyCrabcakes]

chances of gettin ur car stolen or carjacked goes down tremendously yup yup....

[@timallix4407]

I'll probably never own another manual car, but I have three motorcycles to keep me shifting manually!

[@molonlabe9602]

Marvel fan here...used it in my airplane gas, never a problem and good long term compression in the Cessna 172A Continental engine. Walmart $20 pit crew oil change is worth it's weight in gold...no hassle or dirty situations. Have a look at Project Farm. He does a seafoam and Lucas in his oil and sprays seafoam directly into his intake on an old Ranger. It worked really good for him.

[@canoe365]

I bet it freaked out the Walmart oil change crew first time you brought in your 172 😀

[@timerickson7056]

Toyota fix is to replace the pistons and rings with updated pistons. Its about $1,000 for parts pull the head and pan push out the old pistons . The updated pistons have larger oil recovery holes .

[@stevanrose7439]

Here’s a tip I saw 👀 a guy do. When removing filters that hang down like yours take a plastic party cup and after getting it loose put the cup over the filter and squeeze the cup while turning the filter cup catches the oil. No oil running down your arm. 😁

[@canoe365]

Awesome idea, thank you!

[@Area-cf1gt]

My tercel valves stuck open one day! poured sea foam in, saved the engine. 😆 still driving 8 years later!!

[@DrivelineMaster]

Face it stuck oil control rings are not the only reason for oil consumption. The rings or cylinders could just be worn out. At that mileage valve guide seals often become rock hard, blow by from worn compression rings and worn cylinder walls will cause the PVC system to suck in more oily vapor and lets not forget about external leaks. Frequent oil changes with quality oil directly impacts cylinder and ring wear that is why some extremely high mileage vehicles don't use as much oil as others with similar mileage. So if your purchasing an extremely high mileage vehicle unless you know the maintenance history your taking your chances. Don't buy an oil burner thinking you can solve the problem with a magic oil treatment in the cylinder. The odds are against you.

[@TheRandomDave]

Good video. Thanks for detailing your work. It does look like the seafoam did help somewhat.

[@AndriyMisuyrak]

That's very informative, I don't know if it was pointed out in previous comments, but unstucking rings works best on a very hot engine. You add the seafoam inside and you put the spark plugs back in to seal it so it evaporates inside the chamber. Leave it overnight, and next day you move the crank left right a bit to unstuck the rings that soaked in seafoam for a quite some time. Then you can still leave it or add even more. Let it for some time, the longest the better. And resume with removing the liquid as you showed in the video. oil replacement after 100-300 km after adding seafoam to the oil that leaves more time to the oil to clean the engine. Cold engine is way less effective.

[@zaiks0105]

Nice ... thx for the tip

[@Teeveepicksures]

I've always run it hard after adding the seafoam and replacing the plugs

[@fredhemer1568]

Leaving it in over nite My experience on a Honda CRV is it all ends up in the crank case ! I was trying to free the compression rings !

[@hodlcro4dlife661]

I wouldn't pour I would use the seafoam spray that says motor treatment high miles while motor is hot and just spray in spsrk plug holes then add to gas tank and intake manifold while car is running hot then run it on a clear freeway way at high r.p.m's and burn it out but be careful it can cause damage to seals and rubber parts if done too much or left too long in there only 100 miles to 200 miles is good then do it again down the road later on and stop using bad oil and cheap gas I use mobil, amsoil full synthetic and some times 91 octane Chevron with techron to help clean it out runs like a champ and smooth shifting gears

[@alberttibbets6567]

Excellent camera work and thorough explanation. Thanks!

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Thanks Albert!

[@paulferguson6369]

Turning your engine backwards is a good way to increase the risk of jumping timing

[@shaneonews6791]

Seafoam. Piston rings. Threw plugs. Repeat every oil change 3 times. You got your engine back.

[@tpcoachfix]

You could put the piston at bottom dead center just before the compression stroke. Remove the spark plug. Fill the cylinder with Seafoam. Put the spark plug back in. Turn the engine over by hand with a breaker bar and socket on the crank pulley bolt, to raise the piston up the cylinder. This will force the Seafoam around and behind the rings. Do one cylinder at a time.

[@martinmuldoon603]

Good idea to add chemical cleaner at bottom dead centre, definitely doing use the starter or you could bend the connecting rod. I think really it would be better to clean piston ring from the bottom end by adding Chem to oil though that could be hard on engine berrings and seals.

[@tpcoachfix]

@@martinmuldoon603 I would not use the starter. Bar the engine over by hand so you have more control over how fast the piston comes up, to prevent bending the rod or breaking a piston ring.

[@Bellathebear777]

Why not add a 1/2 qt marvel to the oil change? Wouldn't that help? ?

[@waverider5751]

What’s wrong with brake cleaner or Carb cleaner? You will have to replace the motor oil immediately and give the crankcase time to vent the flammable vapors out. Carb cleaner eats sludge!

[@bobcuriston5402]

That is a great engine….it does it’s own oil changes.

[@deasttn]

Just a new filter twice a year

[@josuecerqueira7191]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣✌👍

[@curtisrandell13]

I’m on the same page. That reminds me, ol girl is down a litre lol

[@titustitus6198]

😂

[@theonlyxa]

Mine too

[@TheWirkkalaShow]

I had bad sludge in a 5.2 Jeep awhile back. I would put half a bottle of seafoam in 50 miles before each oil change for about 3 oil changes I think it was. Cleared it out a lot and ran drastically better/smoother and quieter. Lifter tick returned to normal and everything. Deep black oil came out each time. That stuff works. I think you’ll see better results over time with this methed but if you had done that soak and then followed it with the upper cylinder spray cleaner I feel like it would have made a larger improvement. The results you got weren’t bad at all though considering that it was a short term test and you burned about 30% less oil over a longer distance. Great video 👍

[@theoldman947]

This caught my attention because I have a 2002 Corolla LE, 173K miles and even the same color as yours. It used oil to the tune of a quart every 800 miles. I upped it to 1600 miles by switching to 5W40 100% synthetic Castrol oil. In the past I've always used 5W30 synthetic. My old oil was never as black as yours, just a dark amber. I would change it every 7000-8000 miles. I haven't noticed any difference in the way the car runs with the 5W40. I replaced my spark plugs at 150K. They looked way better than yours did. I'm surprised you didn't replace them when you had them out.

[@brians7604]

just get a new car bro...dont be cheap

[@kylemcweeny878]

​@brians7604 for sure bro buy me one then 😅 don't be cheap fool

[@JO3haNsum]

I have a similar issue with my Celica 281K miles blows hardly any smoke, repaired the timing chain gasket Leak but it's still consuming about 1.5qt a week. I'm going to try this

[@SoddingaboutSi]

Excellent video. Thank you for the effort and detailed information.

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Thanks Simon!

[@o-d-cole4088]

Had an issue like this, no smoke, no puddles of oil under the car. Turns out the oil filler cap seal had turned from rubber to plastic and was letting a considerable amount of oil leak onto the top of the engine leaving jt with a shiny appearance, I figured I'd just spilled some when filling it up and wiped it off, it kept coming back until I replaced my cap. No more missing oil.

[@wilsondavenport6939]

one thing i think most people don't consider but would be an advantage to the sea foam approach is its actually a fuel additive so basically its suppose to be in the cylinder so you don't need to be condenser with removing 110% of it from the cylnder and engen

[@timeboom]

Love it, very methodical!

[@DiCarloJr]

Well analytical experiment. You forgot that note pad. 😂 Great Job!

[@chrisryan8863]

You should consider using an engine flush twice with clean oil and new inexpensive filter with each flush to get rid of the sludge. That could be your entire problem.

[@JohnSmith-xx1lx]

What oil or product do you recommend for the engine flush?

[@kamehamehaX300]

@@JohnSmith-xx1lx liqui moly

[@willfry5331]

If you use an engine flush you better pull that pan. Pick up screen and bottom of the pan need a thorough cleaning after using that

[@juanlydell]

The reason why the oil was thick and dark, because the Seafoam loosen the carbon deposit from the top of the pistons. That build up was thin enough to go though the rings down to the oil. If you are noticing blue smoke from the exhaust, it means your engine is burning oil due to an oil leak. This symptom could be the result of a leaking valve seal or a problem with a piston ring. That escaped oil can then mix with the fuel and burn as the fuel burns. Therefore it doesn't look like you have that problem with your compression rings or oil rings. Those spark plugs looked very bad. Stop being cheap and change the spark plugs, PVC valve and also check your valve cover and oil pan for oil leaks. It"s a good chance your loosing oil from those area and not burning oil.

[@JP-xv8uq]

could be pcv valve, burned 2 quarts on a a 2arfe toyota engine the 2.5l. Since the change last week i have burned like nothing. also cleaned out the cylinder heads with lucas injector cleaner. it got rid of a lot of the soot stuck to the pistons from the burnt oil. PCV valve also needs to be changed every 100k miles so might as well change it.

[@araboharabedian]

If efficiency is what your going for…….You ccould have purchased all 4 spark plug for under $10 for that Corolla, lol why wouldn’t you just change them 🤑🤑🤑

[@cumshot247]

Or at least clean em up with some carb cleaner...🤷‍♂

[@hotrodray6802]

Seafoam has a chemical reaction with oil additives and turns the oil dark.

[@redlywaxer]

Berryman's B-12 Chemtool used as a piston soak is a much stronger chemical to clean and free stuck rings and ring grooves. The other product I have used with great success for piston soaks is Kano Labs "Kreen". Use it as a piston soak from the top in the combustion chamber, then after it soaks past the rings and down into the sump engine oil, run it in the oil with a new filter until that oil is good and dirty. It may take a few complete cycles, but eventually the consumption will lessen as the piston rings get freed up and the ring lands get cleaned up . I like to go up one step in oil viscosity when cleaning with chemicals that thin the oil. So if it calls for 5W-30, I will use a 10W-40 or a diesel-rated HD 15W-40 while running with a cleaner in the sump oil. If an engine calls for a 0W-20 or 5W-20, I will use a 5W-30 or 10W-30 with the cleaning chemical in the oil.

[@jaimesantiago1751]

I always use 10w40 on my 1996 Corolla and works perfect.

[@williamallen2817]

I've used Rislone oil treatment since the 50ds , that's 1950's ! Cleans an engine and really quiets it down ! Record engine sound and do at least, two , change cycles , 3K,3K, = 6K Sound recheck ! the secret is , A CLEAN ENGINE ! Good oil and filter !

[@richochett404]

Rislone is what I have used.good stuff. I don't change oil without rislone.

[@chuckredd9131]

Grandfather owned a Studebaker dealer ship back in the days. He had a traveling salesman that sold Rislone and he ran his car with straight rislone. Always seemed to thin a weight to run by itself. I to have used rislone since the early sixties when I started driving. Still recommend it!

[@robertthornton1014]

Nice video Dave best one i seen so far Thank you

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Much appreciated, Robert! ... that's a pretty old one, hopefully they get better :-)

[@marxseet]

I think cleaning up the valve chamber would definitely help. Usually there shouldn't be much carbon built up on the piston as the blow back will transfer them into the chamber that clogged up the valve.

[@davidhughes4728]

Really like the video keep up the good work man

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Much appreciated, David!

[@timallix4407]

Hi Dave, interesting videos. I just purchased a nice 2011 Audi Q5 with 82,000 miles, and I since found out this model is known to have oil consumption problems caused by sticking oil rings on pistons. I went through my first tank of gas, and sure enough, it consumed a litre (quart) of oil in that time. I tackled it with Lucas Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer, and that helped reduce consumption, but it did not eliminate it. I have since had to add another litre of oil, and I used Castrol GTX High Mileage 5/30. I am planning to use an oil flush at the next oil change, and then perhaps keep using high mileage blends after that. I'll keep you posted as I measure my results. Thanks for giving us all hope!

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Thanks Tim, and yes, please do keep us posted!

[@joshhvidston8938]

any updates? you try the piston soak with the Q5?

[@daterminator391]

Update?

[@aceagain7483]

Still waiting on an update

[@timallix4407]

I have gotten lazy about tracking consumption rate. I change oil every 8000km’s, and I add 2 litres of oil between changes, so I think it has improved. I top up only with the thick stuff. I’ve done the flush twice, and expected to see black oil, but it was amber and clean. At this point I’ve accepted the oil consumption. I like the car enough to keep it. It doesn’t blow blue smoke, so I’m happy enough.

[@nordicpride9708]

BG EPR is one of the very best oil additives for cleaning stuck oil rings. I follow up with Mobil 1 0w-40 (light 40wt oil which is close to 30wt) for a long interval. This oil is confirmed to do a very thorough job of cleaning sludge and carbon.

[@josephfreeman1427]

Atf works great also

[@Mikesroadtrip-ec5kp]

@@josephfreeman1427 do you add some atf to the oil or let it soak in the cylinders

[@josephfreeman1427]

@@Mikesroadtrip-ec5kp Soak in the cylinders to help free stuck rings. Pull the plugs and fill the each cylinder. Check them them the next morning to see how much is left. I would crank the car over to get the excess out and put the plugs in and try it again.

[@RobertBeedle]

Good job with the video. Takes a while to put these together

[@1ZZFE]

Wow great effort man. I have the same engine. Will try the bottom up on your next video.

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Good luck, Terry. Thanks for the comment.

[@SZGX]

Very informative and not rushed, thank you! A thing I would suggest to make it easier to find middle on the cylinder (between top and bottom dead center), use two sticks instead of 1 - put them in opposite position cylinders (e.g. 1 in the 1 or 4 cylinder, and 1 in the 2 or 3 cylinder). Then rotate crankbolt clockwise until the two sticks are level - that will be your center

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Great idea! Thanks!

[@SZGX]

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY curious what you think of this- would there be a good way to safely push down the solvent into the ringers more with compression (without hydrolocking)? I've seen some people recommend putting piston bottom dead center and then putting solvent in (doing one cylinder, or two at a time). I would like to do this but thinking about reinstalling spark plugs hand tight so there is some compression and so that the solvent won't evaporate up. At this point is it same to crank by hand and "force" oil by the rings (not using the starter of course). I don't think it'd be possible to bend the rods this way by hand? Lastly I was wondering about the part where you wiggle the crankbolt in both directions. I have a MINI R55 and wondering if it's ok to wiggle it backward a tiny bit. I don't want to mess up the timing

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

@@SZGX The Seafoam site actually recommends doing as you suggest, installing the plugs to use compression to drive the solvent into the rings (by hand of course). ... I'm not sure about rocking your crank. The 1zzfe timing chain is locked down pretty tight by the ratcheting tensioner, so it can be rotated either way. But I know some engines can't.

[@C-M-E]

You pretty much nailed everything I was going to touch on. Root of the deal (and you probably know this, but for those that don't), this is unfortunately a well-documented case with this and a few other Toyota 4 cylinders that ended up in a lot of cars, which was completely a manufacture 'defect', aka design mistake. The low tension rings will close up on the pistons after a time and there's almost no getting around it if you're just using regular oil (to include full snyths), even with preventative early changes. Problem being that you have to add concentrated solvents to keep them from sticking, at which point, you're destroying the lubricative properties of the oil and doing more harm than good for the rest of the engine. Toyota did fix it eventually, I forget exactly when, but memory tells me the mid 2010s (like 2014/15 model years). Seafoam is about the safest option as it is a concentrated solvent but won't do *as much thinning of your oil, but it isn't a one time application solution either. You can do it initially a few weeks before a total oil change and maintain treatments going forward, but it won't completely solve the problem either, more or less a band-aid. That's not a ding on you or other users, it's totally on Toyota. You could let acetone sit as you did, and it will certainly slip right past the rings and into the oil pan given enough time without air to evaporate into. If you're planning on doing an oil change right after, there's not much to harm other than residual acetone now in the oil system necessitating a full flush. Personally I wouldn't use acetone, though if you have access to industrial chems, hexane is an option mixed with naptha and toluene. None of the three are particularly pleasant to be around and are extremely volatile. In the event you were curious or didn't know, most dipstick markings on all gas-driven vehicles indicate one quart low between the dots or hash marks. Diesel's don't exactly follow the same protocol due to how much oil sits in the pan and variance between manufacturers and models, but the general rule is 'at least one quart'.

[@Shumayal]

Thanks for this video. I have 149,000 miles with my 7A-FE 1994 Toyota Celica. I am going to do it this Christmas! smokes clouds! despite getting new valve stem seals!

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

I hope it works for you Ahmad!

[@Elaba_]

Are you Scotty Kilmer?

[@williepelzer384]

Buy a Chevy

[@redneckhillbilly8788]

@@Elaba_ Scottys a clown

[@fabianlucas7527]

Diesel works perfect as well and old school remedy pour some down spark plug holes and let soak through overnight. Good to do before your oil change.

[@tonyfox1434]

You didnt run the engine to fill the oil filter first before filling the oil to the "full line". It would have dropped a lot after filling the oil filter. You needed to top up the oil after running it!

[@1wadesdad]

I agree. The filter alone probably holds 1/2 a quart or more. I always do the "flood" start procedure after changing oil. On fuel injected cars, hold the gas pedal to the floor then try to start the car. It will not, because the throttle pegged at start-up shuts off the injectors. Then crank it over a few seconds until the oil light goes off (or gauge registers pressure). Let off the gas and it will start right up.

[@raullcalzadilla3541]

For seven years I have had a 2008 Chevy Equinox LTZ 3.4L 6 cyl 114k miles. The engine is great in every respect except one, it consumes about 1 qt every 1k miles. No visible oil leaks, and Idles beautifully at around 600 RPM. No oil residue in the air intake from a possible stuck PCV valve.

[@TheGuruStud]

and then it blows out the crank seal from the trash PCV valve

[@engal5849]

I have a 2002 sienna which was losing a quart of oil every 100 miles. I had been adding oil frequently to the point that I was almost always had clear oil in the engine. I tried adding high mileage lucas oil that is so thick and that did not fixed the oil consumption. I did my research and found out that the piston design (holes not enough) is causing not enough oil to pass thru to lubricate the rings and that causes the rings to eventually stick. I did similar to what you did and left the seafoam 24hours in the cylinder and even crank it without the plugs but found out that all of the seafoam went pass the rings. I did not oil change after that and just drove the minivan since like I said, the oil looks clear because I add every 100 miles. I checked after 100 miles, 200 miles, 300 miles and 500 miles and it had not burned more oil than before. I decided to just add 1/4 of seafoam container every oil change (3k miles) and the engine has been performing like new. Seafoam acts as a crud cleanser to the cylinder holes and the rings that at high temperature, the rings would release itself from being stuck in the piston creating the seal between piston and the combustion chamber locking and containing the oil from below the piston rod. My gas mileage went from 12 to 25 mpg. Seafoam save my van and it is now part of my oil change. I just recently drove more than 1k miles round trip from Sac to San diego and vice versa, I just burnt a little along the way and would just continue adding seafoam and oil at the same time. Toyota had a newly released oil grade by year and model recommendation also found out that I can use 0w20 synthetic oil which I plan on using later after I am done consuming all my 5w30 oil that I purchased from costco. Adding some seafoam to your oil does not hurt your engine and believe me because I have been doing this for more than a year now.

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

That is awesome to hear! Very encouraging for others like us sharing the same problem. I really appreciate the comment @Eng Al! 👍👍

[@qanononabong8491]

0w20 in a 2002 Sienna? Please provide link. Otherwise, this is bs.

[@wes1934]

Thanks for taking the time to make this. '09 camry 2.4 here with 460k miles; i found switching from mobile1 full-synth oil to valvo semi-synth high-mil 5w-20 oil slow the oil burning (hi-mil mil valvo supposedly has better cleaning chems esp for stuck rings)...

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Good info, Wes. You made me go to the Valvoline site where they talk about this team.valvoline.com/diy/how-using-high-mileage-oil-can-help-prevent-engine-breakdown

[@stallion955]

I won't use valveoline it has cost me engines before I always use Mobil 1 or castrol

[@wes1934]

@@stallion955 How did it cost you an engine and how did you know it was the valvo oil that did it? Care to give more detail?

[@stallion955]

@@wes1934 because the 5w30 valvoline tore up the engine I used to use Castrol 5w30 before then I ended up switching to valvoline for 1 oil change because where I went to get the oil they were out of Castrol 5w30 after I ran valvoline motor started burning lots of oil and ended up with a lot of knocking/ticking noises the motor was a 2.5 iron Duke chevy engine I've since been back to Castrol or Mobil 1 and never an issue since I steer clear of valvoline and pencil both are garbage if you ask me.

[@christophersherratt7299]

Hi David just watched your video on seafoam put the seafoam in petrol tank and oil then change the oil one quart short in oil then fill with Lucus to fill it keeps the oil and engine cooler so doesn't burn as much worked very well on wife's mini cooper

[@pinonnut]

3 fold approach worked for my auction x3 bmw that was nicely maintained but 10k oil changes stick rings 1) motor flush 2) marvel mystery in top cylinder and in oil, ( in driveway, not on road) 3) GM special chemical to free rings $20 forgot the name. PS i will always change my oil frequently with full synthetic… dirty oil sticks rings

[@aqib2000]

The most important part “forgot the name”

[@goclunker]

After treating the cylinders, you should go for a really hard italian tune up drive to blow out the carbon from the piston rings. As others said, pcv. Change it with a new oem one! Also, seafoam in oil, run for 200 miles, dont floor it and then change oil. 15 min does nothing

[@nathanjohnson6503]

Did that to a chrysler 300, a couple treatments like that and quit using oil had 110,000 miles

[@michaeljohnson4204]

Sounds like a 50s or 60s British car they used a quart of oil every 100 miles, even when just left the showroom.

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

LOL

[@robertteague6342]

Another thing you can try is Seafoam upper engine cleaner spray. You spray the entire can through the air intake through the engine while the car is running for 10 minutes. Then turn the engine off, hook the air intake hose back up and let the car hot soak for another 10 minutes then turn the car on and drive it around until there is no more smoke coming out of your tailpipe.

[@sjettj7608]

One of the best things you can try to do is use BG EPR which is an engine flush it is designed to go in and clean out the carbon from around the rings added to the engine oil and follow the directions your regular engine up to certain RPM for about 30 to 45

[@sjettj7608]

I wood run a compression check on and see what the compression is on the cylinders before and after BG makes very good and the epr engine flush is very strong and it's designed to knock the carbon off the rings and allow your rings to expand back

[@JeffAMay]

Been down this road with an old Saturn SC1 I had years ago that burned oil BAD... I never changed the oil just changed the filter and used 20w50 oil..Helped slow the oil consumption A LOT but it still burned some just not nearly as much..Lasted me well over 100k longer before I sold the car and it was still running fine when I sold it..

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Good info, Jeff. Thanks for the comment!

[@hotrodray6802]

Yes. In the crankcase is better. On a V engines you can't soak the rings because of the cylinder angle.

[@aqib2000]

Yes you can just use axle stands on one side

[@gartheligon140]

Dave, what might be a good idea with the seafoam in the cyl's replace number 1 spark plug turn the crank by hand, when you feel compression hold it there, that will get the seafoam between rings faster. When the compression bleeds off, take the plug out and do the same with 3, 4, 2 and let it soak.

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

I like that idea, Garth. Someone else also mentioned pressurizing it with an air compressor.

[@gartheligon140]

@@FamilyFriendlyDIY That's good, but with all plugs out and the cyl you're pressuring, if the valves are closed, too much psi can actually rotate the crankshaft. First time it happened I was like WTH! happened. 😁 Here's another way to tell if the rings or valve's are seating properly. Get number 1 cyl valves closed and piston TDC and apply compressed air in the cyl not much, you don't want the crank to rotate. Go listen at the exhaust tail pipe, if no hissing is heard, the exhaust valve is seating good. Open the throttle plate, if no hissing at the throttle then intake valve is seating good. Remove oil filler cap and listen for hiss, if yes then rings are leaking. Do the same to 3, 4, 2. Have a leak down test done it shows if the leak is good or bad. Valve seals or worn valve guides can cause lost of oil.

[@Beaconbrook]

There's no mention of draining the engine oil before this application of seafoam so that the crankcase does not receive excessive amounts of seafoam. Or does that matter? I have seized rings on my 76 kz750 which I hope to free.

[@danielsolomon1710]

Remember to use Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil because it will literally make your engine clean.

[@davidsibble7429]

Great video! B&G has a product called EFR which is specifically formulated for the "bottom up" effect and I'm trying it this weekend. I used to use Seafoam as maintenance for my older cars especially towards the end of the oil life just before changing it, often resulting in a cleaner bottom end, as both vehicles exceed 226,000 miles. I also use Z-max as a oil assist every other oil change.

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Thanks, and thanks for the info, David. I'd like to try the BG products too. Someone in the comments of another of my videos mentioned they'd like to send me the kit, but I haven't heard back from them yet. We'll see. All the best with yours and thanks for the comment!

[@alherch]

Give BG EPR MOA 44k kit a shot, I recently used the kit. Burning about 1 qt per 1k miles, cant give any feedback on it yet. BG also has another kit that is geared towards sludge buildup for direct injection vehicles.

[@josephfreeman1427]

Zmax is crap use lucas oil stable seafoam and marvel or atf

[@6rimR3ap3r]

We tried some Liqui Moly engine cleaner mixed into the oil on a thirsty Daihatsu engine once. I don't know what in the world it did inside the cylinders but after that it burned like 5-10 more oil than before. The engine was truly shot.

[@elinasi1727]

It is maybe that old oil increases engine prerssure and it goes through the least resistance-piston rings. If we change oil frequently and drive the car slowly and not high rev it i think we might overcome this problem. In my car I never pass the 2500 rpm and i think it helps with various oil leaks from the valve cover.

[@zoomed66]

Might try this on my Toyota 2az-fe engine.....

[@ronaldcolman6211]

I've seen this dozens of times with 3sge nd 5sfe engines. I used to add seafoam, one quart to a quarter tank of fuel and give the old 'Italian Tune up' . Drive it hard for about a half hour. usually breaks everything loose and decarbons valves and plugs,

[@matthewpeterson3329]

One thing I learned years ago is that SeaFoam is amazing stuff. My 5.3L Silverado has 265k miles on it and I have been religious about this pre-oil change ritual... I add 1 ounce per quart of oil to the crank case and 1 ounce per gallon of fuel to the tank, and I do this 500 miles before my next 5k mile oil change (which is exactly 5 trips to work and back). ALWAYS change oil at 5k miles, ALWAYS add Seafoam 500 miles before the change. The engine has never leaked, it's never burned oil, and it has never thrown a code related to the motor. I am still running on the original spark plugs and they are perfect when I check them every other oil change. Scope shows clean pistons and valves, nearly no scoring of the cylinder walls. I average 21 mpg, week in and week out. I attribute this to religious oil changes and sea foam.

[@nordicpride9708]

Sounds like a winning combo but I’d definitely buy new ac Delco plugs and wires. Spark plugs are at the end of life with that mileage. Maintenance with additives and oil has zero impact or relevance to the wear spark plugs experience. It’s like a brake pad or transmission clutches, a part of their function is friction and inevitably WEAR. I work on alot of LS based motors. They love basic EFI tune ups( TB cleaning, PCV valve cover replacement, new plugs, wires and top engine clean).

[@matthewpeterson3329]

@@nordicpride9708 Great advice. I'm so hesitant to make any changes because the truck run so well, I worry it will go down hill. haha. You know, like staying away from the doctor because they will always find something wrong with you.

[@nordicpride9708]

@@matthewpeterson3329 Totally understand. Look at it like exercise and good nutrition for your body. An apple a day keeps the doctor away kinda approach. As long as you stick to OEM parts she should run great for years to come. On Gm changing the transmission fluid is vital, and just anticipate the EVAP system to pop check engine lights. All easily addressable 👍🏻

[@pjstartv6798]

Seafoam is great stuff. On my V8 in my Trans Am while the engine is still running I pull off a vaccuum line going to the intake, pinch the vaccuum line then stick it down into the seafoam, then slowly release the pinched vaccuum line and let the engine start sucking the seafoam in. As you release the pinched line and the seafoam gets sucked in, the engine will start to stumble and you will see black carbon smoke start coming out the exhaust. You don't want to release the vaccuum line fully or you will flood it with seafoam and the engine will die but if you relasee it just until it starts to stumble, the seafoam will get in there and clean up carbon deposit that will then get ejected out the exhaust.

[@jamesward5721]

It's the blocks - you can do what you like, the Malaysian made blocks are out of whack on the bores - so new rings/cleaning etc etc might improve things for a bit, but only for a bit. It's the bores.

[@howardiko7156]

The oil return holes in the piston is most of the problem . Later year engines of several companies seem to have the same problem with the low friction rings.

[@Fhita1962]

Had this issue with old '95 Saturn, infamous oil burners, seafoam seemed to unseat the coked in rings. MMO also seems to help with this, but at around half the price.

[@stuuuporman]

We can blame Federal corporate average fuel requirements for most rings being too loose causing oil consumption. Catalytic converters can often hide burning oil, so you never see it coming out of the tailpipe. Depending on the severity, adding oil is a lot less expensive than repairing or replacing the engine. 300 miles per quart, is severe in my book.

[@danray9744]

the main solvent in SEAFOAM is Naphtha (Paint Thinner) You can buy a Quart 32oz of Naphtha for the Price of just one seafoam 16oz can . Berryman B12 is much better and cheaper , but if you really want to dissolve the burnt Carbon build up on the piston and rings use Berryman Chem-Dip Carburetor & Parts Cleaner pour about 4oz in each cyl let set overnight then more another 4 oz in each cyl let set 24 hours DO NOT RUN THE RUN with the Chem-Dip in the engine oil drain the oil put in fresh oil before starting the engine .

[@noelsaw]

The Car Care Nut Channel has a great video on oil consumption issues.

[@kmook76]

Lol his method is : get a new car or change your oil frequently before it happens. Thanks captain hindsight

[@ralph9987]

nice job on the video. I was wondering whether you topped up the oil after you spun on the new empty oil filter? there is a fair bit in an empty filter and would change your results. did you also replace the spark plugs?

[@arcadianmystic]

that would not matter due to the fact he topped it off, filled his tank drove 300 miles and was still a quart low, so every tank he would have to add a quart so even if his oil was completely drained after putting on oil filter he had topped it off before driving a full tank of gas

[@gratefuldale117]

Was wondering same. Always recheck after 15 or so minutes running after initial fill. And not even cleaning the plugs/PCV was ??? If my oil was EVER that sludgey I would flush the block asap. Not changing the oil enuf (5K/6months)on those is the reason those badly engineered rings lock up faster in the 1st place. I screwed up by not doing it on my new 06 Tundra but did it 8-10K for about first 25-30K. But as I've now read thru lots of others comments, I realize I've no room to judge. Thanks for getting us all to think! ✌️

[@danfarris135]

Next time you guys take a head off an engine that’s all carboned up spray some CRC “red can” brake cleaner and see what it does to the carbon😉. Works better than carburetor cleaner. I stumbled across this once when I ran out of carb cleaner. Of course it’s probably not sensor friendly but as long as you don’t use it while it’s running and do an oil change you should be fine

[@darrenrich1549]

AMSOIL POWERFOAM... EATS CARBON

[@rogerfrost4355]

I bought 2003 rava4 with 150000 miles that used 2 quart over 3000 miles The other owner change oil at 3000 miles and used Quaker State non synthetic i switched to Amsoil 5w30 and changed 5000 miles intervals After 4 oil changes with engine flush i got it to down less than 1 quart in 5000 miles before it used 3 quart in 5000 miles Now i switch to 10000 mile oil change interval ive put about 35000 miles in less than 2 yrs now it using less oil but for being manual trans the gas mileage sucks im getting less than 15 mpg

[@mermaiddreams83]

Lucus oil treatment and a can of engine restore will give you great results, went from 4 quarts a week to only half a quart a week using those together every oil change in a 2.5l S-10 with over 400,000 miles on it and drove it 4 years!!!

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Whoa! Four quarts a week?! … I don’t feel so bad now. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@peanutbutterisfu]

You really want to use a Solvent like brake cleaner. You can buy brake cleaner as a liquid in a bucket. Brake cleaner cuts through grease, oil, carbon. Changing ur oil very frequently like 500-1000 miles will help a lot. Using a bottle of motor flush and some transmission fluid before changing the oil helps too. I’ve tried everything and the best thing that worked for me was just changing the oil every 500-1000 miles for a year my car stopped burning oil. After that year I changed the oil every 2,000 miles. Some times the rings are just worn out. If u just have a 4cyl engine rather than bothering with all this nonsense your better off just putting in new rings as most 4cyl engines you don’t even need to take the engine out you just take they cylinder head and oil pan off so it’s just worth spending a weekend doing the rings.

[@FlyBoyMike1000]

This may be worth a try... What about RAISING the engine temperature by partially blocking the radiator? Obviously to the highest safe temperature. Bring oil temperature to 230 - 250 for 20 to 30 min? But the goal would be to get the cylinders to their highest shaft temperature.

[@smokepeddler]

Put 4 ounces of seafoam in the oil crankcase with a fresh oil change. Drive for 1500 miles and change the oil. It's worked on every vehicle I've tried it on with high mileage. It will free up lifters and rings. But it takes time to work. Dropping it straight down the cylinder and running it for 20 minutes will not work.

[@robertboykin1828]

Engine restore saved my day.

[@sergeantmasson3669]

Marvel Mystery oil works great also. I've cured many "oil burners" with using Marvel Mystery oil over the years.

[@samgrieg2542]

Did you just add it to oil?

[@sergeantmasson3669]

@@samgrieg2542 yes and sometimes to the fuel also. Several years ago, I bought a Ford Escort wagon, at an auction for $100. The car only had 51k miles but smoked badly. Turned out to be the thermostat was stuck wide open. Changed it, changed the oil, and drove the car for about 60 miles. It stopped smoking and engine temp became normal. I detailed the car, sold it and ended up with a huge profit. Its new owner drove the car to 230 K miles when he wrecked it in an accident.

[@amerlin388]

Good videos (I watched both and came back here to comment). Good comments. I liked the idea of putting vehicle in high gear (engine off) and moving back and forth to move pistons instead of turning the crankshaft with a ratchet. Definitely should check/change PCV.

[@dfields9511]

Interesting experiments My Honda Odyssey changing the PCV helped it a lot and changing to high mileage 5w20 synthetic blend havoline. I had been using 5w20 high mileage conventional super tech. I have also have a 2001 Nissan Maxima . It goes through alot of oil , but it has a rear main seal leak. It got better with pvc valve and Change and AT205 reseal but still goes thru alot of oil. 10w30 I had blackstone labs to a oil analysis and the oil seem to be within the avg for the engine VQ30DE

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Thanks for the info!

[@0eroOverride]

FYI. You should add oil to the filter or crank engine using flood clear mode or hand crank to prime the oil pump

[@boots7859]

Yes, adding oil to the filter if possible is always a best practice. However unless a vehicle has been sitting for quite a while before the oil change, most studies have found that there is minimal if any damage to internal wear surface for that 5-6 seconds of run time before the filter is full and oil circulating. Especially since most times the engine is cold, of if in a 'shop', the engine has just been shut down and more than enough oil will be dripping around.

[@192ali1]

Thank you. How bout doing the same thing with the carburetor cleaner stuff?

[@pliedtka]

How about spraying some combustion chamber cleaner straight into cylinders and leave it for a while. It might work better than Seafoam. BTW, the problem is often caused by too long oil change interval and low quality oil. Really, at the rate it consumes oil, I would take the engine apart and clean the rings and pistons - I bet things are well baked and very crusty inside the cylinders.

[@costantineyoussif6679]

Nice video and Great explanation, may I ask you do I have to change the oil after using seafoam in the gas tank ? And to Maintain the highest performance how often I should pour it in my tank ? Thanks again

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

If used in the fuel, Constantine, you don't have to change the oil afterwards. As far as adding it to the fuel goes, I only use Seafoam in my small engines (lawn-mower, string-trimmer, blower, etc.) when I think the carburetor jets might be narrowing from fuel varnish. Where I am, I have access to high quality fuel that has detergents to keep everything clean, so I've actually never put it in any of my automobiles' fuel tanks. If the fuel isn't great where you are, it can't hurt to run as frequently as you like. I hope this helps.

[@Nissan370_z]

Every 7,000 miles add 1 seafoam to the gas tank

[@warrenschultz2735]

In my opinion...Seafoam is the best oil, sludge cleaner out there. Have used it for years. It DOES free rings too. I have left it in the crank case for close to 600 miles and it cleaned completely. Used a bore scope, and the engine was spotless. The oil filter weighed close to 3 pounds afterwards. That was on a 2001 Ford Escape V6. It was severely sludged up. It runs like new...still. Have had it for over a year..

[@janisgore8393]

We used a 50/50 mix of acetone and transmission fluid at our John Deere dealership!! Totally siezed diesel tractor engines..removed injectors and sprayed this solution into cylinders..next day engine rotating perfectly!!

[@grendizer5439]

Then.. what's the steps please?

[@mandytuning]

Yep,tranny fluid does wonders cleaning pistons

[@jamesdavey453]

@@mandytuning what are the steps do you get a cloth and keep rubbing till they become loose please explain abit more as I’m having problem with low compression and I’m hoping I can find a way to fix it without spending any money

[@Beaconbrook]

Is the crankcase drained first before this application or does that matter?

[@r.d.riddle2068]

Did you refill the oil after starting the engine to compensate for the filter being empty?

[@realestreaIist]

From min to max on the dip stick is generally 1qt. For most if not all cars.

[@eppenga]

Maybe adding some molybdenum oil is an idea? They used it in World War II as well quite successful when the oil pan was hit, leaving the vehicle running without proper lubrication. You can buy it nowadays as "Liqui Moly Mos2 Leichtlauf 10W-40", alternatively you can also buy it as an additive.

[@ericlafrance6350]

My old civic had issues with the vtec i pour a whole can of seafoam in the oil and 3 cans in a tank of gas drove her hard till empty and could feel the problem going away as i drove ... good stuff but u need lots to clean oil ring 🍻

[@VAGHolic]

You sir is a lucky man. People NEVER turn your crank anti clockwise.

[@brycegray6038]

You actully have to turn the engine over counter clockwise to set the timing chain tensioner on many engines such as the toytota 2az-fe.

[@johac7637]

I drove a work truck one time, a CornBinder, 4something cu inches, 3 gallons oil to a 30 gallon tank, and it got about 10 mpg. My solution, a large can of staring fluid into the oil filler, hood open fire ext. handy, try start, big boom, 2 days later a new Chevy, it lifted the valve covers, oil pan away from heads and block. Boss said " that why it burnt so much gas, was in the oil pan too. That 30+ years ago, that was my oil burning fix.

[@bricharsstormsmeadowlakesk2653]

Just an FYI, you can also pour half the bottle of sea foam into the crank case and run it for 175 miles. It'll clean everywhere your oil goes. I'm going by your concern for small amount leaking into the crank case.. ?

[@JohnDiMartino]

People don’t change the oil enough, you have no right to judge an engine you didn’t own and maintain since new.

[@shinyparts]

Main issue is the oil drain holes in the pistons as they are too small and clog up, the very late ones had a revised piston design, I can see from the metal intake manifold that yours is a very early one. My 1zz was on about 178k miles before I pulled the engine to drop in a forged engine and didn't use any oil - complete luck of the draw really, it all depends on if its been well serviced.

[@youeweu]

This is 100% correct. After drilling extra holes you will see no oil consumption anymore, but it is a big job. Search Phoenix and Dad oil consumption fix on YT.

[@shimon2476]

Never turn a engine anti clockwise especially on older chain driven engines the timing can jump.

[@marvinfisher4737]

Is that why when I replaced my serpentine belt it comes right off when I start my car?... Idk I might be talking about loosening the pulley

[@shimon2476]

@@marvinfisher4737 check the tensioner

[@dennisborg5243]

Did you really put those old spark plugs back in there?? Think it’s been a great time to put some new ones in there.

[@ralphdursosr7113]

change the oil to castrol 5w 30 you will burn less oil

[@cousin_JACK]

So I always thought the oil dipstick level should be right in the middle of the two holes.. interesting I have been running low oil if that’s the case.. also my engine has been using a lot of oil so I am definitely going to try your approach, can’t hurt

[@flute136]

you want it in middle when the engine is started for a little bit and you check immediately. you dont want to have cold engine and be in middle of holes because if you start engine it brings oil up and you might not have enough down in pan. on cold/unstarted engine you want to max and that usually means in middle while engine running

[@Celeste300]

You were right. Halfway when cold. As it heats up, it will expand and reach the full mark. IF you fill it up to the full mark when cold, the expansion of the oil will bring the pressure too high and cause damage.

[@cousin_JACK]

Thanks. I’m chasing a gremlin trying to get it to pass inspection. somehow the two outer plugs have dark soot on them whereas the middle spark plugs are clean. I can only assumed oil is making its way in their if there is too much of it

[@SoulPoetryandOtherWorks]

Extralube ZX1 in the oil and the fuel will help to unstick piston rings and clean off the carbon. Australians have ASTA 3000 which also removes carbon and prevents it from building up again too quickly.

[@rogerjustice8835]

Lol this brought back nightmare memories of a 78 ford truck I once owned that absolutely drank oil. The 351 cubic inch in that thing was so bad I quit buying new oil and started using oil I drained out of my other vehicles. Needless to say I sent that thing down the road.

[@michaelmason5136]

What's up Thanks for the videos Did the seafoam on my son's car WOW it really works

[@robertmcmahon1807]

So you went over by about 32 miles- 10%, and you still got another 15% or so in oil savings- easily 20% overall once compensated. Decent result for a first run. Then there is the horribly sludged up engine, another mitigating factor. Then there is also the fact that you are using 10w30 oil- the passages in the pistons and valvetrain are a bit small- made for 5w30 for that engine. Remedy all these conditions, and I bet you at lease lessen the oil usage by 50%, if not much more. Excellent experiments, kudos!

[@FamilyFriendlyDIY]

Thanks Robert! ... And I'm glad someone is recommending thinner oil ... seems like most are recommending the opposite. I agree with you, that thicker in this case is not better.

[@holeshot1721]

Rinslone has a compression restorer if you want to try there product. This car is easy to remove the head and oil pan push pistons out and put new pistons and rings in. Eventually down the line. Do a compression test with a tester and see what you numbers are then a leakdown test this engine is known to burn valves all cars now a days a burning valves muat be something with the gas thats making these happen supposibly the valves are built with sodium which brakes down over time

[@jackfisher3906]

You should clean or replace those Filthy plugs after changing oil. The Seafoam that dripped into pan from cylinders desolved slidge in bottom of oil pan.