Crackling, smoking, and dripping after using Seafoam. Safe to drive?

[thehellend]

I had my redneck mechanic friend come help me with a bunch of stuff over the weekend, one of which was to put Seafoam in the carburetor and fuel to clear out blockages. He did it with the engine running, and used small amounts at a time so we didn't overload the system. It made quite the cloud of smoke! We also changed spark plugs, and replaced the gasket on the trans pan to try and fix the leak.

The issue now is a couple of things. The idle is worse now than it was (it was stalling at first before the engine was warmed up) - now it stalls whenever I take my foot off for more than 10 seconds in traffic or at lights, even when warm. After driving for 20 mins or so, I stopped, got out, and heard a crackling, like the sound of fire (!! yea), and when I carefully looked under, I saw white smoke coming out of the general area where we originally saw the leak, and that's where the crackling noise was too. Also, while it's stopped doing this now, after running the engine for a while to do the seafoam yesterday, the engine refused to shut off properly - it half-heartedly tried to keep firing even when the key was turned to off. This rattled about for 10 seconds before finally quitting. I'm not sure if the van got too hot and it was just igniting old fuel deposits or something, it's no longer doing it but it scared the bejesus out of me.

Does this all sound like typical reactions to using seafoam on a 31 year old van (that probably hasn't had that done before)? Is the white smoke and crackling normal? Should I be fearing for my life or is this ok to drive? I'm still working on patching up whatever is leaking. Next step is to use that Lucas stuff in the trans to see if it smooths it out.

Advice? Words of warning? Here's a terrible video of the crackling (I was too scared to get any closer): 

 

[4x4gamer]

Man I dint know about that. Doesn't sound good. I wouldn't worry about it dieseling too much. I use sea foam religiously and I've never had anything like this happen. Yall didn't mess with the distributed cap or plugged wires or anything timing related? I dint know if sea foam could raise the octane enough to cause those issues. I've used up to the whole can with just 15 gallons of fuel which is close to what they recommend on the can I think. Sorry I can't help much . let me know how it goes.

 

[tx2sturgis]

There's a lot going on here....gonna be hard to seperate out the issues, but one thing I would do or have done is use a scope and look at the tops of the pistons...I hope things are ok in there. Might want to do a compression test, just to rule out any possible engine damage.

It could be that the carbon deposits, if there were any, have ended up in the exhaust pipes and are burning and cracking and smoking...its really hard to know for sure.

As far as the stalling, I would think that its possible the new plugs or wires may have ended up mis-routed, or something...it's hard to say.

Did he tinker with the carburetor at all?

 

[4x4gamer]

Also maybe the sea foam did such a good job cleaning that now there's all kinds of heck loose in the fuel system. Id start there. Did you change the fuel filter before the sea foam? Is the fuel filter really old?

 

[Ballenxj]

In my experience and research, Seafoam is a good thing. What may have happened was the Seafoam while cleaning out your carburetor may have broken some crud loose which might be plugging a jet, orifice, or inlet filter somewhere in your carburetor? What ever it is, the SeaFoam may have started cleaning out a bigger problem that would have eventually had to be addressed later anyway? It sounds like your Redneck Mechanic friend applied the seafoam correctly.
You may end up having to pull the carb and clean it out, but I would try running it awhile at a high idle in hopes that it'll clear itself out?
PS, I put my headphones on, but without being right there I'm afraid I can't hear anything I can identify. Keep at it, you'll get there.

 

[thehellend]

Also maybe the sea foam did such a good job cleaning that now there's all kinds of heck loose in the fuel system. Id start there. Did you change the fuel filter before the sea foam? Is the fuel filter really old?

I've not even looked at the fuel filter yet, so it's at least 19 months old and most likely much more than that.


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[thehellend]

There's a lot going on here....gonna be hard to seperate out the issues, but one thing I would do or have done is use a scope and look at the tops of the pistons...I hope things are ok in there. Might want to do a compression test, just to rule out any possible engine damage.

It could be that the carbon deposits, if there were any, have ended up in the exhaust pipes and are burning and cracking and smoking...its really hard to know for sure.

As far as the stalling, I would think that its possible the new plugs or wires may have ended up mis-routed, or something...it's hard to say.

Did he tinker with the carburetor at all?

All he did was open it up and apply the seafoam, no tinkering that I know about. We were very careful about dealing with each spark plug on its own so nothing got mixed up. He also checked my work to make sure I wasn't screwing them back wrong.


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[B and C]

1986 vehicle with a carburetor....

My brother has a 1984 Jeep CJ that he has had since new with a carburetor and air conditioning so it should work a lot like yours.  Most mechanics don't know much about carburetors anymore because there are so few of them.  You may need to find someone older that used to work on these back in the day.  :huh:

His has two solenoids on the carb where the linkage attaches.  One is to raise idle when the air cond. is on because of the added load and the other one lets the butterflies in the carb close more when the key is off to prevent dieseling.  When the key is turned to the run position, it holds the throttle open enough to idle.  This solenoid controls the idle speed when the air conditioner is off and is adjusted by screwing the whole solenoid in or out, whichever is required.

Maybe this info will help your friend.

I pull the vacuum line off the power brake booster and stick it in the can of seafoam until the engine dies. Wait 5 minutes and start it up (after reconnecting the vacuum line). It will smoke to high heaven but will get rid of a lot of the carbon that is surely in the combustion chambers. Put a can in the gas tank too to clean out the passages in the carb. Change fuel filter too.

These are the things I would do.

 

[4x4gamer]

Flush your fuel system. All of it. After you remove the filter. Id do that first if it were me. Can't really go wrong its one of the big three so it could prolly use it anyways and it may solve your issues

 

[BadSaver]

Seafoam smokes - not likely it did any harm. I've used it... If you put new plugs in, I suppose they are AC/Delco copper. My old truck hates platinum's. Did you gap them... Check your spark plug connections. Check for vacuum leaks. Run it and see if it clears up.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would never pour Sea Foam down the carb or any liquid for that matter. was this done before or after the new plugs were installed. if you put new plugs in and then poured Sea Foam down the carb you just fouled all your new plugs. using the mechanics in a can method seldom works. if your carb needs rebuilding get it rebuilt and change that fuel filter ASAP. that should have been the first thing done. if you can open up the old fuel filter and see what it's catching. BTW on your vehicle the filter is in the carb. DON"T LET A KNUCKLEHEAD TRY TO CHANGE IT. if it is not done right you will damage the carb and make it inoperable I can not stress this enough. you need 2 wrenches to gain access to the filter. a open end 1 inch and a 5/8 flare nut wrench. if the person does not have these don't let them touch the carb. highdesertranger

 

[thehellend]

Thank you everyone! I'm having the hardest time finding a good mechanic who can work on older vehicles, with the equipment to lift it. I'd be willing to pay someone well if I could find them and they did things right!

So redneck popped round to take another look and figured out one of the big roots of the issue... lots of my vacuum hoses were proper rotted. He's done a signature redneck fix to seal them and hold them on for now, but told me to buy the parts and replace them properly asap.

After fixing those up, the leak seemed to stop, the idle stayed constant, it didn't stall once, and even let me crank the AC! I still felt her shiver a little from time to time, so I know there's more than can be done to improve it, but it's night and day! Btw the cruddy mechanic from before quoted me $100 for a diagnostic to figure the idling out. So.... yeah. Redneck mechanic wins again. Also, he rebuilt the carburetor in his 40 year old Corvette, so I might see what he has to say about the filter. He's very honest about the limits of his abilities, so I trust he'd tell me if he wasn't confident to do it.


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[thehellend]

Oh, and yes highdesertranger, the first thing he said today was "we made a mistake yesterday" and he pulled the spark plugs and checked them for gunk. A couple were slightly gunked, but he suspects the issue was always the hoses.


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[wagoneer]

well
good at least you got a proper red-neck some claim to be but are not true red-necks. if he is an older red-neck give him or her some latitude.

 

[wagoneer]

Old friend of mine checking the compression on a 1982 BMW M3 IT WAS ABOVE STOCK THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS A RICH KID USING IT TO COMMUTE, WE THEORIZED IT HAD NEVER REALLY BEEN DRIVEN THE WAY IT WAS MEANT, PAID 50 BUCKS TO RUN IT ON A TRACK GOT SOME GOOD JUICE AND BLEW THE CARBON DEPOSITS RIGHT OUT THE TAILPIPE WOW ALL THE CRAP JUST FLEW RIGHT OUT. Same thing I do every once in a while just floor it on a quiet road no harm done and blow out the pipes

 

[Gary68]

its going to take more then that to hurt a iron head chevy small block

and if that your trans pan on your instagram it's a th350,dont put any additives in it,you need to change the trans fluid 3-4 times before you get all the old out

 

[thehellend]

its going to take more then that to hurt a iron head chevy small block

and if that your trans pan on your instagram it's a th350,dont put any additives in it,you need to change the trans fluid 3-4 times before you get all the old out

The sticker under the hood says th400.


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[Gary68]

 

[thehellend]

just floor it on a quiet road no harm done and blow out the pipes

Sounds like fun! Taking her down some back roads this weekend, maybe we'll have ourselves a little jaunt



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[SternWake]

HDR hit it with the Seafoam applied after the new plugs were installed.

I've done the seafoam smoke show thing and gotten a smoother idle, but there is risk of fouling the plugs and 02 sensor. I was using the spray can of Seafoam Deep creep and actually driving and then gunning the engine from 200 to 300 rpm while depressing the nozzle. it was going into a vaccuum line

That was a decade ago. Now I'd rather do a careful water decarbonization using a fine mist of distilled water, but in general just use a fuel system leaner which has PEA as the ingredient. Seafoam has no PEA( poly ether amine)

Redling SL-1 Gumut with Regane, Redline SL-1, crc guaranteed to pass, Techron, and 3m fuel system cleaner all use PEA as a fuel system and combustion chamber cleaner.

Over on the Bitog forums some guys swear by mixing Marvel mystery oil inito their gas ast 4 oz per 10 gallons or they use TC-w3 2 stroke motor oil at 2 oz per 10 gallons, and they claim to have spotless piston crowns and get better fuel economy. They say it can clean out the piston rings so they can seal better and produce more power in a older more worn engine.

I am not recommending this, nor saying don't do it.

But the seafoam Smoke show is not your carbon being blown out, it is the pale oil which compromises something like 40% of Seafoam ingredients, burning off. the rest of Seafoam is isopropyl alchol and 5% some sort of proprietary ingredient, IIRC, but it is not PEA.