RX4+4=8

I see a lot of people talking about it lately but what is it exactly? Can I do it my self or it has to be done professionally? And lastly where can I get it if I am allowed to do it my self.
Sorry if this is an ignorant question I just want to know in terms for normal people lol

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I saw it on the shelf at Advanced Auto. I've never used it, but I would think it is a product you could use. Others here report to have.

Razz1

Do a search. It is used to clean carbon.

There is a new TSB procedure for this.

Old Rotor

It is one of the better engine cleaners and yes you can do it.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

You can do it urself, but it will be better if u have a buddy around who can crank the engine for you tho.

GAMBEAN

no buddy needed unless you want em' to experience the great show on earth. lol

what I do is probably overkill to most forum members. besides the hardcore heads.

I will make this quick. I remove all the plugs, unplug the e-shaft sensor, remove the upper intake mani. I then pour some seafoam into each runner and let sit for about a hot 10 min.

I then crank it few times. jump out, and take a quick look to see if the seafoam made it's way out both housings. re-install the plugs, replug the e-shaft, pour some more seafoam in, reinstall the mani and leave it over night.

if you want, ask your nosey neighbor to stand behind your 8 and start her up.

that should do the trick. you will have inho the very best enima your rotary will have since leaving the lot.

first-rotary04

iTrader: (4)

could you just pour it into the tank ?? or that's the only procedure ?

rx8convert22

Yes you can pour it into your gas tank which is a procedure listed on the can. I just would think it won't do quite as thorough of a job, but if you are doing it as a preventive measure I think gas tank is more than enough.

Personally I plan on doing a can of Seafoam before each oil change in my gas tank, and BG44K (very heavy duty stuff) every 25K or so.

This is just my 2 cents. I am no expert. Anyone feel free to chime in if you feel I am way off target.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

Wal-mart carries it here, best price ...

Red Devil

I just did another treatment on Fri night...there are two nipples on the lower intake manifold...apply vacuum lines to both and t with one line leading into the can of sea foam...I sucked in about half a can of it...got some nice smoke out the back. Very easy to do. Just be sure you do it before you change your oil due to issues of fuel dilution.

I haven't used BG44K...maybe next time...

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

BG44K is great stuff. the longer you can let it set the better. Do it OFTEN---you should see the engine I have torn down(my extra one)
olddragger

first-rotary04

iTrader: (4)

I guess you hook everything up and then put the engine to run, right?? or i'm wrong?

Red Devil

^^^
The car was running and taking in small amounts of sea foam. Just sit at the gas pedal and don't let the engine die. Though, if it does die as others suggest it is basically impossible to hydrolock a rotary. You'd just turn it over with the plugs out and wash out the excess - there is a Mazda TSB, and countless diy for rotary engines out there on such procedures.

first-rotary04

iTrader: (4)

Thanks
sounds pretty simple, I'll try that before I change my oil the next time.

Did you notice any difference at all after all was done ??

Red Devil

I can't claim that I've ever noticed any taniglbe results. My car is an '04, 65K first engine. I've done 3-4 sea foam treatments to date. I just view it as periodic maintenance. Talk to guys like Pineapple and they'll tell you to perform water treatment (like sea foam) at every oil change interval.

Rootski

iTrader: (1)

^Isn't that where they suck water through to "steam clean" the engine? Sounds like a bad idea to me.

Red Devil

^^^
I've done water treatment a number of times. No issues whatsoever. The guys at Pineapple and other shops have been doing this for a long, long time. I was talking about it once at a meet here in Chicago and a 7 owner commented that his uncles swore by it and had been doing it on their 12a engines for the past 20
+ years.

I choose sea foam simply because it's forumlated to remove carbon and seems like the better option.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Seafoam, as its name would suggest, was originally intended for marine engine use as a de-carbonizer. It's found favor in the autmotive world as well.

Gunk is a longstanding comparable vendor.

Of course periodic STP gas treatment, and/or a quality detergent gas, plus a daily red line and you'll never need the aforementioned. Note that the de-carbonizing procedure can take some life out of your catalytic converter, so preventive maintenance, as always, is a better course of action.

Red Devil

Rationale or intuition?

On the reverse we know the PCM keeps AFRs swimming, and that oil is being injected. Also with the side ports there are added issues of carbon build-up which is why the side seals are of their design which vastly differs from previous 13Bs. We also know that Mazda now has a TSB to specifically de-carbon the engine.

Once my car is fully warm I redline it at WOT probably 5-6 times every day. I've done so since about 2000+ miles on the odometer. Not to mention the hundreds of track miles spent between 6-9K. Despite, when performing the sea foam treatment there still is enough smoke to lead me to believe I'm doing some good. Others, in this case, like Mazda Maniac, have been a little more scientific and measured before and after compression results and found the findings favorable.

As for issues of burning out the cat...definitely something to consider. I have an aftermarket cat, so it doesn't concern me.

Nubo

Hmm. Lots of folks seem to interpret it that way, but really, all of the smoke you see is nothing but vaporized and partially-burned seafoam. Same goes for the pile of carbon that ends up on your tailpipes and the back end of the car, and, well, basically the whole neighborhood. It's not an indication of how "dirty" your engine was. You could do it 20 times in a row and it's not going to get any less smokey.

I had 30,000 miles and there have been enough carbon issues, that I figured it was worthwhile as preventive maintenance.

If you're going to the trouble, I'd try to follow the TSB procedure -- meaning get the stuff into the engine so it can soak, as opposed to sucking it through a running engine. Just makes more sense to me. Again, the smoke cloud is an artifact, not the goal. What you really trying to accomplish is for seafoam *in the liquid state* to loosen or dissolve the deposits in the engine.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Rationale. My '8 checked out right on the numbers during yesterday's test/flash and it's an '05 (granted with only 14.5k miles). Preventive maintenance performed, not necessitating the full flush.

Red Devil

^^^
Could be, but I've never burned sea foam independently so I have no reference.

In time constraint, I think the tried and true water treatment method has some effectiveness...but definitely agreed that letting it sit would be preferred.

edit: on that note, I've been thinking at my next treatment I'll do a before and after compression test just to see out of curiosity...except I'll allow myself more a window of time and let it sit instead of having the engine running.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

just get the water injection system and constantly steam clean it!
More seriously---the longer a flame from gasoline is exposed to the metal the more carbon buildup will occur. since we have 270 degrees of this we are the champs.
the rotors can get so much carbon buildup that the compression ratio can increase.
how about that FI guys!
cant prevent it all but housekeeping is a good idea.
olddragger