Can I put seafoam in gas tank to remove carbon build up on intake valves. The instructions on seafoam can say it should be put in gas tank. But reading on NAM, many recommend using PCV Hose. But I would prefer gas tank if that works too.

 

Wouldnt it be filtered out from the fuel with the fuel filter? Idk

 

Nope. Direction injection shoots the gas directly into the combustion chamber and never touches the valves. If they are gummed up pretty bad, using the PCV hose won't do very much, if anything. After letting the Seafoam soak, you still have to get in there and scrub by hand. I'd have them walnut blasted (or do the manual-scrubbing method yourself) and install a water/meth kit to prevent this in the future.

 

+1
And get a catch can.

 

So the verdict is that sea foaming wont really help if the valves are pretty bad?

I guess I will have to take the manifold apart to check how the valves are? I was hoping for some improvement in driveability after using seafoam.

 

It's arguable. Some say they have had decent results, but I don't see how when people say they spent 8-12 hours on their elbows scrubbing by hand; even after letting it soak. Seafoam might help if used regularly in PCV hose. My car only has 22k miles, so I haven't had any issues yet. All my information is from researching and hanging out on here reading others shared experiences. I plan to install a meth injection kit. For about $6-700 w/ labor, you can have the basic AEM kit installed. That's the price of one walnut shell blasting.

 

Has anyone here used the RESTORE Engine cleaner , they sell them at autozone and it seems to be the same as Seafoam. Any harm in using this?

http://www.restoreusa.com/

 

bump

 

Putting ANYTHING into a gen2 fuel tank os a waste of time, even bg44k, or techron...
Putting someting that goes through the intake/pcv system could help...
Mechanically, the cleaner must pass throgh the intake tract ....the fuel is injected directly into the combusion chambers ....
My suggestion...
Spend the $$, get it cleaned professionaly (with walnut blasting or other mechanical means, then install a catch can, then use a product like seafom (or other pcv based cleaner) as a regular item when you do you oil every few thousand miles...
Mini did replum/revise the pcv on later gen2 cars to reduce the buildup and coking on the back of the intake valves....

 

PS
If you could truely fix most any mechanical issues with a "mechanic in a bottle" there would not be a need for so many shops....99% of the fix stuff in a bottle produces a percieved improvement based upon the plecbo effect of feeling like you did something.....i can say seafom in the pcv does clean the sensors, etc...some carbon cleaning likely, but more than a trace, and time to physically do it.....as for fuel tank addatives...most are a light distillate, usually diseal fuel or jet fuel, and a few addatives like detergents ....they can clean injectors, and usually reduce octane temporarily....better products like bg44k are mostly detergent, with a small amount of carrier....
But like i said before, thet can clean the injectors on a gen2, but will never pass by the valves, so cannot do what you want. On a DI motor, the injectors are screwed into the head kinda like the sparkplug, inside rhe valve location....

 

ZippyNH is right on the money.
If you are having carbon buildup issues spend a little and have it walnut shell blasted and then throw a bottle of Chevron techron in the tank every 3K or so. It'll help but won't solve the issue entirely.
Installing an oil catch can and boost tap will help quite abit but putting one on before proper cleaning isn't going to solve the issue.
Clean
Install oil catch can
Add techron each 3K

Once the carbon is coked it has to be physically removed. No cleaner running through gas tank or pcv line is going to get it.

 

Look into water/meth injection. With a 50/50 mix and a small nozzle, no tune is needed. I've priced it at $600~ including labor, locally, with the AEM kit. This is not only cheaper than one valve cleaning, but only 2.5x the cost of the oil catch can, yet way more effective and the added benefit of keeping the engine cooler, maintaining your horsepower and/or tuning for more power. Seems like a win/win.