Seafoam treatment on a 400k engine with Valve cover gasket issues?

Hey guys, wanted some professional opinions from my fellow Taco lovers. Has anyone here ever done a seafoam treatment on a their high mileage trucks? Was thinking about doin it to my old baby, she recently has developed a pretty decent valve cover leak though. Pretty big job to change em? I recently did my water pump and timing belt and have done all the work on my truck myself. Thanks guys

 

Oh definitely doable. Probably easier than the other stuff you’ve done. here’s a video. In terms of seafoam, I would probably wait to see how the inside looks to see if it’s needed.

https://youtu.be/N5fAXAuGozI

 

Please post some pics of the inside of the throttle body if you do this.
I did the seafoam treatment on my 3.4l a little over a year ago. Great time to do it, if doing the valve cover gaskets. I'm sorry if I missed it...not sure if you have a 4 or 6cy.....replacing the valve cover gaskets is not that bad of a job. I did it on my 3.4l. If you have a 3.4l, be careful when it comes to the wiring harness that resides in underneath the manifold. Extra brittle and will easily fall apart.
Again, if it's a 3.4l don't forget the rear camshaft seal (1 on rear of each valve cover).

Toyota 11188-62010
Plug, Camshaft Housing

 

See this:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/seafoam-observation-curiosity.727455/

 

Oh hell yeah I've used Timmy for almost every fix so far. I'll definitely do it,how long did it take you?

 

Right on man! Yeah I have the 3.4,how long did the fix take you bro?

 

random thoughts...

while not a Tacoma... I have a new to me Saturn with the DOHC 1.9 that has been poorly maintained. ~ 130k on the odometer. When you rev it in park, it smokes something fierce out the exhaust. When you full throttle it on the street, not even a puff of smoke. My first thought was this is odd. I replaced the PCV valve as it was the easiest thing to do but no change. I will do a more in depth diagnostic when I get the time.

This car was free to me and I have maybe $500 in her fixing various things, anyway, I am willing to test out what I call "snake oils". My research showed that LiquiMoly is the stuff to use as an oil additive. Apx $16 a pint. I read the directions and they specifically tell you, idle it for 10 minutes, dont rev the motor and dont leave it in the crankcase too long... OK, warning understood. I did as instructed and immedialty drained the oil/LiquiMoly mixture. If you could liquify charcoal briquetts, that is what the oil drained out looked like. While it wasnt new oil to begin with, it was still translucent, it came out dark black. I replaced the oil and filter and have yet to put some miles on her to see what the effects are in 20, 50, 100 miles. I am going to pull the oil filter after 20 miles and cut it open to see if there is any loosened crap/varnish etc being flushed out after the inital cleaning.

This is my fear... you have on way of knowing if the cleaner has loosened the carbon/varnish and when/if the oil filter goes into bypass when it gets plugged. Well, on second thought you will know and this is when the oil light comes on and the motor makes bad noises. If the motor lunches on this I dont have too much money/time into her and it will be no great loss.

I am contemplating doing the Seafoam combustion chamber soak as I believe that the rings are varnished to the piston. I will preform a cylinder leakdown pre and post seafoam. The other test I preformed was a blowby pressure check. I have a manometer and I adapted it to test the pressure coming out of the PCV valve grommet at idle and at 3k... apx 1/2" of water column pressure. As I tinker on other vehicles I will do the manometer check as more of curiosity than anything else. On a side not, on diesel powered vehicles there is a quick and dirty test that I call the dance of the oil fill cap. Warm the diesel up and loosen the oil filler cap and set it back on the valve cover... if there is so much blowby that the cap wont stay on the cover, well, that blowby is coming form only one place.

 

For me, it was all day Saturday job. But, this was because I'd never done it before, and I was in no hurry. Also did lots of cleaning in the process.

 

If I had a Saturn I'd pay someone $500 to take it off my hands. You'll never get your money's worth.