Got a can of seafoam and...

[Foozerush 40]

Happy Easter everyone..... The wifey drug me to the local megastore and at the auto dept I grabbed a bottle of washer fluid for the van and on the lower shelfs was a display of seafoam. Hmmmm read soo much about RS owners swearing by it, threw one in the cart. Have the p216 in my 416-8, and she runs fine like frog hair.... Anyone have bad experience of using a similar product to help clean out your engine that runs great, then you start using product to clean engine and then it runs horrible?? Sorta takes me to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" feeling.... Think I'm just gonna make a weak batch in a small one gallon gas can and mix that in with some straight gas into the tank of the tractor to slowly introduce it to hopefully not cause something to make it run bad. Fingers crossed. Gregg

[chrisd200(inactive) 55]

We have used seafoam for years at the shop. You are kinda correct in your thinking. I have seen guys with good running equipment dump a whole bottle in the tank and if there was any crud somewhere in the fuel system, it breaks loose and heads straight for the carb jets. Not always, but has happened. Otherwise, its a great product!!!!!!!!!

[squonk 38,928]

The only thing Seafoam doesn't work good on is Cornflakes!

[rmaynard 14,897]

I find that using gasoline only and proper tune ups of the engine, work better than any of the snake oils available to "improve performance". Check the ingredients and tell me what you see that will make the engine run better? Ingredients are mineral oil, naphtha, and alcohol.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

It definitely extends the useful life of fuel.  

[puddlejumper 67]

I am not going to get on the pro or con bandwagon,  but do make sure you have a fuel filter as close to the carb as possible, so it will catch what may or may not be broken loose by the seafoam.

[VinsRJ 721]

I find that using gasoline only and proper tune ups of the engine, work better than any of the snake oils available to "improve performance". Check the ingredients and tell me what you see that will make the engine run better? Ingredients are mineral oil, naphtha, and alcohol.

 

As always, I agree with Bob. Some of my RJs can sit for a long period (greater than 5 months), I either keep fresh fuel in them when I plan on running them or drain completely for long storage. Just this weekend I started my 57 up.... after a complete drain about 5 months ago, all I had to do to get it started was add fuel and pull the cord two times. Like I always say, keep it simple.

[JackC 616]

"drain completely for long storage."

 

That is absolutely the best thing to do.  

If you keep today's crap fuel plus chemical additives in the carburetor, fuel pump, tank and fuel supply for any length of time you will be asking for trouble.

[roscoemi 245]

rmaynard, don't know what's in seafoam, never read the ingredients. But I can tell you I have a 96 Chevy pickup with 278000 miles on it that had the check engine light on, a rough idle and got 13 mpg on winter gas. Made a trip up to Harbor Springs( 300 mile round trip) on a tank that had a bottle of seafoam in it and returned with no light, a smooth idle and 15.5 mpg on winter gas. Next 4 tanks without returned 13 mpg and the idle started to get rough again. Running a tank now with seafoam and the idle is smooth again. Snake oil, maybe.   Experience tells me a pint of diesel fuel per tank may do the same thing, gonna try that next as it's a bit cheaper.

[WVMountainMan 6]

It's all good when you have complete control of what goes in one and how long it stays in there and all...but I am a true believer in Sea Foam when I run across situations that are beyond my control. I came a cross a 416H that had sat for three years with fuel in it and you imagine the shape that fuel system was in. Drained the old fuel out, changed the filter and lines and started it up.It ran about half at higher RPM's but would quit at throttle down. Sea Foamed the gas, squirted some Sea Foam spray in the carb and everything is good now with the fuel system..Now the Hydro works is another issue...Runs like a scalded dog forward and barely makes it in reverse...Gonna change the fluid and filter and see what happens, but I may need some help with this one... 

[oldredrider 2,547]

When the term "snake oil" comes up, it's usually from a skeptic or someone who lives in an "ideal" world.

I personally am on the Seafoam "pro" band wagon and have been for years. Since I have no control over the manufacture or additives in gasoline, I'm left to fend for myself and control what I can.

From my experience, Seafoam adds stability and longevity to the fuel. Every time I get gas for my small engines, it is immediately added to it. I don't have the luxury of time to drain gas or "let it run out" every time I use one of my tractors or generators...one of the downsides to living in the real world.

Some of my equipment may set for six months between starts, but NEVER have I had a fuel problem since using Seafoam.

I don't just recommend it but encourage the use of it to everyone who has small engines.

At this point in time, I don't see the quality of fuel improving at all, but I do know Seafoam adds about 23 months of "shelf life" to the current formula of gasoline.

 

If you never try it, you'll never "know".

[rmaynard 14,897]

I used the term "snake oil" for the simple reason that it refers to any product with questionable benefits. When I was younger, I used to get the J.C. Whitney automotive catalog. If i were to have purchased all of the "snake oil" additive and gadgets that claimed to increase mileage by x%, my car would have been producing it's own gasoline.

 

Having said that, if you feel that these products are beneficial to you, and you want to use them in your tractors or other vehicles, that is your prerogative, but for my money, they will stay on the store shelf. 

[Lane Ranger 10,495]

^{I am a user of Seafoam also.   The variability of gasoline sold in the U.S. (now by season for emission controls) and with various content of ethanol and other refinery additives seems to be more of a concern today than engine/motor fuel use to be.  That said, Saeform is an old product.  Used and developed in the 1950's for motor boat motors.  I have found Seafoam to be a useful product and much better than Stabil in maintaining quality of the fuel and not gumming up any of the works.}

[WH nut 553]

I use the snake oil and have had nothing but good results. I run it in the cars at least once a year also. Snake oil or not, it works.

[Coadster32 793]

I recently bought a can of seafoam in kind of the same way, heard good things from RS forum on it. (haven't used it yet). I agree with the Junk Car Whitney mag. statement. Fom my experience in snowmobiling part-time, sometimes my gas will sit in the tank for 2-3 years, and it'll fire right up. All I do is run the carbs dry the last run of the year, and mix in stabile to the tank before shutdown. Seafoam might be a just as good or better as stabile in the tank. It might be pretty good as carb cleaner also, but am a firm beleiver that there's no such thing as a silver bullet. If it loosens up stuff good, definatly put a filter right before the carb.

 

I'm neither pro nor con, but it might be another good handy tool to have in the toolbox.

[squonk 38,928]

I have personally seen Sea Foam

Take an engine knock and a lifter tick out of 2 different auto engines. And they never returned

[COMMANDO1 23]

I JUST PUT IN A HALF A CAN IN MY 1995 BLAZER, LIFTER TIC. HOPING TO HAVE IT GO AWAY.

[47JDG 65]

I have never used it but I will give it a try. I do like to use a little Marvel Mystery Oil added to my gas. I have a '52 Dodge truck with a flat head six that definitely runs smoother when I add a little Marvel oil to the fuel tank. I also add it to a few other old farm tractors we use around the farm, as well as my little garden tractors. I think people who don't believe in this stuff probably have an engine that runs perfectly to start with so they really have nothing to measure it by. In those situations I don't think you will see many benefits if any. I believe its also a good thing to add to fuel for an old engine that would have ran on leaded gas originally. It certainly can't hurt.

[tibadoe 4]

I use Sea Foam in both my motorcycles, WH, 2 cycle stuff, pressure washer, and my Ramrod 915.  True believer in the stuff.  The quality of gas in my area sucks and the ethanol isn't helping at all.  The main use is as a stabilizer for the fuel in the off season.  It will keep fuel fresh for up to 2 years.  During the summer I will run 1oz per gal. every couple months or so to clean out the fuel system.  Works great on FI and carbs.  I get it by the gallon and it lasts for years.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

I had a '99 Volvo which needed the EGR valve cleaned. As it got clogged at around 100K miles, the oil consumption would increase dramatically and the next thing would be blown seals. Great cars and one of the safest on the road during that era. BUT definitely over-engineered sometimes. The EGR valve was under the intake manifold and the only way to access for cleaning it was five hours R & R of labor. I found on a Volvo forum that I could remove the hose to the valve and then using a baby bottle ( to prevent cylinder hydro lock) I could dribble Seafoam in to clean the valve. At the same time I also added about eight ounces to the oil and drove about 30 miles before doing an oil change. It worked and I was able to get another 10K before I traded it on my truck.

 

The trick is moderation and not be the neighborhood insect smoke bomb as shown on Youtube.

 

 

[DoctorHfuhruhurr 132]

Good stuff.  After long trips it works great at cleaning the sensors in my vehicles that occasionally go on.  The cars are newer and well maintained so it's not a maintenance issue.  If it was truly a bad sensor, they wouldn't stop sending error codes just because of a can of seafoam.  $6 can of seafoam VS several hundred to have a garage diagnose and replace a sensor that just needs cleaning, I'll keep paying the $6 a year.