seafoam Yay or Nay??

[Amanda B 1]

Seafoam treatment good?

 

As it seems to be a all around product, do you use it in your gas only? 

(I am planning on replacing all my gas lines after this summer they are already old enough to need to).. K series Kholer..

 

What about the oil?   Yay? Nay?

 

Love to hear your thoughts.. 

 

I also picked up a old Ariens 1968 rear engine Emperor with a 80ties Techeamech (not sure on the spelling) Motor for $75 bucks and it starts but dies, so with the normal things like a carb clean/rebuild etc etc..   If people seem to think this is a good product, may consider as part of the restoration..

 

 

[JC 1965 1,528]

I use it in all my engines. I put one ounce per gallon of gas. I put the Sea Foam in the empty gas can then go to the gas station and fill the can, that way everything gets mixed good. I use it year round in my tractors and pour a can of it in my truck and blazer gas tank about three or four times per year. It works good for me. Hope this helps.  

[rmaynard 14,949]

Put me down as a NAY.

 

When I looked at the ingredients, and found that it was nothing more than mineral oil, naphtha, and IPA (isopropyl alcohol), I knew that it was just snake oil in my opinion.

 

First thought was why pay $10.00 for a pint of it, when I have all the ingredients on my garage shelf already. Mix a little naphtha (paint thinner), mineral oil (3-in-one or sewing machine oil), and IPA (which is the same as Dry Gas), and you have your own brew.

 

Then my second thought was, if I put it in the crankcase it will dilute my oil. Not good. My oil was formulated by engineers and it has any additives needed already.

 

Third thought was why put it in the gas tank. The mineral oil is going to burn and smoke, the naphtha is going to do what?, and the alcohol is going to emulsify any water in the gas and burn it off.  I don't have water in my gas, and I don't want my engine to smoke. 

 

Final thought was if you have ethanol-free gas available, it is wiser to spend the extra money to use that in all your small engines.

 

Now I know that you are going to get responses from those who think the stuff is a miracle in a can, but don't count me among them. I don't recall ever seeing Kohler specify anything other than gas and oil for their engines.

 

[Racinbob 10,414]

I tend to agree with Bob. I used it one time but it was mainly because I was curious and then it was concentrated in a carb to clean it. I would never put it in the crankcase. I don't think today's oils need any help.

[Bluffhunter 37]

I am neither for it or against it, but some people claim it improves their idle and overall performance. I used it on an older mower one summer that I was having to change the sparkplugs after about every 3-4 times mowing, so decided to try it and after a few times of adding it to the fuel tank the sparkplug would last the whole mowing season from then on. Might have got rid of some of the carbon build up on the head I suppose.

[mrc 731]

yah as a gas treatment.   i have had very good luck using it as a gas treatment on onan powered wheelhorse tractors.  got rid of the surging at idle and engine purrs now. nah as an oil additive because as stated above modern oil is very good. i use shell rotella T oil as its high in zinc. (ZDDP) zinc is an anti- wear additive that the EPA made the oil companies remove because it was screwing up modern cars with catalytic converters. i use it in my old chevy truck and small engines. just my 2 cents. mike in mass.

[oldredrider 2,548]

I work on a LOT of small engines and tell everyone about using Seafoam in the gas.

The hardheads who don't listen are repeat customers. The ones who do take the advise don't have problems.

'Nuff said.

Modern oils don't need any help.

"That's all I've got to say about that"

[buckrancher 2,678]

I do not use it I get ethanol-free gas

 

Brian

[squonk 39,132]

I put it the oil on a truck I had with a sticky lifter. Noise was gone after 20 min. And never returned.

[dodgemike 52]

Thats my problem. There is no

ethanol free gas in my area.

Yes in gas

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[squonk 39,132]

I ran Sea foam thru the intake of a 4 banger Caravan that pinged. Took out the carbon and it ran like new afterward

[Coadster32 793]

I bought a can a couple of years back based on a lot of what I read here on RS. I finally used it last year on a running motor just to possibly clean out the combustion chamber without having to take the motor apart. Not really sure if it did anything, and don't plan on ripping the head off to find out. Life has been just fine without it. some say it clean out the gunk in your gas lines, and clogs your filter rapidly, (hoping you have one right before the carb inline or you might regret it.) Just my $.02

[KC9KAS 4,741]

I use it for all my small internal combustion engines...Mowers, weed-eaters, chain-saw.

I pour a 16 ounce can into an empty 5 gallon jug then fill it with gasoline. It is a small price to pay for the peace of mind I get from using it.

 

I had a 1978 Honda GL1000 that was running very rough. It hadn't been ridden on a regular basis and I guess the carbs were gummed up. The fuel milage was also down arounf 30 MPG where-as it had always been 40 MPG.

I ran a couple of cans of SEAFOAM through this bike and in a few weeks it was running like a champ and MPG's back to 40!

 

Snake Oil or not, I'm a believer!

[specialwheelhorse 174]

Fine stuff !!!!! But I just bought a 20 fluid ounce can of max clean by Royal Purple

And if it is anything like RP gear oil and all their other products it should work even better

Than Sea Foam. Check out RP, Most of my trany,s have RP gear oil in, Much like

Everything else you get what you pay for !!!!!

[slammer302 2,154]

I use it at the end of the mowing season for a fuel stabilizer that's about it I think if carb needs cleaned there is nothing going to clean it for you but taking it off and cleaning it that's just my two cents

[AMC RULES 36,961]

Why not give it a whirl...

might work, can't hurt.   

[WH nut 553]

 

 

Im a believer, I run it once a year through all mine.

[64s 83]

I  have no proof it does anything but I run some thru the first tank of the season ( and sta-bil thru out the year) and I've never had a hard time getting things going when the seasons change.  I'll also run some in the oil (if I have some laying around) when I plan on changing the oil in 'new to me' equipment, but don't bother when I've maintained the engines.

[MalMac 1,328]

I have had good luck with Sea Foam, but one thing to take into consideration is, Sea Foam is very destructive on rubber gas lines if used on a constant basis. It will cause deterioration of the lines little by little. Causing micro bits of rubber to be released and flow right into the carb. When that happens you get a whole new set of problems.

[boovuc 1,090]

I use the Seafoam spray to clean carbs. (Onan). I also spray it into the Onan carbs until they shut down in a flooded condition! I wait about 5 minutes and crank the engine back up. This will usually help a "shaky" Onan carb and I haven't found any carb cleaner that works as well as Seafoam does in duplicating this. I occasionally use it in my gas and would never use it in the crankcase.

In regard to what is actually in Seafoam. Sure! IPA, (which would be 99.9% isopropanyl and not watered down dry gas), along with mineral oil, (the purity of which is unknown), along with naphtha. (Again, at what purity. Old Coleman Lantern fuel was Naptha and I don't think many people used paint thinner in their Coleman lanterns to save some money). Everyone has recipes for cooking just as any manufacturer has a process. You have to know the ratios and the purity of the ingredients to get a good product. I think Seafoam is a good product and that most of the other additives you see on the shelves are actually snake oils!

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

Amanda,

 

One very important question to be asked before giving it a Yea or Nay would be “What do you expect to accomplish by the use of this product?â€

 

Experience tells me most expectations for “liquid fix†products fall into one of three very different categories.

 

Scenario one. “I use it a few times a year as preventative medicine.† This, in my opinion, is the expectation held by the most informed user, folks who take one a day vitamins and 81mg aspirin. These users understand 50 year old gasoline engines will develop deposits in the combustion chamber and in the valve area. These users  understand gradual varnish buildup takes place in the fuel delivery system as a natural aging process. These users understand small deposits are most easily resolved by fuel system cleaners WHEN THE DEPOSITS ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. I have been using this product for nearly 15 years and believe SeaFoam will perform admirably as a preventative added during regular fuel-ups.

 

 

Scenario two. “I used it when I had a fuel problem and it didn’t do a $^#^ thing!â€

NOT EVERY ISSUE CAN BE CURED BY SEAFOAM. A worn out throttle shaft closely mimics varnished fuel passages in a carburetor.. SeaFoam cannot cure a worn throttle shaft, problems with corroded points or a problematic ignition coil. You may not have properly diagnosed this problem and used the wrong tool to attempt to correct your problem.

However, Seafoam can function very nicely as an exclusionary diagnostic tool. Many talented automotive diagnosticians use products such as this to eliminate suspect areas of the fuel delivery system in cars. The SeaFoam treatment works wonders for diagnosing and correcting fuel injector delivery imbalance caused by buildups dissolvable by SeaFoam.

 

Scanario three. “I used SeaFoam and it caused a whole bunch of other issues.â€

I’m guessing these engines and fuel systems were what I call TW’s. “train wrecksâ€. Problems just waiting to happen.  20 plus year old fuel lines, brittle fuel pump check valves and years of  tarnish, bugs, and trash in the fuel tank. Adding (or probably overloading) the fuel with Seafoam breaks off large chucks of varnish, bugs and debris and clogs your fuel filter or maybe even your carb passages. Dam#^$% Seafoam. Not the fault of the product itself as it is doing what it promised – dissolving deposits. You are using the product improperly and expecting a miraculous cure for your TW. Ain’t gonna happen!

 

Use the right tool for the right job and have realistic expectations.

 

As far as the negatives you have heard. “Too much smoke†– sorry, you are using the product improperly – you are putting waaaayyyy to much product in your fuel.

 

“Too expensiveâ€, OK. Buy the gallon and reduce the price in half. Less than 50 cents per thankful a few times per year.  It’s a hard argument to make when you spend hundreds of dollars in time / materials on your paint job on that same tractor !! If a cheaper alternative is needed, I have also personally used Chevron Techron fuel additive in everything from Porches to Dodge Caravans without issue.

 

“Didn’t clean up my carbon deposits†– you don’t want to clean a cylinder area with heavy deposits by chemical action alone. Wrong tool for the job. You don’t want flaked off  carbon “chips†down around the piston ring area. Best to remove major carbon buildup by  mechanical scraping and then followup with regular addition of the additive.

 

“Not recommended in the manufacturer’s manualâ€. I haven’t checked later model engine manuals but the K series wouldn’t be updated since it is no longer manufactured. Manufacturers typically don’t recommend any additives but I have yet to see any manufacturers specifically stating not to use SeaFoam or like products. Most manufacturers don’t care as long as the product makes it through the warranty period.

 

As far as the composition of the product, MSDS sheets are not required to list any manufacturer’s “secret ingredientsâ€. The only time they disclose those secrets is if someone presents at a hospital ER having swallowed their product. The physician will then contact the manufacturer and then be informed of any additional ingredients not listed on the MSDS. 

[RMCIII 838]

Bob has a point, but here is a little testimony regarding Seafoam.

 

My dad has a 2012 F-150/ Flexfuel V6 Twin turbo. He brought it to Cleveland last year. It had only 7k miles on it, was getting only 12 to 14mpg and the nice chrome tail pipe looked like it had never been cleaned and you could not even tell it was chrome. All carboned up. I know the valves and timing have a lot to do with the amount of carbon, or residue, that the V6-turbo is letting expelling. MANY individuals in Ford forum talk about that very same issue. Valve overlap. Several had stated to use the Seafom spray, and spray directly into the intake, whole can. Then use BP fuel.

 

Remember, only 7k miles, still under warranty. Ford told him before he left, "yeah that is just how these new engines are" < REALLY! So we go to TSC, pick up a can and head back to the house. I looked at dad, right before I opened up the intake, and he had a HUGE look of concern. I said we don't have to do this. Obviously, he was concerned, about the engine and warranty. He said go ahead.

 

I had him step the rpm's up to 2k, and let the foam fly. After about 30 seconds, white smoke did start pouring out of the tail pipe, Then it turned to a blackish grey < I knew it was getting the buildup off the valves, piston tops, ect. Truck almost died twice. Once the can was empty, we kept the rpm's at 2k for another minute or so and gradually brought it back to idle. Now the smoke/fumes were completely black.

 

We took it on the freeway and ran it for another 40 mile round trip highway/hi-speed run. Once we got back to town, we headed to the BP station and filled up with Premium BP.

 

Fast forward to just 3 weeks ago when he came to get the JD 1435. He brought the truck. Clearly seen in the photos. Coming out he got 19mpg pulling the trailer. Going back, trailer loaded, and fighting a head wind all the way, it got 17mpg..... I know much of that has to do with the fuel he is now burning.... But one can also say that the foam helped to clean out the deposits, and there were a lot of deposits, of the buildup. No more build up on the tailpipe, and he is averaging 18mpg, and that included in town driving.

 

You decide.

[rmaynard 14,949]

I stand by my statement.

 

When I first started tinkering with engines in the mid 1960's, we used to get a catalog from a company called JC Whitney. They sold everything automotive. But the funny thing was that their catalog had ads on every page like, "add this to your gas tank and improve gas mileage by 30 percent", or "this product cleans all the carbon from your engine and boosts horsepower by 15%, or "mechanic in a bottle, never have to tune your engine again", and on and on and on. So if I were to buy a load of those items, I would have never used any gas, my little 6 cylinder Chevy engine would have been increased to V8 power, and my engine would never need a tune up.

 

We all know that that is pure BS.

 

 

[alswagg 128]

This all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.  Are you trying to clean the fuel system?  Yes sea foam is a great cleaner of old varnish and stale gas.  But so is ethonal fuel.  Alcohol is the cleaner.  Are you trying to eliminate water in the fuel?  then NO, isopropal alchohol will attract water.  Are you worried about your fuel lines?  Then No, Naptha will soften the lines.   I suggest replacing all of your fuel lines with a good quality gas line rated to accept alcohol.  You might also want to rebuild your fuel pump and carb needle to a Viton style.  For fuel we use Star Tron fuel stabilizer for extended down time.  ie a month or more.  Or you can use at every fill up.  This help eliminate the harmfull effects of ethonal on many of the fuel system parts.  Good luck with your decission.  Al

[Amanda B 1]

Excellent response save the old man    Not looking for a pour in, Fix everything.. perhaps more of a once a season product..   or once all the things you mentioned addressed, to finish off a  complete go through to get all the extra less visible bits off..    In the engine I kind of get the benefits.. but was surprised about adding it to the oil..    does that not change the viscosity?   I would think if you do after adding it you should/would need to change the oil, filter and give the system a good flush to make sure that any crap loosened.. was flushed out of the system? vs keep running the same oil??    I was interested in this, in the past Oil changes have been a little lax..  was considering adding a bit running before this seasons oil change just "in case" it may  help do a bit more through oil change..  

 

So as a add to finish off project product.. a just in case, then as a OCCASIONAL use perhaps keep well serviced engines running.. or in the case of train wrecks.. a First try, with plans to address the issue further.. product..

 

Seems as the first example, good product.. Second.. don't expect long term fix, or wonder product.. but worth giving a shot with for the cost..    Can be used to ID more extensive issues that need to be taken on.. or will need to be addressed long term? 

 

Also I cannot see or have some concerns using it in the oil long term vs a add run for a bit, then change oil proper product? 

 

seem somewhat accurate to others results??

 

Amanda..

 

"I know enough about small engines to be dangerous"  one small fire, blown solenoid, Stupid forgot to set the idle screw and numerous , cuts briusies and oh crap I have a extra set of screws bolts.. where did they go!  Make the score.. WH 5 Me 0..   But the WH is running now!