The Truth About Seafoam

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by jpar1983

So how do you recommend cleaning out engine sludge?

I do not.

Leave it alone.
Trying to clean it does more harm than good.
When you break sludge lose it may stop up the oiling system and wipe out engine.

Good clean oil and filter and service as needed and you will not have sludge to start with..

[Airjer_]

Repeated oil changes. Change the oil drive 500 miles, change the oil again. The simple act of more frequent oil changes will clean it up better and safer than anything you can dump in the crankcase. After a couple of those keep track of how long it take for the oil to become dirty. If its clean after 500 than go until it gets dirty. Keep that up until your at your regular service interval. You would be surprised how quickly you can clean up an engine.

[joela87]

Just in case some unknowledgeable individual stumbles upon this thread I'll add my personal experience. I've never used Seafoam in crankcase but I have used it as a fuel additive. I purchased a 98 4runner with 169k and during test drive it when I'd accelerate hard I would get severe hesitation and stumbling almost to the point where it seemed like it was going to stall. No check engine light. Cleaned throttle body and it seemed slightly better but problem persisted. (Travelling uphill same issue.) I used Techron with no apparent improvement. Then I used Seafoam as the guy at AutoZone had originally recommended. The problem disappeared. Completely. So that's my experience with Seafoam. It works to clean fuel system thus restoring lost power. Hope that helps someone!

[jamesslcx]

Seafoam is too expensive for what you get. I don't add additives to the crankcase but I am a believer in fuel additives like Marvel Mystery oil, Techron Fuel System Cleaner and Startron. My Olds Intrigue has 216,000 miles on the original fuel pump, maybe I got lucky so far or maybe those products do make a difference. I've used them in my lawnmowers and my oldest a B&S is 15 years old and doesn't smoke or use any oil even after heavy use.

[mick97]

Question: What Is a Chemical?
Answer: Short answer: Everything is a chemical. Longer answer: Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with other matter. Anything made of matter is therefore a chemical. Any liquid, solid, gas. Any pure substance; any mixture. Water is a chemical. Technically speaking, so is a chunk of your computer. A chemical can often be broken down into components, as is true with your computer. However, people generally use the term 'chemical' to refer to a substance that appears homogeneous or the same throughout its structure. OK got it the only time a chemical is not a chemical is when it is called sea foam and everyone in the know knows blended petroleum products are not chemicals . I think it might make a good non chemical laxative.just pure good ole blended slippery oils and water safe for anything !!

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by mick97

Question: What Is a Chemical?
Answer: Short answer: Everything is a chemical. Longer answer: Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with other matter. Anything made of matter is therefore a chemical. Any liquid, solid, gas. Any pure substance; any mixture. Water is a chemical. Technically speaking, so is a chunk of your computer. A chemical can often be broken down into components, as is true with your computer. However, people generally use the term 'chemical' to refer to a substance that appears homogeneous or the same throughout its structure. OK got it the only time a chemical is not a chemical is when it is called sea foam and everyone in the know knows blended petroleum products are not chemicals . I think it might make a good non chemical laxative.just pure good ole blended slippery oils and water safe for anything !!

sea foam is a solvent , not a lubricant. as many over the years have stated in this post [why now you here with this B/S ?] this product should not be used in the crankcase.

solvents are good for cleaning sludge and some times a build up of carbon. problem is this product works too quickly and then the damage. like trying to kill a small animal with a shot gun.

fuel additive like techron work great . crankcase dirty sludged up due to your neglect a few ounces of marvel mystery oil .. these products work slowly and over a few thousand miles clean the engine real good..marvel mystery oil in the fuel also works to clean and lube the fuel system and the compression chamber/rings/valves.

I also have engines quite old and still work real good big and small ,with the use of these chemicals !

sea foam NOT!

[WDD]

I started using Sea Foam 2 years ago, it works very good. I add a can to a full tank of gas on all my cars and truck every six months. They all run better, one is a Caddy Deville, another is my Vet and a S10 ZR2. I notice they run better and MPG goes up after the treatment. I also use Sea Foam as a gas stabilizer for the lawn equipment and Snow blower. When it is time to use them in the Spring or Fall they ALL start easily. My 3 rigs are all in excellent condition, they all look and run good. I was a hot rodder as a youngster then had a Service Station for eight years, doing minor and major repairs. I still do some of my repairs, not as much as I used to do.

I never had much faith in additives, but have to say that Sea Foam does work very well.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by WDD

I started using Sea Foam 2 years ago, it works very good. I add a can to a full tank of gas on all my cars and truck every six months. They all run better, one is a Caddy Deville, another is my Vet and a S10 ZR2. I notice they run better and MPG goes up after the treatment. I also use Sea Foam as a gas stabilizer for the lawn equipment and Snow blower. When it is time to use them in the Spring or Fall they ALL start easily. My 3 rigs are all in excellent condition, they all look and run good. I was a hot rodder as a youngster then had a Service Station for eight years, doing minor and major repairs. I still do some of my repairs, not as much as I used to do.

I never had much faith in additives, but have to say that Sea Foam does work very well.

Yes works good if used in the right way.
But is a engine killer if not used right.

[Schizy]

Sea Foam as well as Techron, according to their respective MSDS sheets, are nothing but a mix of petroleum components. No mystery stuff, no "proprietary" content(s). Both contain significant amounts of mineral spirits, of doubtfull benefit to motor oil or fuels. I was a loyal user of Sea Foam untill Techron was presented to me by a friend whom I view as somewhat of an expert. This led me to their respective MSDS sheets, and after due consideration I now use NOTHING! IMHO there is a placebo effect working on one's imagination which may lead to many of the positive reports. To wit: How much better your car handles and performs after a good hand wash job.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by Schizy

Sea Foam as well as Techron, according to their respective MSDS sheets, are nothing but a mix of petroleum components. No mystery stuff, no "proprietary" content(s). Both contain significant amounts of mineral spirits, of doubtfull benefit to motor oil or fuels. I was a loyal user of Sea Foam untill Techron was presented to me by a friend whom I view as somewhat of an expert. This led me to their respective MSDS sheets, and after due consideration I now use NOTHING! IMHO there is a placebo effect working on one's imagination which may lead to many of the positive reports. To wit: How much better your car handles and performs after a good hand wash job.

first thing is seafoam is not an approved fuel additive that the DOT/EPA approves to be used by fuel suppliers. techron is an additive that fuel suppliers use as well as other fuel supplier fuel conditioners to ensure the fuel system continues to work properly to reduce vehicle pollution.

2nd thing is GM does approve of this Techron to be added when issues of fuel contamination causes poor engine performance .

many use low cost fuel from the non major fuel suppliers. these fuels are found not to have the proper amounts of the fuel conditioners to keep the fuel system working correctly. GM recommends that you use what they call top tier fuel suppliers . this would be chevron/shell/mobil etc ...NOT joes gasoline.

so if people use these non top tier fuels they can have fuel issues and failures.
the manufactures recommendations should be followed to protect your vehicle from damage .

[Dodge305]

I have been using SeaFoam in all of my gas/diesel powered equipment for over 18 years and never have I had anything but good results with this product. With the government mandated Ethanol in fuels today, it is necessary to have a lubricant added. My John Boat, Ski boat, motorcycle, Truck, wife's truck, daughters car, sons truck, tractors, riding mowers, generator and hand held gas powered yard tools all have SeaFoam running through them.

What I find most interesting about this thread is that just Sunday afternoon, one of my good friends became a believer in SeaFoam. We were out on the river in our John boats, and neither had run in a while. Mine cranked like I had run it yesterday, we had to jump his off when he drained his battery. His engine ran rough (even though he had fresh gas in his tank) and he could not even get up to speed. I asked him if he added any SeaFoam when he filled up. He said no. Well, I just so happened to have a can in my truck. We put that in his tank, gave it a good shaking, drained his fuel line, re-primed and got him running again. After about 10 mins of running on the river, you could hear the pitch of his motor change and he started running better. By the time we got back to the boat ramp, it sounded and performed like he hung a new motor on the back of his boat.

I have had similar results from an old truck my son got from his grandpa and my old Ford 9N tractor I bought from an estate sale.

Yes, it is a little pricey, but I would not store my equipment without it and certainly will not run my boats unless it is in the tank.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by Dodge305

I have been using SeaFoam in all of my gas/diesel powered equipment for over 18 years and never have I had anything but good results with this product. With the government mandated Ethanol in fuels today, it is necessary to have a lubricant added. My John Boat, Ski boat, motorcycle, Truck, wife's truck, daughters car, sons truck, tractors, riding mowers, generator and hand held gas powered yard tools all have SeaFoam running through them.

What I find most interesting about this thread is that just Sunday afternoon, one of my good friends became a believer in SeaFoam. We were out on the river in our John boats, and neither had run in a while. Mine cranked like I had run it yesterday, we had to jump his off when he drained his battery. His engine ran rough (even though he had fresh gas in his tank) and he could not even get up to speed. I asked him if he added any SeaFoam when he filled up. He said no. Well, I just so happened to have a can in my truck. We put that in his tank, gave it a good shaking, drained his fuel line, re-primed and got him running again. After about 10 mins of running on the river, you could hear the pitch of his motor change and he started running better. By the time we got back to the boat ramp, it sounded and performed like he hung a new motor on the back of his boat.

I have had similar results from an old truck my son got from his grandpa and my old Ford 9N tractor I bought from an estate sale.

Yes, it is a little pricey, but I would not store my equipment without it and certainly will not run my boats unless it is in the tank.

using seafoam in the fuel it is a cleaning solvent not a lubricant. techron is also a solvent not a lubricant.

I have used now MMO and techron for many decades. and I also use it in my boat and chain saw, lawn mower car. truck... I do not have any fuel problems. also when winter storage time comes I use fuel stabilizer for alcohol fuels .. this is a lube and fuel stabilizer that stops the corrosive alcohol from damaging the fuel system..

my 1996 impala still runs great even with injectors not designed for alcohol fuels .. alcohol eats at the injector coil insulation ... seafoam could damage my injector electrical coils ..

[stttt]

Sometimes additives do help. I change oil every 3000 miles in my Silverado. It has 103K miles on it. I purchased some gasoline last week and it must have been bad, because after I filled the tank the engine would sputter and die at every stop sign. I purchased some STP fuel additive, put it in the tank and it began to run correctly again. I don't know what caused this, and I do not like putting additives in my tank, but this time it helped.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by stttt

Sometimes additives do help. I change oil every 3000 miles in my Silverado. It has 103K miles on it. I purchased some gasoline last week and it must have been bad, because after I filled the tank the engine would sputter and die at every stop sign. I purchased some STP fuel additive, put it in the tank and it began to run correctly again. I don't know what caused this, and I do not like putting additives in my tank, but this time it helped.

alcohol fuels used today absorb water so the fuel suppler must be taking care in the proper handling of the fuel. most top tier fuel suppliers do practice this .

when you buy fuel from joes fuel depot your taking a chance the fuel is not clean or contaminated by improper handling.

when this occurs a bottle or 2 of dry gas will help get things working better / not perfect though. bad for the injectors using off brand fuels .

[Aikido]

Joela87, you said "I used Seafoam as the guy at AutoZone had originally recommended" How did he originally recommend it? Did he just say to follow the directions on the can?