SeaFoam?

[bigbadbronxy2k5]

Ok, I've ben in the car biz for a while, worked on cars since I was 12. Never heard of SeaFoam. What is it? The veritable "engine rebuild in a can" or do the products work they way they say they do? I'm a skeptic as you can tell (Nooo, really, you? lol) and the only additives I've used and trust are Restore and Lucas Products. Anybody feel free to educate me! opcorn: Thanks.

[jeffcoslacker]

Works great on stuck lifters (used in oil) or clogged jets/needle valves and injector orifices (used in fuel)...just a really good detergent/solvent.

Won't build compression (unless caused by stuck rings), or slow oil consumption...doesn't claim to either.

Widely used by motorcyclists when you have that trouble with a hung float or stuck float tip after winter storage.

I used it a lot on older Olds and Chevy small blocks with ticky stuck lifters that wouldn't pump up, with good results.

Works good as a fogger to remove carbon from combustion chambers and valve faces too...but then again so does ATF...

[DnaProRacing]

i used it to remove carbon buildup, inside vac lines, soaking varies parts, etc etc... deep-creep works just as good in the tb, as well as inside/outside the map sensor, egr valve and hose, etc... just a good product...

[Scrapper]

that's all i use in all my cars and my bike it is good stuff you can put it in your oil i even use it in lawn mowers every once and awhile. just thought i give you my opinion.

[Blue Bowtie]

Opinions are like noses - Everybody has one.

In case you were wondering about the science, instead of the opinions, read on.

SeaFoam is basically refinery "waste". About 50% light hydrocarbon oil (pale oil), 30% petroleum naphtha, (charcoal starter fluid/mineral spirits, whatever you want to call it), 10% isopropyl alcohol, and 10% water. With the exception of the alcohol (added to keep the water in an emulsified suspension), the components are the mid- to upper-tier byproducts of hydro cracking useful petroleum products from crude oil. Those that are usually hardest to separate (normally done through a centrifuge) are simply sold as a mixture with some alcohol added to keep it volatile and emulsified.

The alcohol mixes with the water(as does the naphtha to some extent) and the "murky" appearance of the liquid is due to the emulsion created by the water/oil mixture forced into suspension by those solvents.

It ain't rocket science - It's barely science at all. But it was a fair bit of marketing back in the '30s when it was first sold. And it's surely no secret.

Widely used by motorcyclists when you have that trouble with a hung float or stuck float tip after winter storage.

And that is exactly what it was originally intended to do, except is was marketed to the outboard marine industry first. The sellers and marketers have lots of suggestions for its use, but only you can decide if you want anything like that in your engine.

It's not much different than WD40 in that regard. The product was originally intended to be a rust preventive, but has been so widely misused that people now think it is a lubricant, penetrant, pancake syrup, and whatever else they want to believe. The marketers certainly aren't going to correct them now (DUH!).

I will tell you that Rochester, Bosch, Hitachi, and other fuel injector manufacturers warn against allowing any water in their systems, so if you were considering putting it in the fuel of your EFI engine, you may want to think a little first.

As for dumping into an intake, plain water injection will do a far superior job of cleaning carbon deposits.

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

As for dumping into an intake, plain water injection will do a far superior job of cleaning carbon deposits.

Yeah but it don't make enough smoke to get the fire dept called to the shop

[zuke448]

With cleaning the upper intakes, i have heard many people compare seafoam to GM's upper intake cleaner. Does anyone know if it is just the top tier pertoleum byproduct? I have a can but just have not had time to use it especially with the fab missouri weather that I have been in. I am very interested because i was planning to do a major clean on my lumina. It just got wires, and is going to get fuel filter tranny filter and maybe plugs (irridium ones) instead of the oem ones to increase some fuel milage. Again I was enlightened by Blue Bowtie's post.

[bigbadbronxy2k5]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

Opinions are like noses - Everybody has one.

In case you were wondering about the science, instead of the opinions, read on.

SeaFoam is basically refinery "waste". About 50% light hydrocarbon oil (pale oil), 30% petroleum naphtha, (charcoal starter fluid/mineral spirits, whatever you want to call it), 10% isopropyl alcohol, and 10% water. With the exception of the alcohol (added to keep the water in an emulsified suspension), the components are the mid- to upper-tier byproducts of hydro cracking useful petroleum products from crude oil. Those that are usually hardest to separate (normally done through a centrifuge) are simply sold as a mixture with some alcohol added to keep it volatile and emulsified.

The alcohol mixes with the water(as does the naphtha to some extent) and the "murky" appearance of the liquid is due to the emulsion created by the water/oil mixture forced into suspension by those solvents.

It ain't rocket science - It's barely science at all. But it was a fair bit of marketing back in the '30s when it was first sold. And it's surely no secret.



And that is exactly what it was originally intended to do, except is was marketed to the outboard marine industry first. The sellers and marketers have lots of suggestions for its use, but only you can decide if you want anything like that in your engine.

It's not much different than WD40 in that regard. The product was originally intended to be a rust preventive, but has been so widely misused that people now think it is a lubricant, penetrant, pancake syrup, and whatever else they want to believe. The marketers certainly aren't going to correct them now (DUH!).

I will tell you that Rochester, Bosch, Hitachi, and other fuel injector manufacturers warn against allowing any water in their systems, so if you were considering putting it in the fuel of your EFI engine, you may want to think a little first.

As for dumping into an intake, plain water injection will do a far superior job of cleaning carbon deposits.

Thank you Bowtie, I am a facts man myself and what you stated is almost exactly what my research says, as I looked around on the web after I posted. Thanks.

[Dodge1063]

It's not much different than WD40 in that regard. The product was originally intended to be a rust preventive, but has been so widely misused that people now think it is a lubricant, penetrant, pancake syrup, and whatever else they want to believe. The marketers certainly aren't going to correct them now (DUH!).

Lol I read that about 4 times. That is funny as hell. I have to admit that is a very good point.

Pancake syrup yum!!!!

[DnaProRacing]

not to be a wiseass "i am from ny tho" but, ive douched my car with seafoam products ever since i bought it. 225,000 miles later - dont think its hurting anything. you can tech talk the shit out of anything, proof to me is hands-on. and getting 1/4 million miles out of a known beater by using seafoam products. well i guess its a good product...
there, now let the beatings begin...