Using Seafoam

[tander]

Picked up a can of Seafoam the other night in Walley World. I then Googled Seafoam and found a bunch of info. Some loved it some hated it. Some used it in gas taink, some in cyclinders. Now I am more confused than before. I am thinking that i can put it in my taink and it will help somewhat, kind of like Sta Bilt. The other method is remove plugs, put about 4 ounces in each cyclinder and leave it for 2 days, after two days, with plugs removed, turn over motor to remove what Seafoam that is still in cyclinders. Put plugs in and run motor. Is this a good method. What do you think about Seafoam. How do you use it.

[FloridaFishinFool]

I mix it into my boat fuel along with Sta-bil. I think for regular maintenance it is like 1 ounce per gallon of fuel.

 

It just keeps things from getting gummed up and if there is any gummyness it should dissolve it in the tank, fuel line and carburetor and just keeps things clean.

 

It is one of those products that does what it says it can do.

 

I never put any into any cylinders so I can not comment about that. 

 

2 years ago I bought a used yamaha 4 stroke outboard. It ran rough and sluggish at first, but the third time out seafoam had done its magic and the yamaha came to life and has been running ever since.

[fishnkamp]

Seafoam is great for what is designed to do  Clean fuel systems and engines internally.  I run a carbed outboard, but I have used it in the fuel on both carbed and EFI engines.  It is okay on computerized fuel injected motors but do not use it too often.  I like to run it about two times a year in my outboard and about three times a year in my truck.  It seems to help clean the fuel systems and cylinders just by running a tank of fuel mixed with it.  In really bad situations I have run an external fuel can with a heavy concentration say 6 gallons of fuel with 1/2 can of Seafoam.  If what you want to do is keep the fuel in good shape during storage Stabil is good but I do not personally use it.  I  never add fuel to my boat or lawnmower with out adding Startron fuel treatment.  Since I am forced to use fuel with Ethanol and ethanol causes fuel-water problems I always use Startron on every fill up.  Believe it or not my Mercury owners manual suggested using either their fuel treatment or Startron.  Mercury rarely suggest using some one else's product,  which makes me wonder if Startron make the Mercury Marine fuel treatment   

If your purpose is to clean carbs you can spray directly into the carb ( it comes in can as a liquid or a spray can) or just add it to the gas. I do not see any reason to put it in the cylinders as you suggested.  Just my 2 cents I hope it helps

[tander]

I guess I should have added that I use non ethanol gas and I use my boat all year so there is no winterazation. I assume that putting gas in the cyclinders would be  for decarboning. Motor is a carbed 90hp Johnson, 1997.

[WIGuide]

I just dump it in the tank. It does what it says and why it's been around for 50 some years. I don't run it with every tank, but a few times throughout the summer. 

[BKeith]

Run a steady diet of it at 1/2oz per gallon of gas in your tank for general care.  About every 50 hours mix one ounce per gallon and go run the p**s out of your motor for a little while a full throttle.  That will help decarbon the pistons and inside the cylinders.  

 

Running StaBil with SeaFoam is a waste, any money spent on StaBil would be much better spent else where.  StaBil is basically just a fuel stabilizer, SeaFoam does that and more.  

 

SeaFoam can also be added to the crankcase of your four stroke or automobile engines before an oil change to help desolve sludge and lacquer film inside the crankcase.  The reason you do just before, if your are not the best a keeping your oil changed, the crud it flushes loose can stop up a filter so you don't want to leave it too long before changing the oil and filter.

[Al Wolbach]

I run Seafoam at 1 oz per gallon in the following, chain saw, back pack blower, weed eater, lawn tractor, pressure washer, 225 Yamaha Vmax, 115 Yamaha 4 stroke, and 2 Harleys(and probably something I forgot). I have run this for at least 10 years, probably more. I also put 2 cans in my wifes van and my pickup at each oil change, in the fuel. I have never had a fuel related problem with anything listed since i began this routine. My son is running a can in his oil now to clean the inside of his engine because it sounded like a sticky lifter was clicking. But I have never put any directly in the cylinders however it may help decarbon the pistons/valves if you did but I would not try that without some research first.

I truly can't prove it works but I know it doesn't hurt anything and gives me peace of mind.

[Wayne P.]

Picked up a can of Seafoam the other night in Walley World. I then Googled Seafoam and found a bunch of info. Some loved it some hated it. Some used it in gas taink, some in cyclinders. Now I am more confused than before. I am thinking that i can put it in my taink and it will help somewhat, kind of like Sta Bilt. The other method is remove plugs, put about 4 ounces in each cyclinder and leave it for 2 days, after two days, with plugs removed, turn over motor to remove what Seafoam that is still in cyclinders. Put plugs in and run motor. Is this a good method. What do you think about Seafoam. How do you use it.

 

That "treatment" procedure is a fantasy. No way can you put 4 ounces in every cylinder and let it set for even 2 seconds unless it is a single cylinder motor.

 

Putting any treatments in the cylinders does nothing for some of the cylinders due to their position in the stroke.    

A piston at the top of the stoke has virtually no space to hold anything-- it's that compression thingy.

For 4 cycle engines there is the exhaust stroke too.

For a 2 cycle, at the bottom of the stroke it is open to the crankcase and cannot hold any fluid.

 

The only way to clean carbon is run the product through the intake while the engine is running, either mixed with gasoline or directly. Seafoam has a spray version to do the direct application.

 

The spray can be used to put a film of lubrication in the cylinders for storage. That is when you remove the spark plugs and spray each cylinder as you rotate the flywheel to coat the surfaces.

 

The instructions are on the can, READ them.

[tander]

Thanks Wayne, I did read them. I realize it said 1oz per gal. in tanks. This is other stuff I have read on the internet, just wanted to get some opimions.

[BaitMonkey1984]

I use this at every fill up- n exceptions. It is part of a concoction I have spoken about it many times before. Seafoam and Enzyme treatment with every fill up. Then use marvel mystery oil in gas and in the oil on occasion. This keeps everything clean and lubed, as well as keeps the water out of the gas.

 

I have not cleaned the carbon off with the motor running only boat. But have done it in my vehicles. Makes a big difference in my opinion, so much so that I do it twice a year. You would be amazed at what gets blown out the exhaust. You can usually find deals at car stores or walmart in the winter for buy 1 get 1 free, so I always stock up on those occasions as it is something I am always going to use. Get into the habit yourself and your motor will thank you. 

[BKeith]

The 1/2 ounce per gallon is good for a fuel stabilizer and helps keep the system clean. The one ounce per gallon is to cut the carbon out of the cylinders which is good for chainsaws, etc, but is overkill for the most part on modern outboards and the oils they have today. Every 50 hours usually keeps them pretty clean.

As for putting directly in a cylinder and letting it sit to clean it, that would be a total waste. I have taken carbon coated pistons out of engines, cleaned them with mineral spirits and wiped them off with rags until all the loose carbon is off so just the baked on if left, and a white rag stays white when wiped on one. Then I soaked them for days in SeaForm, use a white rag and wipe the tops off and guess what, the rag stays white, SeaFoam did not cut one molecule of that hard, baked on carbon off.

Plus, on a lot of two strokes, the only way you could possibly put four ounces directly in the cylinder is to have the piston down. After about an inch or so of down travel on the piston you can start opening ports, so the SeaFoam in going straight into the crankcase and is not going to sit in the cylinder anyway.

[Tmmytomato]

A fellow bass club member suggested using it in my outboard after he had many months of success using it. Sea Foam did wonders in stopping the little bit of smoking I and others in my club had at initial start up.  I have to recommend it. I have about a dozen bottles of it with one always in the boat for the next gas fill up. I also use Star Tron and Bio-Bor to offset the damaging effects of ethanol.  

[DogBone_384]

I use Seafoam as a stabilizer in all my power equipment, motorcycle, and trucks.

When my Tundra rolled 100K I took a bottle and slowly poured it into the vacuum from the brake booster while a friend kept the revs up. I had better throttle response afterward. The white cloud coming from the exhaust amused my neighbors.

I add a can to a full tank of gas after every oil change too. 

Ran 1/4 can in my bike's oil for 10 minutes before a change. I pulled the valve cover off to to a valve adjustment and @ 37,000 miles it was clean as a whistle in there.

Whatever Seafoam is, it works great.

[jjnosal@msn.com]

use it always/ great stuff

[RangerCasey]

What about the ethanol problem in today's unleaded fuels.  Add Sea Foam for cleaning and I thought I read to add Bio Bor also?

Advice for the ethanol problems please?