Opinions: Seafoam

[Seemer]

I see that a lot of you have used Seafoam with mild to miraculous success. I plan on running a can through my gas tank and carb this weekend before I replace the oil pan gasket and RMS, plugs, wires, pcv and dist cap/rotor. Seems that Seafoam usually does good. Are they any downsides (aside from user error) to using this stuff?

Thanks.

[bigblack'74]

if you pour it directly down the carb while running it will work, otherwise it doesnt do much. I have heard alot of tall tales but I have tried every possible variation with it and about every other "cleaner" product. The above method will actually work esp. if you do two bottles in a short time. As for downsides, I have done this probably 50 or more times over the years and never blew anything up. good luck

[Wagonforever]

The down side is the HUMUNGOUS cloud of smoke that comes out your tail pipe. Other than that I've seen no harm, but on the other hand haven't really "seen" any gain. I just like to think it's alittle cleaner in there after I run it though.

[J10_IA]

I've used this in the gas tank, carb, and engine oil. Pouring it in the engine oil cleaned up some water that had collected in the engine from sitting for too long. You have to change the oil after running it through the motor though. I have found that carb cleaner in the carb works better to clean out the carb itself. The seafoam in the carb is good for a smoke show but I really haven't seen benefits from it. Infact after running seafoam in my 302, I found large carbon buildups on the intake manifold ports to the point where it was nearly closed off. So yeah it blew the carbon around inside the motor but it never made it to the exhaust.

[Jlamb]

Snake oil

[ma2fish]

I recently dumped a can in the tank, while troubleshooting a misfire issue, but I don't think it did anything. That said, and being one who doesn't fall for the Slick50 press either, I am one who put a can of injector cleaner in the fuel injected vehicles every couple months, or about every other oil change. I've never had a clogged injector yet.

I've long read about folks putting Marvel Mystery oil in their gas and oil, but the big can I have is only used in my air tools and radio control model engines as after-run cleaner lube.

So why'd I use the can of Seafoam mentioned above? I don't really know, except it made me feel like I was trying something/anything on the problem at a time when I didn't have many options. Figured it was cheap enough and couldn't hurt...:huh:

[Serious Johnson]

When I used it on my wife's Mazda, I introduced it into a vacuum line per instructions. Prior to application, the car would ping on 93 octane & timing at spec. After Seafoam, it didn't ping on 87 octane. I also tried it the same way on my Wagoneer shortly after I bought it, and noticed no change. When I tore the engine down, it was fairly carbon-choked, so maybe the difference was the amount and / or consolidation of carbon.

S.J.

[Seemer]

So - am I hearing that there is a potential for loosening carbon only to have it gunk up in other places?

Running two cans may perhaps have a better chance of getting the carbon into and out of the exhaust system?

[skinnyD]

I put a can into a full tank of gas in my Wagoneer with no noticable effect.

[trellis8]

I poured into tank of old gas. Seemed to run better afterwards, I was able to burn out the old crap gas without having to drain it.

[bigblack'74]

I just depends. If your engine has hundreds of thousands of miles there is too much carbon for anything to work. I have had the best luck on engines that were in relatively good shape. When I was a full time mechanic back in the day we used to do this at the shop on regular basis.

I would say run one can thru in the driveway, go drive it for 20 miles, come home, run another can and drive it for 20 miles again. That will give you the best results.


So - am I hearing that there is a potential for loosening carbon only to have it gunk up in other places?

Running two cans may perhaps have a better chance of getting the carbon into and out of the exhaust system?

[newtojeeps]

My wife's Chrysler mini vans check engine light came on so I put a can in the tank. She drove for about 100 miles and the light went off, and she then took it to get smogged. :thumbsup: Works for me. Here in CA if there is a check engine light on they won't smog it.