SeaFoam

Coldwood

Coldwood

Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
2,718
I'm sure this product's been discussed before, but here's my latest take. Long story short, my TroyBilt/Briggs&Stratton mower is coughing, surging, backfiring. Certainly a carburetor problem. I take it to the local warranty repair shop. Congenital idiots. A month later I get it back, problem is the same (only cost $46.00...I'll deal with them eventually :)

My car mechanic turns me onto a local guy who specializes in small engines. I explain the problem, he says before I bring it to him, I should run a shot of SeaFoam in the gas for about 20 minutes. SeaFoam is a gas stabilizer, but also a carburetor cleaner, he says.

I've used it before, but this past year used Stabil instead. He says Stabil is not so good.

So I run the SeaFoam and the carburetor stops coughing and spitting a lung. Cheap fix. Anybody else use SeaFoam?
 
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I love the stuff. Run it through an air intake line on my car, it scrubs any crud off the injectors and out of the combustion chamber. 203,000 miles and running same as I bought it at 136K, must be doing something right.
 
:thumbup: I use it on my car once or twice a year :) up to 140k+ since 2001
 
A while back (2010) I had asked for opinions on a fuel injector cleaner for my daily driver. Several people recommended seafoam. I watched some videos on YT and what I saw scared the crap outta me./ I saw cars just smoking like they were going out of style. I haven't tried it yet, as I I think my car is still ok (60k miles).
 
RevDevil said:
A while back (2010) I had asked for opinions on a fuel injector cleaner for my daily driver. Several people recommended seafoam. I watched some videos on YT and what I saw scared the crap outta me./ I saw cars just smoking like they were going out of style. I haven't tried it yet, as I I think my car is still ok (60k miles).
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It's not a bad thing, though. By adding the Seafoam through a vacuum line into the motor, like I do, you're letting it dissolve any crap in the engine. The smoking is the Seafoam and crud burning off- it goes away in about 5 minutes, and you'd be amazed how well the motor purrs afterward. Mine runs smoother now than it did 70,000 miles ago when I bought it.
 
Sword and Shield said:
It's not a bad thing, though. By adding the Seafoam through a vacuum line into the motor, like I do, you're letting it dissolve any crap in the engine. The smoking is the Seafoam and crud burning off- it goes away in about 5 minutes, and you'd be amazed how well the motor purrs afterward. Mine runs smoother now than it did 70,000 miles ago when I bought it.
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Thanks for the clarification. I'm tempted to try it, but given the current mileage on my car I wonder if it would be necessary.

My brother has a truck with almost 100K miles on it, I think I'm going to buy a bottle and put a little scare into him :D
 
Started using it last year in my air cooled engines, it is magical. Now I dump some in the 5 gallon gas can before I fill it.
 
A friend of mine made me a believer in Seafoam after it improved the running of one of his vintage cars. He pours some in all of his gas tanks now. He also made me a believer of ethanol-free gas, which can be hard to find nowadays. So I tried some of each in my vintage VW gas tank and now it runs like it has a new engine. I'll never go back! Don't get me started on ethanol gas. After researching, it's awful stuff that shouldn't be used in any kind of small engine, boat, vintage car, motorcycle, or scooter. Just Google "ethanol free gas locator" to find some in your town. I believe that Seafoam and ethanol-free gas is a winning combo.
 
I use it religiously:thumbup: I have 2 work vans, ones a 1995 Chevy Astro and the other a 1996 Chevy Astro. The 95 has 245,000 + miles and the 96 has 203,000 + miles on it---both work hard. Our 2001 Ford F150 Supercrew is also a work vehicle and it has 236,000+ miles on it all three drink from the Seafoam bottle---good stuff in my book:D

Paul
 
I've never used it but I know a lot of people that have and they claim good results.With the quality of the gas that we'reforced to use these days most of the engine problems that I've encountered are a result of said gas.Seafoam wil clean a carb or injectors,there's no doubt about that,I usually prefer to take them apart and clean them myself but if your not inclined to do that I think Seaoamis a good alternative.
 
I will give it a try.
I use Stabil now and my mower and weedeater crank right up even after sitting all winter.
 
I add Seafoam to my oil before I change it (let it run for about 30 miles). It helps to get rid of any sludge.
 
Sword and Shield said:
It's not a bad thing, though. By adding the Seafoam through a vacuum line into the motor, like I do, you're letting it dissolve any crap in the engine. The smoking is the Seafoam and crud burning off- it goes away in about 5 minutes, and you'd be amazed how well the motor purrs afterward. Mine runs smoother now than it did 70,000 miles ago when I bought it.
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yeah noticed the price of seafoam over the past few years has gone way up. used to get it for $5 a bottle now its closer to $10 a bottle. its good stuff. my taco 4x4 has 173k miles on her with no intake issues. every few oil changes ill suck seafoam up via the PCV valve and run it down the and smoke everyone out.. runs lke a charm.

i run it in my 4wheeler (per the maintenance amounts) to keep the gas from breaking down and gumming up the carb.

to be honest the best stuff to clean the upper engine area is GM's upper cleaner. do it like seafoam. now that stuff really cleans. its harder for me to get so i get seafoam.
 
I've used the stuff with motorcycles before, with great success. In fact, one of them has a sputtering pilot jet in one of the carbs, and I've been meaning to give it the Sea Foam treatment to see if I can avoid yanking the carbs out for a cleaning.
 
It's widely used in the boating community.
I recently bought a 10 year old boat.
The motor was hard to start and ran rough.
After running it with a bottle of seafoam in the tank it just keeps starting easier
and running smoother the more I use it.
 
I live by it.. My cars generally get half a can run through the vacuum system twice a year, 1/4 in gas, 1/4 in oil before change.. You'll be amazed at the pickup in acceleration as well as the idle smoothing out.. It's scary the first time watching the car puff out that thick white smoke from the tailpipe.. But that means it's doing what it's supposed too
 
V1GiLaNtE said:
I live by it.. My cars generally get half a can run through the vacuum system twice a year, 1/4 in gas, 1/4 in oil before change.. You'll be amazed at the pickup in acceleration as well as the idle smoothing out.. It's scary the first time watching the car puff out that thick white smoke from the tailpipe.. But that means it's doing what it's supposed too
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you do realize thats an absolute waste of sea foam right? if you change your oil like you should NEVER put anything in your case other than engine oil. Also 1/4 of seafoam in a tank is beyond wasteful. it does NOTHING for cleaning when its diluted like that.

.5-1 bottle via the pcv
1-1.5 bottles in the gas for cleaning. anything less is just maintenance levels. go check with BITOG if you dont believe me. lots of info on there for that. ever since i did this, its beyond noticable..
 
I use it in all my engines. My Dodge Ram has 300K miles on it and runs strong. I put Sea Foam in the gas tank about every 6 months or so.
 
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