Seafoam: good or bad idea?

We have used Seafoam for years with great results. Great for outboards, jet skis, chainsaws, high mileage engines.

Years ago I Took apart a gummed up dried out carburetor tested it on the dried gunk inside the fuel bowl and it basically melted the gunk right before my eyes. Sold me!

My years of hard starting 2 cycle engines has diminished using Seafoam in the fuel to keep the fuel system clean.

In our area if you can buy it for less than $7 a can you got a good deal.

Norm

When I bought my boat I added seafoam to the diesel tanks. The fuel went black in the see through bowls. I ran it down real low and changed filters when I refuelled. It has remained clear ever since.

Another recommendation for Seafoam. I bought our dingy motor, 4 hp Yamaha from the 1990's, from a guy in Clinton, Connecticut who had about 100 outboards on racks and lying in the grass behnd his garage. Got it home and after a week or two it sputtered out and would no longer start. I took the whole thing apart thinking if I couldn't get it back together, oh well, it was an educational exercise for me in outboard motors. I soaked the carb parts in Seafoam, cleaned everything, freed up a tiny carb gasket flapper, put some Seafoam in the gas tank, and it's been running well ever since.

I am not a proponent of chemical cures either, there is no "Can of Rebuild". But I read about it's cleaning properties and saw the results in the bowls of the Racors. I feel that $100 canbucks of seafoam saved me $500 Canbucks of fuel polishing with the added benefits of it cleaning all the fuel lines as well.

Guru


City: Sydney
Country: Australia
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,207 I prefer Marvel Mystery Oil




26Tolly383
Newbie


City: Kenai
Country: USA
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 1 I carry a gallon in the boat at all times, I treat every few tanks just because. I have used the regular sea foam fuel additive in gasoline, diesel and in crankcase oil. I also used the spray can you spray into the intake to clean up the intake, cylinders and valves. I swear by it. I first used it to treat my tanks and clean up my fuel system in the boat, noticed immediate improvement in idle quality and cruise power. That was years ago. I use it in my lawnmower and other small engines to clean up deposits from the E85 fuel if left sitting for too long, haven't had to tear apart a carb in quite a while. Recently bought a car that had been sitting stored for 30+ years, it ran but the oil Control rings appeared stuck and lifters sticking (ticking) Added sea foam to fresh clean crankcase oil and ran for a hundred miles or so. Oil came out black as night, car now runs like new. Also fog carb with the aerosol on all engines. I swear by it



Guess I am both a ‘Belt’ and ‘Suspender’ boater. I use both. I swear by Sea Foam having used it in both my autos, small engines, and both my diesel boats. In the fuel tanks. I add a measurement of Marvel Mystery Oil on each fuel up. Too old to change my ways! No evidence of any singular incident of being wrong to use both or either.

Al-Ketchikan

Recently bought a car that had been sitting stored for 30+ years, it ran but the oil Control rings appeared stuck and lifters sticking (ticking) Added sea foam to fresh clean crankcase oil and ran for a hundred miles or so. Oil came out black as night, car now runs like new.

Al-Ketchikan[/QUOTE]

OK Al - No fare hiding your find... cough it up... tell us about your "barn find" car. Photos! - Art

69 Dart Swinger 340

26Tolly383 said:

69 Dart Swinger 340

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26 Tolly - Sorry for thinking it was Al's barn find,

OMG - I know EXACTLY what that 69 Dodge Dart Swinger is! "Trapper" a lobsterman best friend of mine in Maine had the same car with four speed stick. In 1971 we used to race that little beast. It was Really, Really Fast!

I currently put about 4K miles a year on my 430 cid, 360 hp. 67 Buick Wildcat.

I use "Seafoam" and Berryman B-12 Chemtool for keeping internal parts clean of all my liquid-fuel engines. Chemtool is stronger stuff, both work well. I use Sta-Bil and Soltron in my fuel tanks that will have fuel sit for long periods; such as inboard boats with hundreds of gallon tanks.

Art said:

26 Tolly - Sorry for thinking it was Al's barn find,

OMG - I know EXACTLY what that 69 Dodge Dart Swinger is! "Trapper" a lobsterman best friend of mine in Maine had the same car with four speed stick. In 1971 we used to race that little beast. It was Really, Really Fast!

I currently put about 4K miles a year on my 430 cid, 360 hp. 67 Buick Wildcat.

I use "Seafoam" and Berryman B-12 Chemtool for keeping internal parts clean of all my liquid-fuel engines. Chemtool is stronger stuff, both work well. I use Sta-Bil and Soltron in my fuel tanks that will have fuel sit for long periods; such as inboard boats with hundreds of gallon tanks.

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Forgiven Art, a understandable assumption. I errored in punctuation of which I am famous for. On the subject of cars, We own a 1994 Jaguar XJS coupe 4.0. I have Seafoamed this car from the day we purchased some 14 years ago. We don't drive it much, maybe on a sunny day (Ha ha ha-150+ inches of rain per year) and on our annual drive through B.C Canada to Washington state. Maybe a trip down California coast, and over to Arizona on odd years.

Al-Ketchikan

Al said:

.. We own a 1994 Jaguar XJS coupe 4.0. I have Seafoamed this car from the day we purchased some 14 years ago. We don't drive it much, maybe on a sunny day (Ha ha ha-150+ inches of rain per year) and on our annual drive through B.C Canada to Washington state. Maybe a trip down California coast, and over to Arizona on odd years.

Al-Ketchikan

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Wow! Seafoam must be potent stuff, otherwise you`d need courage and optimism to attempt those feats in an XJS. Maybe the straight six,not a V12 engine, helps too.

I do use stabil in anything that will sit for much time. But the sea foam on the Dart was dramatic. It ran ok but had at least one ticking lifter and burned oil. Which I assumed was stuck rings because it is a low mile engine. I changed the oil, added sea foam to the oil, also in the fuel, then fogged the engine with the aerosol. Let it sit for overnight. Fire it back up, let it smoke and drove about 100 miles. Changed oil and it was black as ink. No more burning oil, no more ticking lifters. Also a 4 speed, and yes it boogies. Fun car. The guy bought it in 73, drag raced it until 79, then moved to Alaska and put it in storage until this summer he took it out to sell.

Al said:

Forgiven Art, a understandable assumption. I errored in punctuation of which I am famous for. On the subject of cars, We own a 1994 Jaguar XJS coupe 4.0. I have Seafoamed this car from the day we purchased some 14 years ago. We don't drive it much, maybe on a sunny day (Ha ha ha-150+ inches of rain per year) and on our annual drive through B.C Canada to Washington state. Maybe a trip down California coast, and over to Arizona on odd years.

Al-Ketchikan

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Al - Photos, Please!! Many of us boat buffs let the buff roll over to classic autos. 94 Jag XJS is classic for sure!

BruceK said:

Wow! Seafoam must be potent stuff, otherwise you`d need courage and optimism to attempt those feats in an XJS. Maybe the straight six,not a V12 engine, helps too.

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Exactly my first thought when reading Al's post...

There are very few products with such universally high scores on reviews. 4.5 to 4.7 on all sites from Amazon to Walmart to Advanced Auto. Even the bad reviews aren't really bad.

Bought an old Mercedes that had a million little problems but ran great. Used SeaFoam cleaner on everything from gummed up auto-door locks to the one windshield wiper gearing that was also gummed up and non-functional. It was an awesome car! Best of all my wife thought I was a magician! Ha ha