Technical Seafoam Stories Good or Bad

This thread is just for Seafoam, no other additives, we can discuss them later. What is your story and or application of Seafoam? Have you had good success or just a waste of money?


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Funny you ask. I used some yesterday to fix my string trimmer. Carb was varnished causing hard starting and running crappy. Much better now. I learned about Sea Foam from a Johnson/Evinrude wrench at a boat shop I worked in years ago.

 

Keep in the mower fuel.

 

Just put some in my Kawasaki F7 today, bike sits to much and needs to have enrichner on to idle. Ran it some, see how it is in a day or two. Hope it works as carb is behind side cover. Should have put some in last time I ran it.

 

I had a Stihl weed eater which was running and I thought a little Sea Foam in the gas wouldn't hurt and maybe make it run a little better. Could never get the weed eater to start again and finally thru it in the trash along with the Sea Foam. Never again will I use Shit like Sea Foam or any other Snake Oil product.

 

Cool bike, let us know if it helps.

 

I've used it to free up carboned up valves in the guides. Seems to go after the carbon. I use it as a fuel stabilizer in the cars setting over the winter. I've got a station that sells no ethenol gas. I usually run the tank low as I can, add Seafoam and completely fill the tank to sit for winter.... So I guess I don't know if it's the non ethenol gas or the Seafoam

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Echo requires the use of it in their two cycle engines, guess they think it’s good stuff. Myself, I’m on the fence with it. I’ve used it in a few engines, never have seen any difference in them before or after.

 

I had a friend who swore by it; he called it "Mechanic in a Can".

I also use it as a fuel stabilizer over winter because it's a lot cheaper than "Sta-Bil". It's worked so far.

 

I've used it in 2 stroke engine to de-carbon. I've seen the results through the spark plug hole. I would assume similar results with a car engine with similar concentrations. I've de-carboned engines over the years with it and by pouring water down the carb while running.

 

When I was the shop foreman at the Federal Law Enforcement training center a salesman came into the shop and tried to sell some Sea Foam . I thought myself oh great another snake oil salesman.
He said give me your worse running car. We had this old box top Caprice that got used for surveillance training. It did a lot more idling than driving and since it was a carburetor car it was always getting loaded up and fouling the plugs.
So I showed him that car. We poured a half bottle down the carb until it choked it out and poured the rest in the tank. We let it set for about 20 minutes and then cranked it up and the car disappeared in a cloud of smoke and when we revved it up big chunks of carbon and shit came out of the tail pipe .All of our old cars had the cats gutted so we knew it wasn't plugged up.
I had one of my mechanics run it down the street to blow it out and it got better the more we ran it.
It got back to the shop and idled nice and smooth and ran great.
Our marine patrol training division ran it in all of their boats. We used it in most of our carbureted cars. I am a believer in Sea Foam. It goes in my lawn mower, weed eater and generator.

 

I've put it in my daily driver on occasion. It seemed to help clear up rough running, and also seems to have worked okay as a fuel stabilizer when the car was stored over the winter.

 

I had an ice auger that had not run in about 10 years that my son wanted to try to use. I mixed up a couple cups of fresh 2 cycle gas with some Seafoam. I coaxed motor to run with the auger removed & using some ether. It finally began to run with full throttle after a few starts and stalls. Ran it for a bit then shut if off to let the Seafoam soak in. Ran it again then shutdown for a while to let the Seafoam soak some more. I then started it up & left it idling on a plastic pail for about half hour in the back yard. We could hear the noticeable difference as it ran, the idle got smoother and it got a little quicker. My son used it 2 years ago. My son wanted to use the auger again this winter, I put fresh fuel in then gave it a couple pulls and it started up. That auger is well over 25 years and it runs as well as it ever did.

What made me try Seafoam was my friends experience. He was given a garden tiller with a Briggs & Stratton engine by a friend cleaning up his mothers estate. Nobody knew when it ran lasted. He flushed the tank out with fresh gas and could not get it to run. A friend told him about Seafoam so he added that to the gas. Over a few days of trying it finally started. He said it ran like crap when it started but he kept it running. The engine got smoother & smoother until it was running like a new motor.

I think if the fuel system has good integrity then the Seafoam is worth a try to see if a motor will come to life. I did some reading on Seafoam to learn that it is recommended to get it into the carburetor & let it soak for a bit. If the Seafom mix can get into the carburetor then it will go to work. Left it sit for a little time then run it as soon as it starts and let it run for a while. Shut it off for a half hour or so and run it again. I recommend mixing up small batches of fuel at the strongest mix that Seafoam recommends on their site. I think the mixture recommended on the site for cleaning out a fuel system is stronger than the Seafoam recommends.

A footnote: Our families use Shell premium in all the small engines with Stabil and all of them start & run when their season rolls around. Shell premium is one of the cleanest fuels with no ethanol that will take longer to break down. It is close to Avgas for quality and some use it for that purpose.

 

My fathers off topic F150 has the 5.4 with the dreaded long reach spark plugs, known to break easily when you try to change them. Every fill up now, it gets a can of SeaFoam in hopes that it will eat the carbon on the end of the plugs and let me change them without breakage. Call me optimistic.
B

 

IMO Great product. I had an IO sport boat for years that sat too much and carb idle system would be dirty, poor to no idle, someone told me about Seafoam, used it and cleaned it up in minutes after using, another time my gas generator for house when our power goes out, same problem, sits too long between use, cleaned it up. Now I put a can in everything I have that sits/storage and no problems when I go to use items.

 

We have had good results using lacquer thinner added at the fuel rail. Adequate preparation is likely the best way to avoid breaking those 5.4 plugs. Especially now since the Fomoco spark plug reimbursement offer has expired.

 

I use it regularly! When I sold new zero turn lawn mowers, customers would call in that their mower was running a little rough, I would tell them to put a can of Seafoam in it and run a tank full through it, then call me back. Had many get excellent results that way. Beat myself out of a lot of work ( bucks), but was too busy any way! Lol
We collect old Coleman lanterns and it will fix a lantern that is having trouble, most of the time!
It get used regularly at my house!









Bones

 

I have used it on my ot truck. I may not have needed it, I had a issue where a lot of oil was pulled into the TB and just put a can in the tank after correcting issue.

I hear it works really well if added into the crankcase to clean a engine. I was hoping to see some responses from that end. ... what about a old flathead with no oil filter and ran on non detergent oil?

 

My 7.3 Ford diesel was having trouble starting in cold weather. I emptied the fuel filter reservoir then filled it up with seafoam, ran it for a 2 minutes to let circulate through the fuel system, shut it off, then let sit for an hour to work it's magic. From my experience I was pleasantly surprised. The engine doesn't crank for more than 3-4 seconds now in colder weather.

 

seafoam is okay for perking up old gas and keeping trimmers and such working over storage but is not good for the oil in your crankcase it breaks it down over time. Seafoam is basically light oil , naphtha, Isopropyl alcohol, and water. mixed about 50/30/10/10 % in that order. Too pricey for what is does my opinion. you can always mix your own cheaper, but a dirty engine will always work better for a short time with it.

 

Took ownership of a IH gas tractor that knocked. I used it and used it some more waiting for it to blow up. I put seafoam in it and discovered it was carbon causing the knock. A ton of stuff blew out of it and no more knock.

 

Thanks for all of the responses, and keep them coming!


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20 plus years small engine mechanic at a dealer for Sta-bil-I recommended and used Sea Foam

 

I use it in the tank of the old Harley and the 32 . Treat all gas sitting in cans with it . Not one bad result for me .

 

The only issue with Seafoam is that is cant cure a hang over
I've ran it in everything and only have had great results. I bought a gallon (best 52 bucks ever spent) just for soaking carbs that are gummy and don't wanna waste my carb cleaner.

Albert

 

20yr old Craftsman riding mower. Exactly one shot glass of Sea Foam every time I fill it with gas It never sits full. It's put up for winter with whatever's left in the tank. Haven't changed the fuel filter, line, air filter or messed with the carb, ever. Hell, I've never changed the oil or filter in it either. Just top the oil off with whatever's laying around at the time that's within reach. New, used, doesn't matter. Damn thing seems to run on neglect, and Sea Foam.

 

We don't get cold weather we get chilly weather... LOL

 

I've written the why i like it so much on here before and i type slow. I am a firm believer in the stuff.Any time i leave for an out of town show i buy a couple cans to carry with me. GREAT STUFF.

 

I haven't bought a new lawn mower for thirty years. People give me their old ones when they won't run. About 90% of the time a dose of Seafoam gets them going again. If it will run at all I'll dump some Seafoam in it just let it run. As it runs you can hear the difference, it will smooth out and just run better and better. Used it in cars with the old K-Jetronic fuel injection back in the '80s' and 90s', same thing. I'm a believer.

 

Seafoam is great its just that transmission fluid is cheaper...