Sea Foam... D'oh

So, maybe its just coincidence, but looks like sea foam worked too good and killed my motor.

Just before heading to my hometown for a car show i dumped some sea foam down the carb of my 351 and gave it an oil change. Now it's puking out oil as fast as i can dump it it. Looks to be a front seal, maybe the sea foam cleaned out whatever gunk was keeping oil in.

Oh well... more incentive to get my 302 built and slapped in this winter. Anyone want to donate to my parts fund?

 

remember-they used to rinse out the model T's with Kerosene to flush em,sorta the same thing ha/.....seriously though- probably that engine was just good- too long..... and gave it up on its own.

 

If you put it in your oil then I'd be apt to say yep, but unless your rings were sloppier than a 3 dollar you know what, I would assume its just coincidence. BUT you know what they say about assuming. A compression/leakdown test would give you a definative answer.

 

sea foam works VERY well at cleaning out an engine.

i have run it through a carb or a vacuum line and watched the smoke fly!

you can also do a crank case flush with it ?(witch i would not do as i think its too strong and would wash out the bearings and remove and move around too much stuff)

you can also drop it in your gas tank to clean out the fuel system.


the seal was probably on its way out anyways and the seafoam finished it off.while you were pouring the 'foam down the carb was the engine sputtering and shaking?
was most likely these harmonics and vibrations that did it as you did not do an oil flush

 

No product does it all, if they tell you it's an induction cleaner, engine flush, and fuel treatment in one? They are a snake oil company.

 

True, most are. But Seafoam does do what they say. I'm speaking from my experience and I can't begin to count the good testimonials.

 

GOOD STUFF,used as directed.

 

Never had any problem with seafoam ,use it mostly in the fuel tank .

 

I am an absolute Believer.

 

Great product...

 

Sea Foam is one of the few that does work.
It's been around since '42 and does a hell of a job cleaning carbon, sludge, and varnish off metal.

It can work in all three aspects as it is designed to clean off varnish deposits. Which is what builds up on lifters, valves, valve guides, and inside the carb/fuel injectors. If you have never used it, as per its instructions, on a gummed up engine you are missing out on a revelation.

This isn't Slick 50 or any of that other crap sold on infomercials in the '90s.

 

If you put it in your carburetor, why would it hurt the front seal on the crank? JC

 

Plain water does all the same things when poured through the carb with the engine running at a fast idle---info used to be in repair manuals--may still be---look under carbon removal

 

Don't fix, unless broken.

 

Water doesn't dissolve carbon deposits, just knocks them loose so they can get lodged somewhere else.

 

I used to do the water thing on cars that never got out of town. I did it to an old ladies lincoln 460 the first time and you should have seen the cloud of brown crud that came out.
Yesterday I cranked up a riding mower that had not been ran all summer. It barely ran and I had to keep the choke out. I dumped in fresh gas and Sea-Foam and within a couple minutes it was running like new again.

 

Guys pour SeaFoam down the throttle body of late model port injection engines and then crow how clean the intake manifold is.Intakes get dirty since it's a dry manifold,no gas to keep it clean so to speak.So where do they think the nasty little pile of dirt that got pass the air cleaner over 100,000 miles winds up? Sometimes it's best to leave dirt stuck where it is.

 

you may want to have the oil analyzed. I had been using vavoline 10/40 for my off topic car for years. then one day, they changed the packaging to something like (new formula) or something like that. I changed the oil and next day, front and rear seals, valve covers and timing covers were all leaking oil. Dumped the oil and pulled the filter and the rubber filter gasket was swollen and soft. Been in the business long enough to know what incompatible oil can do do rubber. Replaced the oil with a different brand and all but the rear main stopped leaking. had to replace that. For what it's worth, I contacted vavoline and they sent me a sample kit to return to them. Sent them the kit, filter and gasket and rear main seal. That was dec. of 09... still waiting to hear back.

I no longer can be counted as a loyal vavoline fan.

 

Coincidence It won't rebuild your engine and it wont destroy it either.

 

I've used Sea Foam in gas for motorcycles, snow blowers and other engines which were not started in a long time...........I dump in way more than the directions recommend and let run for a while.........lots of white smoke........then, I add lots more gas to dilute the Sea Foam and all is well......been doing it for years............never added it to the crankcase although I know some do

 

What is sea foam? Sounds like something i could use.
Is it this stuff?
http://www.seafoamsales.com/

 

well i never used sea foam but i used to sell the hell out of it.never believed in mechanic in a can but i did try something called ctc that was pretty damn good. same as sea foam you could run it thru the carb and it really would help it.you could runnit in the oil and it would stop oil leaks, not in gakests so much but in seals.run it in the trans. it would stop leaks and help with the shifting. and to the gas and it would do other things.smelled just like paint thinner.some guy was suppose to be makin it in his shop. but who knows. it did work pretty good thou. i used it for a long time in some of my junk and i was really suprised.quess ill try sea foam next!

 

I use Seafoam as a fuel system cleaner and add it to my gas. Attached are pictures of my OT motorcycle carbs. These are just with the bowls removed--no maintenance had been performed.


Nice and clean!

 

Surely its coincidence, just a nice kick in the balls for myself. The motor isnt in great shape, but hasnt been too bad yet either. Getting serious on my 302 build, and will pull the front end of the 351 a bit and see if there is a simple way to fix it, maybe a baind aid...

 

That is weird? Maybe just a fluke??? I have only added seafoam to the gas tank never directly to the carb and never had a problem. It is great stuff

I once had a real dirty engine and I added to the crankcase.You are supposed to add it too the old oil in the crankcase run it for five minutes and then dump the oil and put in new oil. Good luck with the 302 build!
J

 

I have used Seafoam for as long as I can remember and it has worked as stated. In my opinion, one of the remedies in a can that actually works. Never had any problems with it.

 

i use it in my snowmobiles----seems to work---havent had a problem----yet

 

You dumped seafoam down the carb and it trashed your front seal. man its like the time I changed a muffler clamp and then had a flat tire.

You no doubt donot want to here this but I had a '68 mustang in '72, and it lost a front seal all on its own. There was no internet so I just went to the parts store and bought a new one.

 

I was going to say the same thing as porknbeaner - if you'd put it into your OIL there might be a slim chance it was the cause, but pouring it down your carb shouldn't have anything at all to do with a leaky front seal.

 

Snake oil.... What is in that shit anyway???