Ever hear of Sea Foam Engine Treatment?

[KevMcNJ]

http://www.seafoamsales.com/motor-treatment.html

I was in a gas station a couple days ago and theres a Jag at the next pump sitting there idling and theres TONS of white smoke pouring out of the exhaust. Too thick to even see thru

Then I hear a rattle from the engine comaprtment and the driver steps out of the car and I say to him
"I think you blew a head gasket"

He says no "I just added sea foam to my car. I do it all the time."

I never heard of this stuff bit the can he threw in the trash looks just like the can in the website

He pulled out (in a cloud of foggy white smoke) and me and another dude were kind of making fun of him.. Neither one of us heard of this stuff before

I dont know.... sounds like a good way to burn up an engine to me. Anyone hear of this gunk?

Not sure that Id ever put it in my vehicles

[Marc P. Gregoire]

You suck it in through a vacuum line like your brake booster line. It's basically mineral spirits and rubbing alcohol, and it gets into the carbon in your combustion chambers and breaks it down by getting very hot.

I would never add it to oil or fuel but if you have an engine so carboned up it's knocking, GM even sells it at their delearships as Top Engine Cleaner and uses it in Cadillacs as a dealer-done procedure much the same way.

[Coyote]

A friend of mine swears by that stuff. Makes a bunch of white smoke. He claims his old Mercedes wouldn't pass emissions check, not close, according to his garage man who tested it. So he used a can of sea foam and says his mechanic told him it was now within limits and he took it through the official and passed. He says he did that on another vehicle as well, claims the key is to get the engine plenty hot before using the sea foam.

I tried it on two different beaters. I never noticed that it did anything at all. I never knew what the heck was in it either, so I didn't try it again.

[jandj]

We used it in the shop as a preventative , never had anything we put it in smoke, but then none of our stuff is tee-totally worn slap out!
We put it in everything from cars to heavy equipment, no problems caused by it..that we know of.
I have "heard" noticeable positive results from some of the vehicles we used it in as a fuel treatment.

[sightlines]

SeaFoam is gold to those of us who ride vintage motorcycles. If the CV carbs get a little fouled, chances are Seafoam will clear it. Beats pulling them out, tearing them down and putting them all back together again.

An old timer neighbor of mine has an '04 Suzuki Burgman with a throttle body primitive fuel injection system, and was getting a stumble. He ran some seafoam on my suggestion this week and it cleared right up.

I don't think it would have much value in a modern fuel injected car, with finicky emission systems, but if you ride/drive something a bit older with a carb it can be an excellent addition to the fluid shelf.

[KevMcNJ]

Interesting reading thanx to all. The way this guy was talking it was a semi regualr event for him and the JAg didnt look that old

[Marc P. Gregoire]

Certain engines really like to carbon up because they are fairly high performance engines that get tooled around town instead of opened up. The Cadillac Northstar is a particular victim.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...90865726229173

Here is their video for usage. All of their products are basically the same thing but packaged differently. I would never put it in oil, but for cleaning the carbon out of a motor nothing beats it.

[flatlander_48]

I have a 2009 JCW MINI and the use of Sea Foam has been discussed many times on the forums. I had never heard of it before buying the MINI, but it would fall into the "high performance engine driven on the street" category.

[Peabody]

It has been around the marine industry for years and has been called everything from top engine cleaner to tune up in a can. It works well to remove carbon buildup and deposits and is a very good penetrating oil. But there is no reason to run it through a perfectly fine engine unless there is a suspected problem. It has a specific purpose, it isn't a cure-all or preventative maintenance.

[Taxpayer]

Fifty years ago my dad's version of this treatment was a small soft drink bottle filled with water.

I guess an atomizing sprayer would have worked as well. Dad's procedure was the drizzle method.

[fasteddy]

Seems generally popular amongst the motorcycle set, but I have never used it myself on my bikes.

[Marc P. Gregoire]

Fifty years ago my dad's version of this treatment was a small soft drink bottle filled with water.

I guess an atomizing sprayer would have worked as well. Dad's procedure was the drizzle method.

This is somewhat safer because it easily evaporates and is combustible, you accidentally get a slug of water in an engine and you've made a very expensive mistake.

[milliesdad]

It's the greatest thing since canned beer.

[racer x-f1]

I've used it a bunch with positive results, I know some good mechanics that swear by it.

[clovis]

I've got a '95 S-10 that the previous owner drove hard and put away wet. The EGR valve was clogged up, and the truck was running progressively worse.

I've seen miracles in a can come and go in my life, but I now swear by Seafoam.

If you want to stretch your nickels and dimes, you can make the stuff yourself. Google is your friend.

[pb]

I used it once in my wife's old Tracker. I put it in with a full tank and the engine spewed and sputtered and finally cut off. After a few nervous seconds I turned it over again and it ran smooth as could be. Just wish the bottle it comes in was a bit easier to navigate into the gas tank. Gotta have a funnel handy, if I recall correctly.

[FTHurley]

I think it was developed by OMC originally. My folks use is at their shop on outboard motors to counteract the effect of ethanol on the carbs. In cases where you might not want to do a carb job, but it's not quite idling, it can clear out that little bit of gelatinous gunk.

[Indy'sGhosts]

Great for removing carbon, deposits gunk and grime but it isn't a miracle in a can. I have an S-10 in the shop right now with a clogged converter.

SeaFoam will not save that!

[BadazzZ06]

SeaFoam is not legal in California. It may not be in other states ...

http://www.arb.ca.gov/enf/casesett/sea.htm

[Coyote]

Above their limit on volatile organic compounds. No wonder the stuff works better.

[KevMcNJ]

Great for removing carbon, deposits gunk and grime but it isn't a miracle in a can. I have an S-10 in the shop right now with a clogged converter.

SeaFoam will not save that!

Anyone else here remember those Catlytic converter "test kits" you used to be able to buy in any parts house?

It was just a piece of exhaust pipe you were supposed to install in the section where the converter went. You could then tell if it was clogged or not by simply running the vehicle

And then you would run out and buy the new $3oo converter and remove the test kit. Or not

I dont think stores are allowed to sell them any longer.

I doubt newer cars would run all that good w/o the converter in place these days anyhow

Computers and sensors would all go into cardiac arrest I bet

[Coyote]

My Dad was pretty quick to cut out the catalytic converters when they were a new thing. He blamed them for every time the cars ran poorly, lol. A friend of mine was disturbed, "but he's poisoning the air!" I was like, "what do you want me to do about it, turn him in?"

[Jag-lover]

Over on the Jaguar board I frequent Seafoam is generally considered to be not worth it. The problems with the various sensors and the like make it somewhat problematic to use, at least on a newer engine. For an injector cleaner, Techron works fairly well in keeping the injector nozzles working properly. For those engines with fuel injection, cleaning out the throttle body is fairly easy and results can generally be felt.

[BadazzZ06]

Anyone else here remember those Catlytic converter "test kits" you used to be able to buy in any parts house?

It was just a piece of exhaust pipe you were supposed to install in the section where the converter went. You could then tell if it was clogged or not by simply running the vehicle

And then you would run out and buy the new $3oo converter and remove the test kit. Or not

I dont think stores are allowed to sell them any longer.

I doubt newer cars would run all that good w/o the converter in place these days anyhow

Computers and sensors would all go into cardiac arrest I bet

For a while you could buy O2 (oxygen) sensor "simulators" to plug into an exhaust system to "fool" the engine management computer into thinking you still had catalytic converter(s) even though you removed them. The California and Federal EPA got wise to this and several companies were basically "put out of business" by the Federal EPA ....

http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/resour...aa/casper.html

If you remove the catalyst(s) from a car made after 1996, it will throw a P0420 and (if equipped) a P0430 DTC in the engine management computer. I don't know about other states, but here in Cali, if either of these codes are set it is an automatic failure of the smog test, and you can't register (or renew) your license plate until the problem is fixed. Here in Cali, the smog inspector is also REQUIRED to visually inspect to make sure that the catalyst(s) are on the vehicle.

The good news is that the sophisticated engine management systems today can give us great power, and do it without polluting the air to any significant degree. Cutting out the catalyst today really gains you nothing.

[Jag-lover]

For a while you could buy O2 (oxygen) sensor "simulators" to plug into an exhaust system to "fool" the engine management computer into thinking you still had catalytic converter(s) even though you removed them. The California and Federal EPA got wise to this and several companies were basically "put out of business" by the Federal EPA ....

http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/resour...aa/casper.html

If you remove the catalyst(s) from a car made after 1996, it will throw a P0420 and (if equipped) a P0430 DTC in the engine management computer. I don't know about other states, but here in Cali, if either of these codes are set it is an automatic failure of the smog test, and you can't register (or renew) your license plate until the problem is fixed. Here in Cali, the smog inspector is also REQUIRED to visually inspect to make sure that the catalyst(s) are on the vehicle.

The good news is that the sophisticated engine management systems today can give us great power, and do it without polluting the air to any significant degree. Cutting out the catalyst today really gains you nothing.

In the state of VA you have to get your vehicle emissions tested every two years. The test consists of an OBDII test and a two speed emissions test with a sensor in the vehicle's tailpipe.

There are high-flow CATS available that produce good results in conjunction with an ECU upgrade. These can be a little pricey though depending on your vehicle.

[BadazzZ06]

In the state of VA you have to get your vehicle emissions tested every two years. The test consists of an OBDII test and a two speed emissions test with a sensor in the vehicle's tailpipe.

There are high-flow CATS available that produce good results in conjunction with an ECU upgrade. These can be a little pricey though depending on your vehicle.

Pretty much the same test here in Cali ... a sniffer in the tailpipe, 2 speeds, and a connection to the OBD port. When the test is completed (and passed) the test machine connects to the CA DMV computer system and reports the VIN and test results.

If there are ANY aftermarket parts on the engine or its intake/exhaust systems (headers, cool air intake, high flow cats, modified fuel or ignition system .... WHATEVER ....) the owner of the vehicle must show the smog station the California "EO sticker" for the part(s). No sticker, no pass. I'm not aware of any hi-fllow cats that have qualified for an EO number. Basically here in Cali cats have to be OEM or absolutely OEM equivalent. High flows are not allowed.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermk...es/amquery.php

[sightlines]

No testing here, but we had it annually when I lived in BC. At that time, if you had an AWD vehicle, you were exempt from the running test, as the test platform wasn't equiped to handle more than 2 drive wheels. Not sure if it still is that way.

[KevMcNJ]

I had a buddy 20 years ago that had a little Mercury Capri with the smog stuff all removed. Lucky for him his dad was a mechanic. When it was due for inspection his dad would stick the sniffer in the nearest new car that was in his shop that day.

Something tells me that wouldnt fly in 2010

[BadazzZ06]

No testing here, but we had it annually when I lived in BC. At that time, if you had an AWD vehicle, you were exempt from the running test, as the test platform wasn't equiped to handle more than 2 drive wheels. Not sure if it still is that way.

Yup, vehicles (like an Audi A4 for example) that have AWD are exempt from the running part of the test. They still get the sniffer, but are tested only at engine idle.

Also, if you have vehicles equipped with traction control, and/or any form of "stability" control, they often have problems as the mix of spinning and non-spinning wheels often confuses the crap out of the electronic systems. Sometimes to the point of causing the computer to think there is a fault in the system, turning on warning lamp(s) and usually disabling the system until the dealer resets it. Check your owner's manual if it will be your first time on a dyno style tester. I have a buddy who didn't check his manual, and had his Mercedes sedan freak out on the rollers. Dealer charged him about $200.00 to reset the system, which was a total rip-off as it took them all of 3 minutes to do it.

[Jag-lover]

Do the examiners tell you to run the test with the systems off? On my Jaguar there is a switch to turn the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) off but the default is to run with it on. I assume most other cars with similar systems have this capability. I've had my car go thru the test once and so far it passed easily. Not sure if the examiner ran with the DSC on or not.