What's the deal with the Seafoam treatment people recommend on this forum? The only time I hear good mechanics recommend an engine flush isto clean the motorbefore ya plan to yank it to rebuil. I've also read thatdoing soruns the risk of dislodging particles that can float downstream and plug lifters and goof up seals, possibly cause bearing damage.

Right now I have a Chevy Truck with 245k mi, Caddy with 230k mi, Jeep with 195k mi and a Caprice with 273k mi. Noneburn excessive oil. Between myself, my brother, sister and parents, we've all had vehicles of different makes that went well into the upper 200k mi until wesold them. If they died, it was failures other than motors, or rusted out. We've never done a flush, nor do I know any other people that regularly do it. I know some really good mechanics and it's not something they regularly practice. I do know some will put a little tranny fluid in the oil to sometimes clean it out. If ya change your oil regularly, ensure the motor is operatingat the correct temp you shouldn't have "excessive" carbon build-up, or sludge.I'm questioning thepracticality of the Seafoam treatment.Do LR motors tend to muck up more than others, or does urband legend run strong here?

Mark G

 

The Seafoam treatment they are talking about is through the PCV vacum line to suck it into the cylinder heads and to break loose the carbon that builds up in the valves and the tops of the pistons.
Also works great as a injector/carb cleaner if put into the gas tank.

 

So, if you put charcoal into some seafoam it should dissolve?

 

I guess I'm asking how necessary it really is?

 

I dont think it is necessary Mark. But it does work. I run a can though every10k to keep the injectors clean. Overkill? Probally.

As far as your question ajh, I do not know. Why dont you try it and let me know.

 

Mark G, when you use seafoam you can really tell a difference in power and performance. Its not necessary, but its worth it. Some people might have different opinions, but thats mine.

 

I just seafoamed through the passenger side line going from valve cover to intake manifold, smoked out my neighbors and got a lot of looks driving down the street like a rabid fire extinguisher, but seems to be running smoother already. I have used seafoam on every car Ive bought since 98' when I first found out about the stuff, always seems to make a used car run better.

 

I just did it last night due to a engine tick that I have had for the last4 months..the rover has only 49k miles on it. I rana can of Sea Foam through the PCV...waited for the smoke show and remarkably the tick is out of the motor. I also drove about 210 miles on the HWY today and was able to get the rover o a good cruising speed of90mph alot easier than last week! Best $7.26 I have spent on this rig yet.

Chris

 

This is a lot like the old debate about Marvel Mystery Oil as a top cylinder lube in aircraft piston engines. Some folks add it to their fuel and others add it to their oil. Some do both. I know lots of folks who swear by it and have lots of stories of stuck valves fixed and all sorts of miracles. Very difficult to prove empirically however.

Based on the advice of a chemical engineer and acquaintance who develops aircraft engine oils for a living, I don't use the stuff and have enjoyed long engine runs between overhauls anyway. Thousands of aircraft engines have run well beyond TBO without it over the years and the science of piston engine lubrication is well understood. Further, Marvel Mystery Oil contains dichlorobenzene which will readily dissolve rubber seals and hoses over time. Moral of the story: don't just listen to the stories from others. Look at the fine print for any additive you're considering and see if any beasties like that are present before you use it.

Back to cars:

By far the biggest factors in the cleanliness of the inside of the engine (and the oil) is the air/fuel mixture, how frequently the oil is changed, and whether or not the engine is run long enough in its daily routine to burn off the water and other corrosive nasties that condensed out as the engine cooled after its last run. With fuel injection and healthy sensors, these engines run far more consistently than their carbureted, smog pump equipped predecessors. The oil lasts longer because its additive package doesn't get saturated as quickly, so it can keep deposits from building up.

I have no empirical evidence to suggest that Seafoam is not a useful treatment. If owners are seeing positive results with their own eyes, who am I to argue? What I do know is that it contains pale oil (a lightweight, highly refined mineral oil), naptha (commonly known as Coleman lantern fuel), and isopropyl alcohol. Solvents, essentially. None of these are magic elixers and all can be found in the other motor flushes on the market. Do they work? If they do, I would expect the manufacturer to be ble to produce evidence from ASTM, SAE or other well-respected testing lab for scrutiny. AMSOIL and other companies do this with some of their additives. I could find nothing of the sort on the seafoam site, though admittedly I didn't dig long.

My opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it: Witches brew. Change your oil every 5K miles, keep the fuel and emissions system in tip top shape, and drive it often. If you have dirty fuel injectors, pull them and clean them rightwith an ultrasonic injector cleaner. If you have a sticking valve, try an additive/cleaner from a manufacturer who can produce quantitative, independent test results. If that fails, pull the head and clean it the right way. Chances are if you take care of the engine, you'll never see a stuck valve anyway.

Cheers,
Dave

 

Back to what Mark was talking about, in Rovers engine flushes are nearly necessary because they run so rich contaminating /fouling the oil thus building sludge which then effects out already poorly lubricating engines. I have yet to see person doa proper flush and not experience some benefit be it a quieter engine, better oil pressure or performance.
At todays repair costs, why not spend a little extra to save on those huge repair bills?