Seafoam in the Crankcase and fuel: my experience

[bryanmenard]

I have used Seafoam in the vacuum hose twice and the results were great. I was due for an oil change at 105,000 and decided to run it through the crankcase for the first time. This scared me a lot.

Yesterday, I ran 1/3 can through the fuel and topped it off.

This morning, I poured 1/3 can into the crankcase and ran it idle for 10 minutes. I had the oil changed (Mobil 1 - 10W30, my normal oil) right afterward.

So, what were the results? I didn't notice a thing with the fuel. But the crankcase: AMAZING. My first shock was the total absence of noise. The engine is significantly quieter. There used to be a lot of clatter going on. Acceleration is much smoother. Wide open throttle puts up little to no racket.

Also, I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but my timing chain seems a lot quieter...this could be coincidence.

I was one of those people who just didn't feel comfortable putting it in the crankcase. I just never felt the need to do it because I thought my engine was doing just fine. So far, so good.

[krimsonviper]

whats seafoam? newbie question i know but i just dont know what it is

[dfw240_EE]

http://www.seafoamsales.com/products.htm

There's a seafoam how-to floating around somewhere on here.

[bryanmenard]

Complete Seafoam DIY

It's as close to a professional engine cleaning as you can get in a do-it-yourself form. Goes into the crankcase, fuel system, and into the vacuum system (off the brake booster). It removes carbon buildup and varnish.

Seafoam is a controversial thing on NICO. Some people love it...some people hate it. It's like Rain-X. The people who hate it tend to not have used it.

For the record, I love this stuff. Do a search on "Seafoam" both in Current and Archived Posts. You'll find plenty of information.

[lrb_2000]

I love the smoke you get after you put it in the vacuum line. My whole neighborhood turns white... then I get to run it really hard afterwards to get the everything out of the system, so I bet everyone loves the N/A 3" exhaust at 6k rpms down the street lol.

[hek1620]

i used it in the gas tank and in the oil. i didn't really notice any difference. but it's better than something wrong happening.

[skydragoness]

i used it in the gas tank and in the oil. i didn't really notice any difference. but it's better than something wrong happening.

Results are going to vary, some people have 240's whose previous owners did do any sort of fuel system or engine cleaning ever, and then some are babied or taken to the dealer a lot (they use BG fuel/engine additives there)

[s13satch]

I put a 1/3 of a can down my brake booster hose. There was a ton of smoke, like the directions said, but it was white not gray or black. I'm not sure it cleaned anything since the car ran exactly the same afterwards. I might try the crank case though just to see if that does anything.

About putting it in the fuel tank....There is a TSB saying NOT to run any type of fuel system cleaner b/c it could damage the injectors. Many newer injectors do not like concentrated cleaning chemicals because the pintles corrode I believe.

[lrb_2000]

keyword "newer injectors" lol.. we both have a 91.. that's not exactly new... but I don't know what i'm talking about

[s13satch]

I ment newer designs. Most manufacturs nowadays say not to use off the shelf fuel system cleaners. Altohugh, part of that is because they can damage the cat.

[babowc]

freak, ishouldve done this before i went abuot changing my oil today..poo time to wait another 3000 miles

[tonynalli]

i guess no one really looks at where the brake booster line goes closest to. the 4th cyl. why dont you use the hose that comes off of the valve cover. it jsut seems like it would get ALL of the cyl. cleaner...and why is it that america is the only country that tells the consumer to change every 3000 miles. its the only way jiffy lube and express lube shops could stay in bussiness. just change your filer every 3k and oil every 10. ive done that with everyone of my 240's and never ever had any problem with lubrication...

[bryanmenard]

The brake booster line works just fine. It is closest to cylinder 4, but it works. The line feeds all cylinders so it should be fine.

The 3,000 mile oil change is a scam. Especially if you run synthetic oil. Nissan recommends 7,500 mile oil changes in the KA24DE and I have never changed any sooner. Of all the engines Nissan has, the KA24 has got to be the most rugged 4-cylinder. 10,000 miles is absolutely no problem for this engine. There are literally hundreds of thousands of hardbody pickups running around in Mexico as we speak with no less than 250,000 miles on them running on oil that probably hasn't been changed in 30,000 miles...and none of them have any problems.

[Eikon]

I disagree with you on your oil change opinion Bryan.

While the service manuals do state a max of 7500 miles... if you look close you will see that is for "ideal conditions". So anyone who lives in the South is out because of heat, anyone in the north is out due to cold, anyone in a city is out becuase of stop and go traffic.. you get the idea.

Changing your oil is preventative maintenance. You might get away with doing it less often, but in the end, the more you do it, the better condition your engine will be in.

It's sort of like exercising your body. Some fat sedentary people will live to be 90 years old, much a healthy person has a much better chance.

I am sure you will agree that fresh oil lubricates better than 3000, 5000 or 7500 mile oil. Better lubrication makes the entire system work better. The engine parts move with ease and all the supporting systems have an easier time working.

In my opinion.. changing oil is cheap. The more often you do it, the better your engine's condition will be, and it will last longer.

[s1ndicate]

Seafoam is a gift from the heavens

[Bruno240]

just changed my oil yesterday. and i drive a miata and miata's are known to have noisy lifters. Well i put some seafoam in the crankcase. let it idel for a little bit and drained her. The lifter noise is gone. I also switched to a lighter oil bc i was tired of the noise. But also overall the engine is a lot quiter.

[s13satch]

The 3,000 mile thing is not true. At one time it was, but not any longer. My college automotive classes teach us that. First, synthetic oil reset break down better than non-syn and has more cleaning agents. Second, engines today are built with a lot tighter tolerances (which reduces wear) that those of yore when the 3,000 mile rule came about. This is even true of newer American built motors. Third, the quality of non-syn oil keeps getting better every several years as API standards get stricter. Fourth, if any of you have noticed, some new cars have a recommend oil change interval of 30,000 miles. Some cars, like the Chevy Colorado even have a gauge (not that accurate, but it works) that tells you when the oil needs changed.

[Eikon]

Fourth, if any of you have noticed, some new cars have a recommend oil change interval of 30,000 miles.

Can you find me proof of a vehicle that recommends a 30,000 mile oil change?

I would like to see that. Until I do... I don't beleive it.

[s13satch]

Yeah, the Colorado. I referenced that truck because my friend owns a '05. There are other high oil change interval vehicles, but that truck is just one that I know the specific miles for.

There are plenty of articles out there on the topic. Here is even one from and oil manufacture:

http://www.performanceoiltechn...e.htm

Sorry for leading this thread of topic.
Modified by s13satch at 12:23 AM 10/4/2005

[Eikon]

Hmm this is interesting... I love learning new things about cars. Please don't take my questioning as calling you a liar.. I just need to research myself...

And just to avoid complete jacking this thread (sorry!)... SeaFoam rocks! I have seen it done and the results are great. I plan to do it on my RB soon.

OK.. here's what I found on the oil change issue.

Here is the link to the Colorado owner's manual... https://www.mygmlink.com/pdf/g...o.pdf

See page 284 for Engine Oil Life System..

You will see that it doesn't specifically list a milage. It states that it is based on computer calculations of engine revolutions and temperatures. Pretty cool idea.

However... it doesn't say 30,000 miles!!! The only mention of miles is referred to if you forget or reset the oil life monitoring system. That strongly recommends no more than 3,000 miles if the system is not working.

I would guess that this system allows for around 5k miles between oil changes on average.

If 30k were realistic, and you reset your system.. they would recommend something in the 65% to 75% range to be safe... That would allow 20k miles between changes. Instead they call for 3k. That would be just 10% of what you claim, and that is not logical.

So, though I don't have proof... I would strongly disagree with your belief of 30k between oil changes. I would guess somewhere between 3k and 5k would be more accurate. If your buddy goes 30k between oil changes... chances are he will destroy the engine.

[s13satch]

Yeah, I didn't actually see his owner’s manual. He just told me that it could go up to 30k between changes. But if you read in that Amsol article, there are manufactures that have 12k & 20k intervals and Europe is trying for a 30k standard. It's hard to believe considering it's something that has always been drilled into us. I personally do 5k on my car. It's like iridium spark plugs. They can go for up to 50k-100k depending on the application. 2 decades ago, if you told someone they could go 100k on one set of plugs they would call you nuts.

Again, sorry for the continual thread jacking. I'm done this time

[bryanmenard]

The cars that allow up to 30,000 miles are German cars (i.e. Mercedes-Benz). They have a system that monitors oil quality as well as driving habits, environmental conditions, load on the engine, etc. 15,000 to 20,000 miles is typical on those cars. There is no preset interval for Mercedes-Benz and hasn't been for some time. The computer tells the driver when to get the car serviced.

I do not believe that fresh oil functions any better than oil at 7,500 miles. It's within tolerances and that's good enough for me. Anyone who doubts what I'm saying....go to your local shipyard and ask about oil analysis....not the b.s. that they sell to guys with cars....go to a MARINE oil analysis facility. New Orleans has...or should I say HAD plenty of oil analysis shops who would do a total workup on your used oil.

GET YOUR OIL ANALYZED. If the oil in your car at 7,500 miles is contaminated to the point of causing engine damage, you have something wrong with your engine that has nothing to do with your oil interval.

[bryanmenard]

Oh, and did I mention I love Seafoam?

[babowc]

i dont care what any of you guys say..fresh oil > old oil.i love driving hard right after an oil change because the car feels so much... better? i dont know exactly how to describe the feeling. no hesistation at all.

anyways, seafoam in the gas, crank, and brake booster eh?, i guess ill go buy me a can of seafoam.. see how it does on me engine

[bryanmenard]

anyways, seafoam in the gas, crank, and brake booster eh?, i guess ill go buy me a can of seafoam.. see how it does on me engine

Follow the DIY guide and you'll be fine. That stuff is amazing. Particularly the first time you use it. The first thing that you notice is dramatically smoother idle...

My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

[240Titan]

When seafoam is burned it turns into a lubricant. I was at autovalue buying 2 cans, and the guy at the counter asked me if I wanted to see a demo on the seafoam. I said yeah, so he pulled a can out from behind the counter, poured a bit out and said to touch it, so I touched it and it feels like a very thin fealing liquid like alcohol or gasoline. Then he set it on fire and let it burn for about 8 seconds and blew it out. He then he said to touch it again and I touched it and it was like a lubricant... But when i talked to him his directions were the exact same as ive heard on here 33% in brake booster, 33% in gas, and 33% in oil but he never said to change the oil afterwards and the can doesnt say so either. So Im guessing you dont have to change the oil because after it gets hot it turns into a lubricant. never-the-less I still changed my oil just to be safe. Oh yeah and he said he uses it in his car and he's only had good experiences from it. But yeah, take a little bit and pour it on the sidewalk.. light it on fire and blow it out like 10 seconds later and touch it (it shouldnt be hot); it feels like a lubericant..
Modified by 240Titan at 10:14 PM 10/5/2005

[Graphfixz]

I know i am really late on this one but has anybody experienced their CAT going bad after using SeaFoam?

[bryanmenard]

Definitely not me.

[k6kicker]

yeah i ran some through my crankcase over the weekend since i was ddue for an oil change, and when i ran it through my vac line i got one decent puff of smoke and then she was done....i ran some through about this time last year so i doubt there was much more carbon buildup in that time....but the idle is much less noisey and canky now

[Graphfixz]

I was taking a trip to Phoenix this 3 day weekend so I decided to add some to the tank and to the carb of my Honda. After I added some to the carb and all the smoke was gone it sounded great! Healthy! Mean!

Then in the morning when I was ready to head out it was idleing really bad, very low.

Any ideas.. I am assuming it is the CAT that got clogged up? Maybe?