Too much Seafoam

[DMartin9N-2N]

Good morning: I keep finding sealed cans of Seafoam in my barn and garage. I want to use it up, should I put some in every can of gas, or maybe use some occasionally when crankcase oil is low in a tractor? Any opinions welcome!
.
Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
.

 

[Scott 730]

Send them my way! Problem solved! :lol:

 

[RandyC]

I don't see a problem to put
some in each fuel tank. Myself I
wouldn't be putting lots of cans
in at once, I would put the
amount it says to use. I
sometimes put a little in
crankcase in truck and mowers.
If you have too much to use then
maybe give some to friends. I
don't know what the shelf life
is for seafoam I would think
sealed cans last several years.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Regardless of what it says on the can, it doesn't go bad. It can sit there for years. Just stop compulsively buying more cans of it for a while, while you use the ones you have when you need it.

Putting it in the oil thins the oil. Putting it in the fuel thins the seafoam. I only ever apply it directly into the carburetor full-strength. In the fuel won't hurt, but frankly I don't think it helps.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I Talked to an old mechanic yesterday.

He said the best thing to de-carbon an engine is
to get the engine hot, run it wide open and dump
water down the carb.

Don't think I'll try it.

 

[JGayman]

Sea Foam also makes a dedicated engine cleaner spray to remove carbon deposits. You spray it in the intake while the engine is running.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I wonder how much damage one can do if a large carbon deposit comes loose and gets stuck between the piston and cylinder wall?

I had that happen to a 3.5 hp briggs engine.
It put a deep groove in the cylinder.

 

[cwtech]

Personally, I would not put Seafoam in a crankcase.

I was a small-engine mechanic for many years and did not believe in additives.
...However, I have personally seen Seafoam work wonders in fuel systems of small-engines.

Adding SOME Seafoam to the fuel tank of any GAS engine will not hurt. ...Follow the directions on the can.

 

[M-MAN]

Water, lacquer thinner, and rice. I've seen the old mechanics use them all in the old days. That was when they didn't last 100,000 miles though.

 

[504]

I was told to only do that to a cold engine,cracked pistons and valves could happen to a hot engine. The man is in his late 80s and still goes to the grages every day.

 

[DERM]

I have been working as a mechanic (for pay) since 1969 and never believed in any mechanic in the can, but I have
had very good luck using Seafoam in almost any application.I have seen it work well in small engine gas tanks or
had it cure sticking or loud lifters in the crankcase of car engines. The same company also makes Transtune which
works very well for sticky vale bodies in automatic transmissions.

 

[DERM]

Meant valve body

 

[4play]

Remember seafoam is also a fuel stabilizer, so you can also add it to storage tanks and cans, you can also add it to diesel fuel for cleaning. I'm not a big fan of seafoam but it does work, I consider it a better product for prevention than to fix.

 

[Texasmark]

Instructions on the can tell you the ratio in the crankcase. I have used it in 2 older tractors, one for half an hour then an oil change to rid the oil pan of sludge which it did and the other for maybe 10 hours total run time on an older tractor that was smoking but started right up indicating that the compression was ok, just some oil in the wrong place. Cleared the smoking right up, not even smoke on initial start after sitting for a week or so. I keep it in all my gas tanks including my boat which has gone over 10 years without a fuel issue or having to service fuel related parts on a 2 stroke.

 

[DMartin9N-2N]

Replying to my own thread, I think I will use up the Seafoam by putting some in each gas can when I come back from gas station with the filled cans. BTW, I haven't bought any Seafoam in several years, I am just going to "work off" an old accumulation. Thanks to all who responded!
.
Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
.

 

[rustred]

Yes exactly, but its not dump water down the carb. Its mist it in at 2000 rpm. Dumping it in only kills the engine. Unless your doing an over haul then u could dump more in as u say.

 

[560Dennis]

Ive used the fogging procedure on the can . I used a vacuum port (intake)line and hose and needle gate valve to metering it in. Just make
sure the wind is in the right direction or you will smoke out U garage
My GM mechanic said it help to clean catalytic converters, gives better mileage. I tried on the Nissan Altima. As my experiment. In my case
I think the small exhaust leak was fooling the air fuel ratio in the flex pipe of catalytic converter. So does it work for you try it ,info on the
can .

 

[buickanddeere]

It is just Isopropyl alcohol , no big deal .

 

[Texasmark]

The MSDS states that it is alcohol, naptha, and light mineral oil.

 

[JustIn Case]

I use Seafoam fairly often at a rate of 1-3 oz. Per gallon. I
dont use it all of the time but I try to make sure mowers,
tillers, generators have some when they are going to be
stored for the season. Usually about this time of year I
doctor the fuel in my 5 gallon cans so the engines get
treated fuel for over the winter. A guy that used to run a
small engine shop told me there was a bigger issue
leaving fuel in snowblowers and winter machinery
because it is stored in the warm of summer and warm
fuel deteriorates faster than fuel stored in the winter.
Plus, here we use mowers up to almost Thanksgiving
some years and we get them back out again early April.
Not really stored that long and the weather is cool.
Snowblower on other hand likely sits from early April until
December, stored during the warm months.