There has been a lot of debate in the automotive industry about engine cleaning chemicals like Seafoam. In one part of the community, the cleaners are lauded and even proven to work; in the other, the cleaners are derided as a waste of money and placebo effects.
As for Seafoam, what’s the real story?
When I first started researching engine cleaning products, I thought they were pointless, but now I’ve changed my mind.
Seafoam, although being a universal remedy, has been found to enhance gas mileage and stabilize idle RPM.
The Sea Foam Brand
Sea Foam is a legendary name in the world of engine additives and cleaners, having been in business since 1942. A petroleum salesman and passionate fisherman in the 1930s, Fred Fandrei, needed to find a solution to his outboard motor’s frequent problems. It worked so well for him that he began selling it to other fishermen and boat owners.
The moniker was apparently coined after one of his buddies called and requested a bottle of Sea Foam. The name will be spelled a variety of ways in this article.
A popular engine cleaning for nearly 80 years, Sea Foam, was still widely used. High-mileage, trans tune, power steering fluid and other products have been added to the brand’s product line-up.
The Truth About Seafoam
It’s possible that the unfavorable reviews and forum postings about Seafoam you’ve read led you here, despite the countless positive ones you’ve read about the company so far. I’d want to clear up some myths about SeaFoam before we get into the benefits.
People Dislike Fuel Additives
It’s a scary thought to put anything else in the tank but fuel. The engine is a multi-thousand dollar investment, the product of tens of thousands of hours of labor by some of the world’s best engineers. Alternatively, you can buy a $10 bottle of an unnamed gasoline additive.
A significant bias against fuel additives can be formed by reasonable reasoning, and this was what I used to believe as well. There is, however, a simple counter-argument to this. Antifreeze, wiper fluid, engine oil, and even fuel could be harmful if additives to gasoline are, in fact, harmful.
For less than half the price of SeaFoam, why would we regard Mobil 1 synthetic oil to be the best engine oil in the business?
In reality, most of the bad judgments about SeaFoam come from people who have never even tried the product themselves. These unsubstantiated assertions have no sway over the thousands of satisfied customers who have actually utilized the product.
Heritage and Name
SeaFoam appears to be losing customers’ confidence as time goes on, which is unusual for a company in its industry.
Main assumption is that SeaFoam is a two-stroke fuel additive that can’t work in modern four-stroke engines. Since its inception as a two-stroke engine cleaner, SeaFoam has evolved into a four-stroke engine cleaner.
To believe that any corporation would not at least try to enhance their product over time is absurd. Instead of using multi-grade oil, we’d still be alternating between summer and winter engine oil.
The name of the product is the most absurd prejudice of all. Even though most outboard motors are now four-stroke, SeaFoam is connected with the sea and two-stroke outboards. You can’t simply rely on anyone, no matter how experienced they are, even if they’ve been around for a while.
Does The Sea Foam Actually Work?
Simply put, SeaFoam motor treatment solution works.
SeaFoam’s chemical composition is a closely guarded trade secret, but I was able to find the two main constituents by glancing at the product’s safety page.
- Hydrocarbon blend – concentration of <95%
- Isopropanol – concentration of <25%
Isopropanol is an alcohol derivative of hydrocarbon, which means that advertising that claims to be 100 percent petroleum is correct.
SeaFoam cleans the entire system, from the fuel tank to the fuel injectors, by mixing with the fuel. In the cylinder, the walls, piston head, and valves are sprayed with the cleaning solution. One to three full fuel tanks of SeaFoam blended with the engine’s size should be sufficient to clean it.
Just as of this writing, Amazon’s most popular SeaFoam Store product has been around for exactly four years. SeaFoam SF 16 has received 15,332 ratings on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.8 stars, with only 1% of the ratings being 1 star and 3% being 3 star ratings. Normally, I wouldn’t give Amazon reviews much weight, but in this case, I’m inclined to. Another 1000 customers have left evaluations on SeaFoam’s website, giving it an average rating of 4.9/5 stars.
There are plenty of tests available that prove the difference between before and after using SeaFoam if customer happiness isn’t enough. Using a boroscope inspection camera, you can see the differences for yourself. There is a step-by-step instruction that I will share for you later on.
How to Use Sea Foam?
It’s simple to use SeaFoam as a gasoline additive. Add 2 ounces per gallon of fuel if you’re using it for the first time. When using a high-mileage engine, your focus will be sharper. Add one ounce per gallon of fuel for normal usage. Make sure to arrange your refuels to get the most out of a can of SeaFoam’s 16 ounces of cleaning solution.
One or two cans of SeaFoam can be used for every 3, 000 miles after the first cleaning. 1 ounce per gallon of fuel for farming and outboard motors can be added every three months. You may also use SeaFoam as a gasoline stabilizer to keep your motorcycle or convertible running smoothly when you don’t use it for long periods of time.
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How to Determine if Sea Foam is Working?
Another myth about fuel cleaner additives is that there is no way to verify whether or not they work. In actuality, it’s really simple to get the before and after outcomes. Some tools, a few cans of SeaFoam, and a lot of gas are required.
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Inspection Steps:
- Lift the hood and check if the engine is cold. You don’t want to work on a warm engine.
- Locate the spark plug cables. Gently take off one.
- Use the spark remover tool to take out the sparkplug.
- Configure the horoscope, then slide the camera through the spark plug hole.
- Inspect the cylinder interior for carbon deposits, and take screenshots if you’d like.
- Screw the spark plug back in, then place the cable back on.
There is no need to repeat the procedure for all cylinders. Once you’ve refueled, add at least 2 ounces of SeaFoam per gallon of gas. If you run out of fuel, simply repeat the procedure using 1 2 ounces of SeaFoam instead of the first time. The normal 1 ounce to the gallon should be added at the third refill. After the first or second fill-up, your engine will be thoroughly cleaned.
Take a second look at the cylinder and piston to see if anything has changed. A complete handbook on the issue is called if you’d want to replace out the spark plugs while you’re there. In order to determine the number of spark plugs required, answer the following question:
FAQs
Is Sea Foam bad for spark plugs?
Because it is a petroleum-based mixture, like gasoline, Sea Foam will have no influence on the condition of the spark plugs.
Can you put too much Sea Foam in gas?
Is this possible if you’ve done it on purpose and have a large amount of money to lose? Adding gallons of it could theoretically have an effect, but that’s hundreds of times the recommended quantity.
The 16-ounce can is so small that it’s impossible to go overboard with it, so don’t worry if your hand slipped and you poured too much out of it.
Does Seafoam make your car smoke?
Even a four-stroke engine will smoke if you add more than one ounce of Seafoam per gallon of gasoline. If this happens frequently, there’s no need for alarm. But if the smoke persists, cease using SeaFoam and check if the head gasket or other coolant leaks are to blame.
Will Seafoam harm the O2 sensors?
The O2 sensors and catalytic converter are unaffected by Seafoam, and no evidence suggests that it does.
Verdict
It’s reasonable to state that Sea Foam works as a fuel-based cleaner because it’s been used for decades by thousands of happy customers and because of all the feedback and tests undertaken. Seafoam hasn’t been as much of a selling point for me as it was for you. While researching for the post Who Makes Supertech Oil For Walmart And Does It Any Good?, my views on value brand motor oils shifted. Now, I believe that gasoline additives can be a highly valued product.
As soon as I get my hands on a horoscope and Seafoam, I’m convinced that the results will be positive. If and when it happens, I’ll be sure to include the results in this article.
