How many miles should I run my engine with Seafoam before I change the oil? I am going to use 0W30 German Castrol Syntec for 7,500 miles, could I go longer?
Seafoam in oil
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It will be long evaporated after 100 miles. All it will do is redeposit the sludge and fresh wear metals. The only way to use a solvent it to drain it after a few minutes, before it evaporates.
don't put seafoam in the crankcase. It may say on the bottle that it can be used this way, but please. stay away from using it that way.
It thins out oil drastically.. so any cleaning that is taking place.. is going to act like sandpaper between metal parts... I've seen what oil looks like when draining after adding seafoam.
Many people here on Bitog know me as the guy with a ticking isuzu rodeo, I've tried so many different addatives, including seafoam many times in different quantities...
The ticking, as I eventually found out, is caused by contamination in the hydrolic adjusters... seafoam didn't help. Nore did any other cleaner I tried. (golden eagle flush, gunk, motorflush, seafoam, also tried addatives like "engine restore" which worked for a little while, and then the problem got worse)..
The only result I seem to have from all the cleaning products I used, is a valve gasket leak. The ticking remained...
Then I used ARX... the results are incredable... The ticking is nearly gone, the engine runs smoother and stronger than ever before.
Just break down and buy the ARX. Don't bother with seafoam in your crankcase.... After experimenting with it in the crankcase, and on the intake side to clean up deposits, I can honestly say, it is an overpriced, nearly useless product. Water works better than seafoam on the intake, and ARX works better in the crankcase.
It thins out oil drastically.. so any cleaning that is taking place.. is going to act like sandpaper between metal parts... I've seen what oil looks like when draining after adding seafoam.
Many people here on Bitog know me as the guy with a ticking isuzu rodeo, I've tried so many different addatives, including seafoam many times in different quantities...
The ticking, as I eventually found out, is caused by contamination in the hydrolic adjusters... seafoam didn't help. Nore did any other cleaner I tried. (golden eagle flush, gunk, motorflush, seafoam, also tried addatives like "engine restore" which worked for a little while, and then the problem got worse)..
The only result I seem to have from all the cleaning products I used, is a valve gasket leak. The ticking remained...
Then I used ARX... the results are incredable... The ticking is nearly gone, the engine runs smoother and stronger than ever before.
Just break down and buy the ARX. Don't bother with seafoam in your crankcase.... After experimenting with it in the crankcase, and on the intake side to clean up deposits, I can honestly say, it is an overpriced, nearly useless product. Water works better than seafoam on the intake, and ARX works better in the crankcase.
Why bump this old thread?
Has anyone proven that seafoam will thin out oil, evaporate, redeposit sludge, or create/act like sandpaper? NOPE!
If it didn't work for you to fix problems caused by neglect or abuse, then say so. But, I know plenty of people that say it does work. I've also used Seafoam in the oil and fuel. My removed oil didn't look/feel thin and there wasn't any 'sandpaper' in it either. I also vacuum seafoamed poorly running rotary engines which all ran smoother and stronger.
Also, once something mixes with the oil, it doesn't necessarily easily disappear. Maybe a distillate will evaporate at temp by itself. But, when it has mixed into the oil, it just doesn't freely evaporate.
Has anyone proven that seafoam will thin out oil, evaporate, redeposit sludge, or create/act like sandpaper? NOPE!
If it didn't work for you to fix problems caused by neglect or abuse, then say so. But, I know plenty of people that say it does work. I've also used Seafoam in the oil and fuel. My removed oil didn't look/feel thin and there wasn't any 'sandpaper' in it either. I also vacuum seafoamed poorly running rotary engines which all ran smoother and stronger.
Also, once something mixes with the oil, it doesn't necessarily easily disappear. Maybe a distillate will evaporate at temp by itself. But, when it has mixed into the oil, it just doesn't freely evaporate.
I've used Seafoam on my 99 Rodeo for two consecutive oil changes and was pleased with the results. I put it in the crankcase and drove around for a few miles and drained. My oil consumption went down and engine noise disapeared. I am no expert on noises and I am not sure what it was, but when I bought the car it made a ticking/clicking noise at highway speeds. I first thought it was comming from the dash area, but later realised it was from the engine. The rodeo has made no noises since.
I have also used Auto-RX and was pleased with that product as well. I know a lot of people who have used and liked Seafoam.
I have also used Auto-RX and was pleased with that product as well. I know a lot of people who have used and liked Seafoam.
MolaKule
Staff member
Seafoam is a very low viscosity solvent that will thin the oil if the whole can is dumped in.
I think what mdocod is saying as well as myself is that thinning an oil below a 20 weight will cause the lubricating film to thin and shear such that the coefficient of friction will increase dramtically, causing increased wear.
I would recommend LC at 16 oz. (slight thinning) or ARX (no thinning) for cleaning an engine.
Who says seafoam will thin any oil below a 20wt? Why are we starting anti-seafoam rumours and always trying to recommend a sponsor over OTC products?
If used at the recommended 1.5 ounces per quart, only a border line oil would actually drop a SAE grade.
I'd also want YOU to calculate how much Seafoam would it take to thin out a 30wt(like GC), or any brand 40 or 50wt to then next lower SAE grade, or to a grade lower then a 20wt, if even possible; 25%, 50%, 75%???
If LC has 'slight thinning', then it too could thin out a border line oil.
As a cold engine 5-10 minute full bottle(16 ounces) flush, the oil temperature/viscosity should be plenty cool/thick enough to prevent any problems. Notice the dosage for certain flush products. Amsoil/Seafoam/Lubegard use "pint" sized bottles. I wonder if the thinning occurs if you overdose.
Gunk/Pyroil/Goldeagle use quart sized bottles for their flush products, which more than likely would thin out an oil IF allowed to reach normal operating temp, which of course would be an improper way to use those products anyway.
If used at the recommended 1.5 ounces per quart, only a border line oil would actually drop a SAE grade.
I'd also want YOU to calculate how much Seafoam would it take to thin out a 30wt(like GC), or any brand 40 or 50wt to then next lower SAE grade, or to a grade lower then a 20wt, if even possible; 25%, 50%, 75%???
If LC has 'slight thinning', then it too could thin out a border line oil.
As a cold engine 5-10 minute full bottle(16 ounces) flush, the oil temperature/viscosity should be plenty cool/thick enough to prevent any problems. Notice the dosage for certain flush products. Amsoil/Seafoam/Lubegard use "pint" sized bottles. I wonder if the thinning occurs if you overdose.
Gunk/Pyroil/Goldeagle use quart sized bottles for their flush products, which more than likely would thin out an oil IF allowed to reach normal operating temp, which of course would be an improper way to use those products anyway.
MolaKule
Staff member
It was understanding that people were using a whole can of seafoam at one time as a flush.
At 1.5 oz. per quart, it would indeed only thin slightly.
In the case of LC, the LC has a base lubricating oil which none of the thin solvent-based products have.
Most flush and cleaner products I have seen state that you should bring the engine or tranny up to operating temperature, which is a way to further activate a product.
At 1.5 oz. per quart, it would indeed only thin slightly.
In the case of LC, the LC has a base lubricating oil which none of the thin solvent-based products have.
If the cleaner you put in is about 2-4 cSt, overdosing would thin the host oil, most definately.
It is the sponsors who give us the opportunity to submit opinions and or facts, and present alternatives to the products discussed.
Heat is a way to activate and melt sludge and other polymerization products.
Most flush and cleaner products I have seen state that you should bring the engine or tranny up to operating temperature, which is a way to further activate a product.
So Molakule, what is your opinion about adding Schaeffer's Neautra to the crankase?
Hammer
Hammer
Kule is right.
It will thin it out.
Anyone that thinks about it for a minute will see this. Thin solvent in base oil, thins oil out.
When the solvent loosens the crud the crud needs to be removed. If the cleaner added strong detergent additives with special lubricity agents in a heavy oil based product with or without a VI improver, then you may have something as to leaving the stuff in there. But Just A Thinner longer than short term will not benefit.
And, even if the oil was not affected THAT much...
when the crud is being removed, in that process, the slightly or greatly thinned oil can not hold contained in the same amount of space, as much crud to be removed. Sometimes a little is better than a lot. Sometimes slower is better...
Id say if your set on the type of product, to fill up on some VI too, but then when you get into too may adds, then your just making the oil work harder.
The short of it is that Oil is a protector and a cleaner. It acts in many functions and any product added to it removes that much and more in displaced protection and cleaning and other powers carried by the oil in question...
It will thin it out.
Anyone that thinks about it for a minute will see this. Thin solvent in base oil, thins oil out.
When the solvent loosens the crud the crud needs to be removed. If the cleaner added strong detergent additives with special lubricity agents in a heavy oil based product with or without a VI improver, then you may have something as to leaving the stuff in there. But Just A Thinner longer than short term will not benefit.
And, even if the oil was not affected THAT much...
when the crud is being removed, in that process, the slightly or greatly thinned oil can not hold contained in the same amount of space, as much crud to be removed. Sometimes a little is better than a lot. Sometimes slower is better...
Id say if your set on the type of product, to fill up on some VI too, but then when you get into too may adds, then your just making the oil work harder.
The short of it is that Oil is a protector and a cleaner. It acts in many functions and any product added to it removes that much and more in displaced protection and cleaning and other powers carried by the oil in question...
In quantities large enough to do serious cleaning in a crankcase, seafoam probably puts oil closer to a 5 weight, or less. If we know it has an effect on the oil, that is less than desireable, why should we consider it as an option- why not just use something that cleans better and is safer for the engine to begin with.
Thankyou Mola for filling in the blanks here... I would have thought that my obervations about adding solvents to oil would be self explanitory and obvious for readers... I should have elaborated further.
It falls into the category of harsh-solvent-flush... Cleaning occurs at high temps better than at low temps so we can assume that you would get more cleaning power by running it hot....
My statement about how it thins out the oil, was proven through my own experience in which I watched oil drain from my pan with the gusto of gasoline. Sorry, it's it may not be "scientific" enough for some of you- but I would argue, that you will not find a single oil on the market, that has the viscosity needs of an engine, that poors like gasoline, it does not exsist, and if such oil could exsist, it would, because it would be good for pumpability concerns- but we all know, that viscosity, film thickness, and pooring speed, are directly linked to viscosity. If it poors like gasoline, then it's viscosity has to be similar.
I was interested in seafoam, because I had read many good results, such as yours, especially in the isuzu comunity... Unfortunatally, the seafoam did not aleviate my ticking (caused by contamination). And made no difference in oil consumption or engine performance/smoothness.
What it really all boils down to is value... Bitogers seldom buy fram cans because you can get an equivalent or better filter through a different brand for a lower price... We can get more intake and combustion chamber cleaning, through the use of water(super-cheap, in comparison to seafoam)... and dollar per dollar, I don't think anyone could argue that LC and ARX offer more bang for the buck, especially when you throw in the safety margin when using those products. I'd say Auto-RX could do 5 or more times as much cleaning as a bottle of seafoam, (it costs 5 times as much), but you also get the safety of not modifying oil viscosity, and top that off with slow safe cleaning, not agressive cleaning.... ARX wins, hands down... no reason to bother with seafoam in the crankcase.
Have I made myself more clear? I'm not trying to flame anyone, I don't want negative relations with any member of Bitog- i'm trying to make the best recomendations I can, and warnings I can. We're all trying to be helpfull.
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