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sea foam
- Thread starter itsalex
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i used it in the gas and i poured some through the throttle body on a strait 6 engine that was knocking really bad when cold and the knock is almost totally gone... I am going to be using it on a customers northstar that knocks very loudly mostly when cold to see what happens if it works great if not we are going to rebuild it..
I used it quite a bit when it was $3.00 a can. I used it in all my 2-cycles since my '98 CR125.
It's been around a long time. Originally used to decarbonize marine two cycles.
Car forums started hyping de-carbonizing the engine through the brake booster vacuum line, it got popular, and the price shot up to $9 a can. IMHO, it is not a $9 product
I've still got a Homelite trimmer that I have never de-carbonized. You can pull out the plug and see the top of the piston, still a nice silvery metal color.
But I don't think it is significantly better than MMO. Certainly not at 3X the price.
It's been around a long time. Originally used to decarbonize marine two cycles.
Car forums started hyping de-carbonizing the engine through the brake booster vacuum line, it got popular, and the price shot up to $9 a can. IMHO, it is not a $9 product
I've still got a Homelite trimmer that I have never de-carbonized. You can pull out the plug and see the top of the piston, still a nice silvery metal color.
But I don't think it is significantly better than MMO. Certainly not at 3X the price.
If you are talking about using it to clean your injectors and intake valves by putting it into the fuel, it does work, but isn't the most cost effective or best product for the job, IMO. There was a thread a while back where someone did a comparison of a bunch of different products to clean varnish left by fuel. Toulene was the cheapest thing that I found near the top of the effectiveness list.
If you are talking about adding it to the oil to clean out lifters, I do know that worked well on my DOHC.
If you are talking about adding it to the oil to clean out lifters, I do know that worked well on my DOHC.
Worked great when I used to pour it into my old Honda carburetors. Other than that, I'm not sure it's the best additive for newer, fuel-inj. engines...
I've used it...in the fuel (1 oz. per gallon of fuel), in the crankcase (1.5 oz. per quart of oil), as well as through the vacuum lines....
Can't say I really seen that much "improvement".....but did fix a cold-start "tick" on my 08 Kia Optima when I added it to my crankcase for a 3000 mile OCI with SuperTech oil....
For the fuel, there's better stuff....my 3 favs are:
Marvel Mystery Oil at 2-4 oz. per 10 gallons of fuel
Berryman's B-12 CHEMTOOL at 1 oz. per gallon of fuel
TCW-3 at 1 oz. per 5 gallons of fuel
Due to the pale oil within Seafoam, it does make a good "UCL" - but there are cheaper options available if you are looking for a UCL, particularly TCW-3 (~10$ per gallon for SuperTech) or MMO (2.97 per quart...)
Can't say I really seen that much "improvement".....but did fix a cold-start "tick" on my 08 Kia Optima when I added it to my crankcase for a 3000 mile OCI with SuperTech oil....
For the fuel, there's better stuff....my 3 favs are:
Marvel Mystery Oil at 2-4 oz. per 10 gallons of fuel
Berryman's B-12 CHEMTOOL at 1 oz. per gallon of fuel
TCW-3 at 1 oz. per 5 gallons of fuel
Due to the pale oil within Seafoam, it does make a good "UCL" - but there are cheaper options available if you are looking for a UCL, particularly TCW-3 (~10$ per gallon for SuperTech) or MMO (2.97 per quart...)
Personally, for de-carbonizing an engine, I think water works best.
Open up the air-intake tube, and mist about 1/2 a quart of water into the TB while revving the warmed-up engine by hand.
It made a noticeable difference the two times I did it on my 2002 Cavalier in how well it ran.
Some are more daring, and will feed water down a vacumn line the same way you do with Seafoam, but I think that's asking for trouble - I still say it's effective misting it through the air intake.
Open up the air-intake tube, and mist about 1/2 a quart of water into the TB while revving the warmed-up engine by hand.
It made a noticeable difference the two times I did it on my 2002 Cavalier in how well it ran.
Some are more daring, and will feed water down a vacumn line the same way you do with Seafoam, but I think that's asking for trouble - I still say it's effective misting it through the air intake.
I just picked up a can of seafoam out of curiosity. Never used it before. I'm getting some pinging under load on my truck and I've already cleaned the MAF, throttle body, and run a bottle of Regane through it.
Any suggestions for using the Seafoam through the brake booster line? I see it on Youtube all the time, but I'd rather get some opinions here before I consider something like this. Also, I have a bottle of Redline SI-1.
Any suggestions for using the Seafoam through the brake booster line? I see it on Youtube all the time, but I'd rather get some opinions here before I consider something like this. Also, I have a bottle of Redline SI-1.
Run one to two bottles of Redline SI-1 in a tank of 20 gallons per bottle(gas tank size?) and then run the tank down as far as you can. It really does work well.... How are your spark plugs?
I would do this before using any Seafoam...
I would do this before using any Seafoam...
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Spark plugs are original. 57k miles on the ODO.
They should still be good but I would almost bet that running a full tank of Redline at the right dosage will clean up any fuel/carbon issues. I use one bottle per 15-20 gallons and then run the tank low. If your tank is 35 gallons then I would use two bottles of Redline.
Spark plugs are original. 57k miles on the ODO.
They should still be good but I would almost bet that running a full tank of Redline at the right dosage will clean up any fuel/carbon issues. I use one bottle per 15-20 gallons and then run the tank low. If your tank is 35 gallons then I would use two bottles of Redline.
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Yeah, I definitely will run the Redline first. I only picked up 1 bottle, but might get another. I'm just taking guesses at the pinging at this point. At first I thought it was just old/bad gas, but it's been pretty consistent for the last 3 months. Tried different gas stations - no difference. Hoping it isn't EGR or knock sensor going bad.
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Spark plugs are original. 57k miles on the ODO.
Make SURE the vacuum line you are going to use hits all cylinders. If not you will have problems
Have you checked for a vac leak.... makes all cars ping like crazy
Spark plugs are original. 57k miles on the ODO.
Make SURE the vacuum line you are going to use hits all cylinders. If not you will have problems
Have you checked for a vac leak.... makes all cars ping like crazy
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Originally Posted By: bigmike
Yeah, I definitely will run the Redline first. I only picked up 1 bottle, but might get another. I'm just taking guesses at the pinging at this point. At first I thought it was just old/bad gas, but it's been pretty consistent for the last 3 months. Tried different gas stations - no difference. Hoping it isn't EGR or knock sensor going bad.
Does that engine have an EGR? I thought it didnt.
Yeah, I definitely will run the Redline first. I only picked up 1 bottle, but might get another. I'm just taking guesses at the pinging at this point. At first I thought it was just old/bad gas, but it's been pretty consistent for the last 3 months. Tried different gas stations - no difference. Hoping it isn't EGR or knock sensor going bad.
Does that engine have an EGR? I thought it didnt.
^He would have a CEL/MIL if it was the EGR acting up.... I don't think it has one.
Originally Posted By: PZR2874
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Spark plugs are original. 57k miles on the ODO.
Make SURE the vacuum line you are going to use hits all cylinders. If not you will have problems
Have you checked for a vac leak.... makes all cars ping like crazy
You do not use a vacuum line to use Redline... It is a gas additive. BUT he should check all vacuum lines to make sure they are not loose.
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Spark plugs are original. 57k miles on the ODO.
Make SURE the vacuum line you are going to use hits all cylinders. If not you will have problems
Have you checked for a vac leak.... makes all cars ping like crazy
You do not use a vacuum line to use Redline... It is a gas additive. BUT he should check all vacuum lines to make sure they are not loose.
Redline isn't going to do a [censored] thing for pinging.
You guys are right about the EGR. No CEL has ever come on either.
I'll check the vacuum lines this weekend. Not sure what else it could be.
I was taking a guess at it being combustion related, but I know it should be clean because I run MMO every fill up at a low dosage and Regane before each oil change.
I'll check the vacuum lines this weekend. Not sure what else it could be.
I was taking a guess at it being combustion related, but I know it should be clean because I run MMO every fill up at a low dosage and Regane before each oil change.
Originally Posted By: PZR2874
Redline isn't going to do a [censored] thing for pinging.
OK... Does not hurt to clean things up and check that off the list. What do you suggest???
Redline isn't going to do a [censored] thing for pinging.
OK... Does not hurt to clean things up and check that off the list. What do you suggest???
^I agree, wasn't making a fuss. An intake hose (leak) or crudded up valves. That's where my moola is. Especially when a can of SF (third in the booster (or whichever hose hits all cyls) and the rest in a half tank should do the trick.
Heck, I buy SF in gallon form every 3 years.
Heck, I buy SF in gallon form every 3 years.
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