SEAFOAM FOR LONG TERM CLEANING?

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The previous owner i bought my car from used small amount of seafoam like 1 ounce in the whole 6.5 QT oil capacity.

He says he ran it for 3000 miles and the seafoam "cleans" the seals and removes the gunk and therefore the Valve covers are leaking. (which im OK WITH)

MY real question is will the engine suffer any additional damage besides the leaking valve covers?

He used only 1 and 1.5 ounce MAX for about 2000-3000 miles.

I believe seafoam calls for 1 ounce or 1.5 ounce per quart capacity.

I ask because im seeing a higher oil consumption. The cars burned 1QT of 5w-40 rotella t6 in 2100 miles.

No exhaust smokes or power loss at all.

He also said he "flushed" the seafoam with rotella t6 for 200 miles and put new rotella t6.

CAR is a 2001 passat 2.8 v6 same as audi 2.8
 
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the itty bitty bit he used didn't do much.
the leaking valve covers is simply that.. they're leaking due to age, seafoam did nothing to help that.

When you change oil brands, you need to give some time for the engine to get used to a different oil.

no need to flush seafoam out, it will slowly evaporate over time anyway.

the guy had no real clue what Seafoam really can do and how to properly use it.

Just be glad he did use it a little bit.
 
So seafoam for long term wouldnt do any damage to the internals of the engine?

I read in some places that if seafoam sits too long it can eat the seals, but that was when injected in the intake. i thought it might also eat some seals inside the engine that might cause me to rebuild the engine and causing the 1QT in 2100 Miles oil consumption.
I will check the cars PCV hoses and see if their clogged
 
If the car is getting its periodic changes with a decent oil, that sort of stuff shouldn't be necessary.

AFAIK the 2.8 is not a known sludger.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
If the car is getting its periodic changes with a decent oil, that sort of stuff shouldn't be necessary.

AFAIK the 2.8 is not a known sludger.


Yea but whats done now is done. If anyone thinks this long term use of 1-1.5 ounce of seafoam can possible cause engine damage post what kind of damage is possible.
 
I never stop being surprised at people will put "additives" into the fuel and crankcase systems of their expensive and critically important automotive investments without first doing a LOT of research and investigation!

You should NEVER EVER EVER EVER.....EVER use additives that are NOT specifically approved by the car manufacturer. If you insist you may well end up doing serious and or permanent damage to your car which might end up being outrageously expensive to repair.

About the only universally approved "additive" I can think of these days is fuel system cleaners with PEA, such as Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner, and similar products. But even so I would check with the manufacturer to see what their take is on using such products. Most will be OK with PEA fuel cleaners.
 
Seafoam gets its name from its original purpose, upper cylinder lube and fuel stabilizer for motor boats. People seem to think its a fix for everything. Maybe its marketing, maybe something about the name that attracts people. Maybe people put too much faith in YouTube, who knows.

Anyways one of the ingredients of seafoam is IPA. Some IPA MSDS sheets claim IPA reacts with plastic, rubber and aluminum. Others tests see no problem with it in small doses. Another ingredient is Pale oil. Why somebody would fog their cat and o2 sensors with plumes of lubricant is beyond me. Pale oil in motor oil would give a thinning effect. Some complain of ticking for a while after use. But it goes away.

Can't say what exactly caused the leaks. Miles and age matter for leaks. Not knowing how many miles, assume your gaskets have undergone some "outgassing" which is the normal aging process for rubber. Shrinks and hardens from heat and oxidation. Could be the gasket had some sludge helping plug a hole.

So..I agree with others that a good oil can do most of the work. A high mileage oil may help soften up and swell the seals. I do use additives. MMO and Kreen in the oil occasionally. But not in the oil constantly, very infrequently. Redline si-1 or techron in the gas every other OC.
 
Funny thing about additives is I was at the dealer both VW and Audi carried ZMAX. It is meant to go in the oil, gas, and tranny. I was actually surprised vw and audi are promoting the use of these additives.

Any one hear of Zmax microlube?
 
The amount of Seafoam he used represents 0.7% of the sump capacity (1.5 oz in 208 oz). I can’t emphasize enough how LITTLE significance that is to the engine, its longevity, or any potential damage done. And to assume that any damage was done is silly in itself – I’ve used MUCH larger concentrations of petro-solvents in engines before to cure lifter ticks and the like, with no harm whatsoever. Any oil burning is unlikely to be related to Seafoam use, and more likely due to its 2001 vintage. Additives like this tend to be evaporated out quickly – you can often see this within days on a dipstick after adding 16 oz of MMO, for example, should one do that. IPA and Naphtha are compatible with automotive seals/elastomers (see links). “ GM Upper Engine and Fuel Injector Cleaner” contains about 20% alcohol, more evidence of seal compatibility (link below). The amount of Pale Oil involved is of no significance to exhaust systems, and it was added to the oil, not fuel, regardless. Gaskets may leak simply because your car is 11 years old, and even synthetic oils can “cause” new leaks simply due to their cleaning ability, cleaning out junk that had made up for an old, compromised seal. For someone thinking “manufacturers’ approved” additives are made in Heaven, with everything else suspect, just read the Mopar MSDS below. (“Mopar Fuel Additive” is up to 100% diesel fuel. But it’s MAGIC “manufacturer approved” diesel fuel!)

Dude, you’re chasing an old ghost from the prior owner, worrying that it’s damaged your engine. But the ghost simply ain’t there – you’re worrying about nothing, based largely on rumors.
http://www.daemar.com/pdfs/159_DMR_MechSeal_FluidCompatibility.pdf
http://www.balseal.com/sites/default/files/tr60d_020707133101.pdf
http://paceperformance.com/attachment/37146-.pdf
http://www.wynnsusa.com/pdf/mopar fuel additive msds - 040605.pdf
 
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