Homemade Seafoam....

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Hi guys...don't know if you know what seafoam is, but you probably do.
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I love the stuff but it works out to about $65 a gallon from Napa.
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I'm working on making some of my own based on the MSDS. Basically it's just Isopropyl alcohol, Naptha, and "Pale oil". First of all, what is pale oil? What would be a good type of oil to use in my mixture? Are there any other things that I might want to add to it?

Thanks!
 
quote:

Originally posted by deepsquat:
Insted, why not buy some Fuel Power...check the top of the page

Because I'm cheap...I use ALOT of seafoam...and I can get isopropyl alcohol and naptha by the gallon for free.
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The MSDS' don't tell you ALL the ingredients in a product nor the proportions of each chemical in the product.
 
Hmmmm....http://seafoamsales.com/pdf/trans_tune.pdf
1. Pail oil 40-60%
2. Naptha 25-35%
3. IPA 10-20%

Sounds like 100% to me.
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I made a little bit using 2 cycle oil, smells similar, except the 2 cycle oil give it a weird smell. It's been around since like the 1940's, so there can't be that many other ingreadients if there are any. Even if I don't end up with the exact same thing...it will be something similar, maybe even better. That's why I'm asking here what type of oil I should use and if there are any other ingreadients I might want to use. Once I work up a final recipe I plan on asking here to make sure I'm not going to ruin any engine by using it.

[ October 20, 2003, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: ZmOz ]
 
If this is going in a tranny, you can use SAE 20 weight ND. (wouldn't advise leaving this mix in a tranny or any hydraulic system).
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Maybe as a flush only.

The link wouldn't come up for me.

Not sure about the miscibility of the Iso and the Naptha.

How are you going to test this and how will you determine a treatment rate?

OK, finally got the pdf after about 30 minutes. The proportions differ between the engine add and the Trans Tune so you don't know which is which.

[ October 21, 2003, 12:03 AM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]
 
No...this is for engine crankcase/intake/cylinders. Should be used at about the same rate as Seafoam. I will test it in an old lawnmower engine I have.
 
the exxon encyclopedia says:
pale oil
straight naphthenic mineral oil, straw or pale yellow in color, used as a once-through lubricant and in the formulation of process oils.

the texaco/chevron dictionary/glossary says:
Pale Oil
A base or process oil refined until its color, by transmitted light, is straw to pale yellow.

Chevron/oronite says:
PALE OIL - straight naphthenic mineral oil, MVI to HVI, straw or pale yellow in color, used as a once-through lubricant and in the formulation of process oils
 
If this is going in an engine, you can use SAE 30 weight ND.

If you can find the "Harvest King" brand of oil that would be best.

[ October 21, 2003, 09:55 AM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]
 
Wear rubber gloves and make sure the Iso is miscible (able to mix with) the naptha in a pint jar or beaker, say 500 mL; do this outside, unless you have a chemical fume hood. Then add the ND oil and make sure that the mix is miscible and that none of the materials separate, otherwise, it's useless.
 
quote:

Originally posted by DavoNF:
Just interested, does naptha have another name? Is it like Coleman fluid?

Dave


Mineral spirits. (paint thinner)

MolaKule - you say I should use SAE 30 ND. Wouldn't using oil with detergent be beneficial to my mixture?
 
Naphtha is a cleaning fluid, lighter fluid, etc. A light aromatic mineral spirit. Coleman campstove fuel is naphtha and white gas.

Not really. The iso and the naptha are going to do the cleaning, and theoretically, you're only going to use this a flush or an intake pour-in anyway, or should. I would not recommend mxing it with crankcase oil as a maintenance cleaner.

[ October 22, 2003, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]
 
Just thought of another question.
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I've been planning on using paint thinner for the Naptha, on the can it says "100% mineral spirits". Is that pure naptha? If not is there another product that would be better?
 
You can find NAPTHA at Lowes or HD in the paint section, in quarts and gallons.

I used to buy Coleman fuel as naptha, but the last batch has a way different smell and not as agreeable to me. Good old fashioned lighter fluid is naptha. Compare the smell to be sure.

Isopropyl Alcohol can be bought readily at drugstores in 2 formulations. The most common is 70% (30% water) and 91%. I find the 91% at CVS. I also order anhydrous ( sp?)100% for special shellac preparations but it's 3-4 times as expensive as the 70%. I’m not sure as to whether or not the 70% would be better for decarburization, since water sucked into the engine is how we did it in the 60’s.

Looking at the formula again you have a range from low side 85%- 115% and if you take the mid range number, you get 95%, so I conclude it just isn’t that critical. It’s roughly about 50% pale oil, 30% naptha , and 20% Isopropyl. I’m thinking (always a problem) ½ gallon pale oil, 1 qt 91% isopropyl, a little over a quart of naptha to make a gallon.
 
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