I sell many fuel injector cleaners at a regular auto parts store. I had a student come in from one of the auto mechanics schools in FL and they did testing on a variety of injector cleaners. They came up with a list of the products and how they compared with each other. Seafoam was rated as the most aggressive followed by Techron with Lucas rounding out the top 3. The rest were rated as just good for preventive maintenance, but not as aggressive as the top 3. What does aggressive mean? Ability to disolve varnish and carbon. No the testing was not sponsored by Seafoam. Auto parts stores sell many products that guys can try before they tear down their car for a major fix. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I do sell a lot of Seafoam, especially to the marine guys.

Here is a point no one has mentioned here; some car's manuals say NOT to put additives into your fuel.

 

I've read the Lucas you can put in every tank if you want. Whereas you only want to run the Techron every once in a while as it is more aggressive.

 

For marine purposes, Seafoam might be used as a fuel stabilizer or maybe moisture control which might account for the sales of seafoam to marine guys. I use either that or Stabil in my garden stuff that doesn't have much use at certain times. My question is this. If you are going to pay for a product that you have to add every time you fill up, why not save that money, send the injectors out once ever few years and KNOW what the condition of the injector is in? Why pay and guess? I get about 20 mpg so that means if I send my injectors out at 50K, I have used about 2500 gallons of fuel or 2500 oz of the stuff. How much does that cost?

I suspect it is a blanket statement because they don't want you to risk your injectors and O2 sensor if it is under warranty.

 

Seafoam was originally made as a marine product to be used in 2 cycle outboard engines that burn the oil along with the gas, later on outboard motors went to an oil injection system that shot metered amounts of oil through an injector into the cylinders along with the fuel. This type of system will cause heavy oil /carbon deposits on the internals of the motor.. Seafoam was found to do an excellent job of removing these deposits and later on was found to be just as effective on the 4 cycle outboard engines valves and pistons. It was later tested on car engines and found to be very effective at removing carbon in those also.. Seafoam has been around for almost as long as I have..WW

 

Were they putting the Seafoam in the gas tank. Or spraying it in through the intake?

 

We were shooting it into the intake on the outboard motors , then letting it sit for about 10 minites, then starting the motors. It would smoke like hell.We would also add some to the gas to prevent deposits from forming in the cylinders and on the rings. Carbon on the rings would (Jack out) the ring causing it to score the cylinders and ruining the motors.Then they come out with Keystone rings and didn't have as many problems...WW

 

Will you foul out the plugs or O2 sensor by spraying the Seafoam into the intake?

And do you have to change the oil afterwards?

 

How long have you been around? ...because you sure don't seem to know much about out board (2-stroke) engines. Have you ever seen the internals of an properly maintained out board (2 stroke) that HASN'T used seafoam? Except for the combustion chambers (which build and sustain a ceratin level of carbon w/in minutes), they are spotlessly spotless inside. Without any snake oils added.

Also, Oil injection on 2 stroke outboards does not function the way you discribed, in most cases. In most cases, it's mixed w/the gasoline before the carb.

 

If you spray it into the intake on a car you would have to remove the MAF sensor, so I just remove the vacuum line on the brake booster and pour it into that hose. The best way to use it is to pour the Seafoam in, save the last half so you can pour it in quickly until the car almost stalls. When the car almost stalls shut it off and let it sit for about 10 minites, restart the car and let it smoke until the air is clear. Then your done.. The only time you would have to change your oil is if you would pour it into your crankcase, and even though they say you can do this, I really don't see any need to put it into your oil.. Hope this answers your questions..WW

 

Why don't you stop trying to start an argument..If you read my post again you will see it says(shot metered amounts of oil through an injector into the cylinders along with the fuel. (Along with the fuel) means along with the fuel..Excuse me if I didn't say that they were mixed when they went in but I didn't think anyone would pick my wording apart. Maybe if you keep following everything I say you will be able to catch me at wording something wrong again.( But Maybe Not). I just added you to my ignore list, This will be the last time I respond to you because I have no time for people like you.......WW

 

well good for you ! I am sure your car will run far better and last WAY longer than ours who use snake oils and sea foam ect..

 

I seafoam the engine annually on my service vehicle, 92 Jeep XJ 120k.

The PO was not very regular in the maintenance department.
I run 1/2 can through the intake and 1/4 in the oil.
Quiets them noisy lifters inside a day.

 

I've done it before through the brake booster. But read that only gets the rear cylinders. So, I planned on doing it through the intake via the throttle body. It is easy enough to disconnect the MAF.

Have you ever fouled out any spark plugs or O2 sensor by putting the Seafoam through the intake?

 

There is no reason why you can't put it through the TB , that may work better. Im pretty sure other then setting a code no harm would come from doing it that way,but remove the MAF completely so you don't get any Seafoam in it. I have never fouled plugs or the 02 using it, If I remember correctly it says on the can or the website something like (02 sensor safe)..WW

 

I'll admit to having been a skeptic about Seafoam - but I bought a bottle the other day and put about 3/4 of it into the throttle body of my '97 GMC K1500 (156,000 miles on it). Shut it down for about an hour, then went for a drive. A great smoke show was produced, and after that ended, the idle was noticeable smoother - and I think there's some perception of increased power, though it may be in my head at this point. I fully expected to be disappointed, but I do believe it helped my old Vortec 350.

 

Josh. Unless you have an engine problem I would doubt if you have a carbon build up worth worring about. As far as a injector cleaner there is nothing better then the oxygenated fuel you are using already. As a winter stablizer maybe. But a full tank of fuel will not deteroiate in a 3 or 4 month peroid and if full there will little to no condesation to worry about water formation. Years ago there was a reason for top engine cleaners. But we are light years away from then. New materals for rings, pistons ,seals. Newer and more presise borning of blocks and fitment of pistons and rings have greatly redused the use of oil. most modren engines (TBI and later) even with high millage do not use oil the way their predisators did. So much better enginering. I have seen engines with bent valves do to carbon breaking of the top of pistions I have not seen this in years beyond years. And again unless there is somthing really wrong with your engine and you are using a quart of oil every 300 miles I would doubt you have any built up. You or anyone on here can use what they want and try what they like. I just have not seen a need for an top engine cleaner for years and injector cleaner sense oxygenated fuel became manditory. And again sorry for the spelling and structor of sentences.

 

The car had been running rich and fouling plugs as the PO put in 24# injectors. I Seafoamed last year and got alot of smoke. So, I figured I'd do it again.

I have heard of good things about Mopar Combustion Chamber Cleaner. It comes out as a foam.

 

One thing that I've seen on newer engines is oil puddling in the intake plenum, this can cause build up on the intake valves. Its hard to remove that but I think seafoam helps prevent the build up. On really bad valve deposits, I'll loosen the intake rockers & flood the port with carb cleaner for a day. I also like to run seafoam through my injectors, using a pressurized canister, so the engine is running on a mixture of SF & gas(50/50) for atleast 45 minutes.

 

I have a friend who uses it pretty regularly on small boat engines he'll buy and fix up and sell. If it breaks up carbon, it's worth SOMETHING, though so is water. I'd probably prefer water, myself.

It's funny, I googled 'Seafoam test' and some Honda guy did a test, which wasn't all that bad, really. He took compresssion numbers before and after using it. The part I thought was funny was that he said a lot of Honda guys might NOT want to use it because it'll break up carbon from the chambers and DECREASE compression.

The guys at Grassrootsmotorsports.com seem to like it for a quick, cheap rehab for motors they dig out of who-knows-where. Maybe it is stonger than water? I'd still just use more water.

 

I have heard about carbon deposits increasing compression.

I've read about using water instead of Seafoam. The difference I see is it looks like the Seafoam does something while it sits in the engine. Then you start it up and get alot of smoke. I guess that is why they say to shut the engine down for a few hours to let the Seafoam do whatever it does. Then start the engine back up.