Seafoam experience...?

"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
03/14/2018 at 15:28 • Filed to: Carbon

Hi Oppo!

So, my car seems to run OK, but it seems to be less peppy then I remember. I’ve owned it from 54,000kms until now (135,000kms) and I’ve had tuneups done in the past, but it’s been awhile and I don’t think the carbon has ever been cleaned out.

Does anybody have any experience with Seafoam? I know little about it other than it’s supposed to work well with cleaning carbon buildup....is the stuff snake oil, or does it really work? How does one use it anyway? Does it hinder more than help?

Thinking I might run some through Humdrum and see if it makes a difference! :)

Thanks for any comments or answers!

DISCUSSION (13)

Long-Voyager > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/14/2018 at 16:18

I run Seafoam in my vehicles periodically. I run it in all my small engines when I know they will sit for any prolonged period.

It acts to keep internal seals working, cleans buildup, and seems to help from my experience.

razorbeamteam > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/14/2018 at 16:21

I’ve done it in the intake of my Range Rover before. I used a whole bottle through a vacuum hose then shut off the engine for 30 mins and let it sit. Afterwards I went for a 30 minute drive in the highway. For the first couple minutes there was some thick grey smoke then about 10 minutes of white smoke. I noticed a little easier starting and throttle response. I wouldn’t expect a dramatic increase in performance, but it made my car feel a little less tired if that makes sense. About 6 months later I took off the intake to do my head gaskets and it was shiny and clean. Of course I had nothing to compare it to, but it certainly wasn’t dirty. I decided to do it after my idle air control valve seized up from buildup, so I assumed the rest of the intake was gunked up as well.

At the very least, it was a ton of fun making that smoke show. I’m sure my fellow motorists thought my car was about to catch on fire.

thejustache > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/14/2018 at 16:23

My experience with Seafoam is almost entirely as a fuel cleaner/stabilizer especially when dealing with ethanol gas. I’ve had no carb issues with my motorcycles in the spring after parking the bikes for the winter with a full tank of gas & seafoam mixture.

Its use on carbon I’m a lot less experienced with. I did try running it through the intake on an old Subaru I had a few years ago. After it did the whole “blow steam out the tailpipe for 20 minutes like a blown head gasket” thing I’ve seen on youtube it ran pretty decent, but it wasn’t that bad to begin with either. Far from scientific! I ultimately took the throttle body off and cleaned it with real throttle body cleaner a year or so later and that made a much bigger difference. Is it bad? Probably not. Is it great? I’m afraid I can’t really tell you. I am definitely a fan for it’s use in gas though.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/14/2018 at 16:24

CRC makes an intake valve cleaner that works well. Crc GDI intake cleaner, or something like that. Not too expensive and it works well. Better yet is the B12 chem tool kit that has a hose and fitting to insert into the intake and run the the car till the can is empty. It works well also. The CRC stuff is cheaper in stores though.

Kinja'd!!!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > thejustache
03/14/2018 at 16:28

Maybe I should look into cleaning the throttle body then - thanks for the input!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
03/14/2018 at 16:28

Thanks for the suggestion!!!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Long-Voyager
03/14/2018 at 16:28

Maybe it may be a good idea then!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > razorbeamteam
03/14/2018 at 16:29

Maybe something like a throttle body clean will be a better call....might try it anyway!

Mercedes Streeter > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/14/2018 at 17:26

I recommend it! I used a similar product (Marvel Mystery Oil) when Tucker was misfiring. I’m not sure what impact it had, but Tucker isn’t misfiring anymore!

razorbeamteam > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/14/2018 at 17:31

For $10 you get an hour of entertainment. Can’t beat that!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > razorbeamteam
03/14/2018 at 18:27

This is true!

Nibbles > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/14/2018 at 20:28

I run a can through every shitheap I buy. It certainly has helped in the past. One time I bought a tired old Rodeo that wouldn’t pass emissions. Slopped a can through the vacuum and it passed with flying colors.

pip bip - choose Corrour > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/15/2018 at 08:46

subaru upper engine cleaner.