Seafoam in engine oil - you've got to be joking. - Suzuki Volusia Forums : Intruder Volusia and Boulevard Forum

CycleBiker · 06-22-2008, 02:14 PM

Noticed that some members are putting Seafoam in their engine oil and running that way.
Seafoam is a mixture of ordinary oil at 40-60%, Naptha at 25-35%, and IPA at 10-20%
Naptha is gasoline purified to have a low vapor pressure (also known as "white gas")
IPA is Isopropyl Alcohol or Isopropanol - a form of alcohol.

Here is some information from another site:

cleansed, not coated
On the other side of the engine block are those additives which will cleanse your engine, not coat it. Stuff like Bardahl, Rislone and Marvel Mystery Oil claim they can make your engine run quieter and smoother, and reduce oil burning. These are products which contain solvents or detergents such as kerosene, naphthalene, xylene, acetone or isopropanol. If used properly, I suppose these products will strip off your Teflon and zinc protective coatings! But unless you have a really old and abused car, you probably have no need of stripping away sludge and deposits from your engine. Thus, you probably have no need for these wonder cleaners. If you overuse such products you can damage your engine by promoting metal to metal contact.
If you use a synthetic oil, such as Mobil 1, you are advised not to use any engine treatments or additives. Mobil claims that
The use of an engine oil additive is not recommended, either by Mobil or by virtually any vehicle manufacturer. In fact, it may void your new-car warranty.

moenko · 06-22-2008, 02:20 PM

It's not meant for permanent use in the oil; it's meant to be driving for the last ride before the oil change. I hardly think that would cause any damage or SeaFoam, a renowned manufacturer, wouldn't recommend that type of use.

CycleBiker · 06-22-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moenko

It's not meant for permanent use in the oil; it's meant to be driving for the last ride before the oil change. I hardly think that would cause any damage or SeaFoam, a renowned manufacturer, wouldn't recommend that type of use.

I can see using it that way Moenko - kind of like the old flushing oil which was used before detergent oils came about. I wouldn't like to actually RIDE the bike with that stuff in the oil though.

BIKERPOP · 06-22-2008, 02:33 PM

Yep, guilty

. Using it in my Rotella T 15W-40 oil FOR it's detergent quality. It keeps the "sludge" [ gums, varnish, and carbon deposits ] from building up which can inhibit oil flow. Keeps my shifter working smoother. Also, it removes moisture from the crankcase. I have family members that use Rotella oil as well, but they prefer the Marvel Mystery oil in their crankcase.

BIKERPOP · 06-22-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moenko

It's not meant for permanent use in the oil; it's meant to be driving for the last ride before the oil change. I hardly think that would cause any damage or SeaFoam, a renowned manufacturer, wouldn't recommend that type of use.

Moe, I didn't see anything about putting it in for the last ride before an oil change. Until I see proof otherwise, IMO, that's just a rumor started by some "armchair theorist" (?). It just says on the can: "use in oil", up to 1 + 1/2 oz per qt. I put 3 oz in at each oil change. I've done this for the last 4 or 5 changes with positive results so far. As I mentioned, it helps the shifter. It may even be helping me get that little better gas mileage I've experienced lately. Approx 1 to 2 mpg

. I also use 3 oz in the gas tank, at the first fill after the oil change, to keep the injectors clean. .. Note: I am not advising anyone to follow my lead in this practice, nor saying "not to do it". I'm just following the beat of my own drum

. After all, this stuff has been around since I was 2 years old. AND I'M OLD!

I doubt that it would last that long if it was detrimental to the internal combustion engine

annieh · 06-22-2008, 04:09 PM

I put it in the engine oil of my '99 blazer (the one with 155k miles on it) about every 5th oil change. The truck runs smoother, it has eliminated a tapping that i had, and my gas mileage has somewhat improved. Good stuff imho.

CycleBiker · 06-22-2008, 04:22 PM

Anytime you thin your engine oil you can expect improved gas mileage - especially with a splash sump system.

jimKo · 06-22-2008, 04:59 PM

Ya know,

These additives aren't much help.
I've been tearing down and building engines up as a hobby 7\8ths of my life.

I have never seen any torn down motor clogged or sludged unless oil was seldom changed, overheated, block was split or the head gasket leaked.

I just built a 460 last year that had 180,000 on it.
It was clean as a whistle inside, of course it had good regular maintenance also.
It was in a truck I bought new, I never used any kind of additive in the motor.

I just believe anything outside of the recommended oil\filter changes are not going to help or enhance anything.

If a motor isn't running right, it's broken.
2 cents

BIKERPOP · 06-22-2008, 05:27 PM

I grant you that the modern oils, with the detergents and all the other refinements already in them, do a much better job than the old Paraffin based oils that used to "gunk up" an engine. I pulled engines apart when I was a teen [ in the 50's ] that you had to scrape the sludge out of with a putty knife. By comparison, in '83, I rebuilt a slant 6 in an old Plymouth Duster that was very clean. .. All that doesn't negate the fact that seafoam in my C-50 crankcase keeps my shifter from getting stiff at 2,500 miles so that I can get the 3,000 miles out of the oil I am supposed to. A local guy I ride with told me: when his shifter gets hard to shift, he changes the oil. He pays little attention to how many miles is on the odometer. It's an older Vulcan with fewer resetable trip meters, and he don't keep written records. .. My sense is, and this has no research by me to back it up, but, I feel like the seafoam makes the oil slippery-er. Perhaps by keeping the contaminents in suspension so that they do not cling to the surfaces involved, causing the shifter to stick. We are talking: "at the molecular level" here, and only a scientist, who studies this chit, could say what is happening for sure. I just know it works for me.

FX4 · 06-22-2008, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimKo

Ya know,

These additives aren't much help.
I've been tearing down and building engines up as a hobby 7\8ths of my life.

I have never seen any torn down motor clogged or sludged unless oil was seldom changed, overheated, block was split or the head gasket leaked.

I just built a 460 last year that had 180,000 on it.
It was clean as a whistle inside, of course it had good regular maintenance also.
It was in a truck I bought new, I never used any kind of additive in the motor.

I just believe anything outside of the recommended oil\filter changes are not going to help or enhance anything.

If a motor isn't running right, it's broken.
2 cents

+1 same here. I have been building engines and rebuilding them since I was ten years old or so. I generally think when you get to the point where a solvent like SeaFoam is helping you have bigger problems.

06-22-2008, 02:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
CycleBiker Banned Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,012 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Seafoam in engine oil - you've got to be joking. Noticed that some members are putting Seafoam in their engine oil and running that way. Seafoam is a mixture of ordinary oil at 40-60%, Naptha at 25-35%, and IPA at 10-20% Naptha is gasoline purified to have a low vapor pressure (also known as "white gas") IPA is Isopropyl Alcohol or Isopropanol - a form of alcohol. Here is some information from another site: cleansed, not coated On the other side of the engine block are those additives which will cleanse your engine, not coat it. Stuff like Bardahl, Rislone and Marvel Mystery Oil claim they can make your engine run quieter and smoother, and reduce oil burning. These are products which contain solvents or detergents such as kerosene, naphthalene, xylene, acetone or isopropanol. If used properly, I suppose these products will strip off your Teflon and zinc protective coatings! But unless you have a really old and abused car, you probably have no need of stripping away sludge and deposits from your engine. Thus, you probably have no need for these wonder cleaners. If you overuse such products you can damage your engine by promoting metal to metal contact. If you use a synthetic oil, such as Mobil 1, you are advised not to use any engine treatments or additives. Mobil claims that The use of an engine oil additive is not recommended, either by Mobil or by virtually any vehicle manufacturer. In fact, it may void your new-car warranty.

06-22-2008, 02:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
BIKERPOP Senior VR Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Crabtree, NC Posts: 1,466 Thanks: 121 Thanked 44 Times in 35 Posts	Yep, guilty . Using it in my Rotella T 15W-40 oil FOR it's detergent quality. It keeps the "sludge" [ gums, varnish, and carbon deposits ] from building up which can inhibit oil flow. Keeps my shifter working smoother. Also, it removes moisture from the crankcase. I have family members that use Rotella oil as well, but they prefer the Marvel Mystery oil in their crankcase. __________________ Visit www.volusiaowners.com/viewtopic.php?=8&t=862 ... PM me to get your BIKERPOP SSS Strap Black & Chrome '05 DJ800 Official "Mountain Beta Tester" DJ Drive Mod!

06-22-2008, 05:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
BIKERPOP Senior VR Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Crabtree, NC Posts: 1,466 Thanks: 121 Thanked 44 Times in 35 Posts	I grant you that the modern oils, with the detergents and all the other refinements already in them, do a much better job than the old Paraffin based oils that used to "gunk up" an engine. I pulled engines apart when I was a teen [ in the 50's ] that you had to scrape the sludge out of with a putty knife. By comparison, in '83, I rebuilt a slant 6 in an old Plymouth Duster that was very clean. .. All that doesn't negate the fact that seafoam in my C-50 crankcase keeps my shifter from getting stiff at 2,500 miles so that I can get the 3,000 miles out of the oil I am supposed to. A local guy I ride with told me: when his shifter gets hard to shift, he changes the oil. He pays little attention to how many miles is on the odometer. It's an older Vulcan with fewer resetable trip meters, and he don't keep written records. .. My sense is, and this has no research by me to back it up, but, I feel like the seafoam makes the oil slippery-er. Perhaps by keeping the contaminents in suspension so that they do not cling to the surfaces involved, causing the shifter to stick. We are talking: "at the molecular level" here, and only a scientist, who studies this chit, could say what is happening for sure. I just know it works for me. __________________ Visit www.volusiaowners.com/viewtopic.php?=8&t=862 ... PM me to get your BIKERPOP SSS Strap Black & Chrome '05 DJ800 Official "Mountain Beta Tester" DJ Drive Mod!

06-22-2008, 04:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
annieh Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,413 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I put it in the engine oil of my '99 blazer (the one with 155k miles on it) about every 5th oil change. The truck runs smoother, it has eliminated a tapping that i had, and my gas mileage has somewhat improved. Good stuff imho.

06-22-2008, 04:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
CycleBiker Banned Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,012 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Anytime you thin your engine oil you can expect improved gas mileage - especially with a splash sump system.

06-22-2008, 04:59 PM	#8 (permalink)
jimKo Senior VR Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: CA, Roseville Posts: 6,571 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Ya know, These additives aren't much help. I've been tearing down and building engines up as a hobby 7\8ths of my life. I have never seen any torn down motor clogged or sludged unless oil was seldom changed, overheated, block was split or the head gasket leaked. I just built a 460 last year that had 180,000 on it. It was clean as a whistle inside, of course it had good regular maintenance also. It was in a truck I bought new, I never used any kind of additive in the motor. I just believe anything outside of the recommended oil\filter changes are not going to help or enhance anything. If a motor isn't running right, it's broken. 2 cents

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