Sea Foam

[Wuudie]

I've seen posts here and there about winterizing their cars (gas) and some use Staybuilt, Fuel Stabilizer.

Has anyone ever used this stuff called Sea Foam?

I've used Sea Foam in the family cars for jet cleaner, the Harley for Carb Cleaner, and recently used it in my quad to clean the tarnish out of it. (Bought the quad last March from an old farmer who bought it new in 2000, and only put 120 hours on it and hadn't fired it up since 04)
This stuff cleans jets and cleans the varnish excellant, but it also says it's a good stabilizer too-

Seems to me everything positive it's done to my engines was positive to cleaning the fuel system. Has Anyone used Sea Foam as a Stabilizer? I'd hate to use it, then find out it's not as good as StayBuilt.

[Wuudie]

Thanks Jeff

[Patrick L.]

Great stuff,, I've been buying it by the gallon for 30 years..

[HoarseWhisperer]

According to:

http://www.fuel-testers.com/is_gas_a..._e10_list.html

"Avoid all Gas Additives & Fuel System Treatment Products that contain alcohol and/or attract or absorb water with E10 gasoline"

If I'm reading their GAS ADDITIVE PRODUCT CHART correctly, Seafoam contains alcohol; Sta-Bil does not?

[1931 flamingo]

If storing car for the winter, DRAIN the tank,etc. New gas has a very short shelf life, why waste money on either product, drain the tank. Do the same with mower, blower, weed whacker, hedge trimmers, etc. No problems. JMO
Paul in CT

[MikeK]

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For what it is worth, here is what is in "Sea Foam":

40-60% Light naphthenic oil. (Less wax, better solvency than paraffinic oils.)
25-35% Naphtha (A general mix of crude sourced solvents.)
10-20% Isopropyl alcohol

Not rocket science, just a low wax clear base oil mixed with VM&P grade thinner, which is identical to the Coleman lantern fuel sold in gallon cans, and isopropanol, which is what is in a 99cent bottle of IsoHeet.

From the huge variance in the mix percentages, it seems they are more focused on color, smell, and what product is in excess at the refinery rather than meeting any specific product performance benchmarks.

[Jim/GA]

OK, so what's in Sta-Bil?

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Jim/TX

OK, so what's in Sta-Bil?

95+ % Heavy naphtha (Mixed HC's 6-12 carbons, as opposed to 'light' like paint thinner.)

<5% Naphthalene (Mothballs, a white solid, back-to-back benzene rings)

Small % of junk HC residuals and colorant, referred to by the manufacturer as "additive", ha ha. Possibly polar configurations or detergent.

[Tom Wesenberg]

About 20 years ago I bought a very nice one owner Olds cheap because it sounded like the rods were shot. After checking them and the rockers, it turned out the hydraulic lifters were stuck. I drove to the store and bought a can of Sea-Foam. I poured it in the oil and before I drove the 5 miles home the engine was quiet as new. Sea-Foam is the first thing I'll try for stuck valve and lifters.

Has anyone ever tried Sea-Foam for a stuck engine? I wonder how it would do on stuck bolts and nuts also?

[HoarseWhisperer]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

If storing car for the winter, DRAIN the tank,etc. New gas has a very short shelf life, why waste money on either product, drain the tank. Do the same with mower, blower, weed whacker, hedge trimmers, etc. No problems. JMO
Paul in CT

As per usual, there are pros & cons regarding fuel storage or draining:

"If you know gas will sit in your tank or a storage container for a couple months, then it's a wise move to buy some fuel system stabilizer and mix it in with the gasoline. Do it before you put the vehicle into long-term storage or before leaving your lawn equipment fuel containers sitting for the winter. The stabilizer helps prevent oxidation, the biggie that can turn gas into garbage that gunks up your system and leads to expensive repair work.
Using fuel system stabilizer for extended storage is preferable to draining the tank and leaving the system dry. This can cause rubber hoses, gaskets and seals to dry-rot and crack, possibly leading to leaks and even a fire. In addition, a dry system can expose the insides of metal fuel lines and your gas tank to air and moisture, which can lead to or accelerate the formation of rust.
Fuel system stabilizer is not a cure-all and it doesn't last forever. It must be mixed with fresh gas before the vehicle is stored, not added to already old gas. It can slow down the oxidation process and keep gas fresh for as long as 12 to 15 months. If you're going to leave the vehicle parked for longer than that, you may want to drain the tank and refill with fresh fuel before returning the vehicle to service."

C&P from:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayof...gas/index.html

[dlshady]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

About 20 years ago I bought a very nice one owner Olds cheap because it sounded like the rods were shot. After checking them and the rockers, it turned out the hydraulic lifters were stuck. I drove to the store and bought a can of Sea-Foam. I poured it in the oil and before I drove the 5 miles home the engine was quiet as new. Sea-Foam is the first thing I'll try for stuck valve and lifters.

Has anyone ever tried Sea-Foam for a stuck engine? I wonder how it would do on stuck bolts and nuts also?

I have personally experienced the same thing. The stuff also does wonders when added to the fuel system in a car that has stale gas in it. For what its worth, Sea-Foam now offers a penetrating oil type of product in a spray can, but I've found that it doesn't seem to work as well as PB Blaster. Just my 2 1/2 cents (adjusted for inflation)....


Deron

[Old182]

I'm sure others (MikeK?) can add to this, but simply put gasolines are composed of a couple hundred different molecules, primarily paraffins, aromatics, and olefins. Certain paraffins are great (isooctane) components because of their high octane and clean burning characteristics, and aromatics (toluene [methyl benzene] and xylenes [dimethyl benzenes]) are also high octane and help to provide range but tend to create soot during combustion. Olefins, however, typically come from cracking operations at the refinery and, because of their double bonds, are reactive. These are the "molecular nymphomaniacs" that react with oxygen leading to oxidation of the fuel. Once a free radical is formed, it can form a peroxide radical which then reacts with another and another and another until high molecular weight materials are formed - gums. Antioxidant products such as StaBil and others tie up these free radicals and prevent or stop the oxidation process (much the same as dark chocolate in our diets). That's the mechanism. The good news is that because olefins are known bad actors, their inclusion in gasolines has been on a downward trend over the last 10 years or so making fuels more stable than they used to be. I agree with HW regarding storage of a dry system; it can lead to far worse problems than skunky-smelling gasoline. I've never used antioxidants, but unlike a lot of snake oils out there, they are products that do work as their chemistry is sound. $0.02.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

If storing car for the winter, DRAIN the tank,etc. New gas has a very short shelf life, why waste money on either product, drain the tank. Do the same with mower, blower, weed whacker, hedge trimmers, etc. No problems. JMO
Paul in CT

Paul,
This year, I bought a '29 sport coupe from an old meticulas guy who routinely did what should be done regularly to a model A to prepare it for storage each winter. He DRAINED the gas tank, because he thought that that was the thing to do. Well, I'm here to tell you that the "dry" gas tank was/is covered entirely inside with rust particles! I've drained it and strained it and still have to change filters,etc... DON'T DO IT!!

[Mitch//pa]

yep never drain a metal tank and leave it sit big time moisture leading to rust problems. heating oil tanks same thing fill em up after winter. lawn equipment has plastic tanks with a float bowl drain so empting them dry is not an issue. my 3 cents

[Bruce Adams]

While I am a fan of Sea Foam for cleaning gummy carbs, I am a bigger fan of
STARTRON by Starbrite for preventing "Phase Separation" of gasoline while in storage. It has become the standard in the marine industry around Long Island, NY.
Take a look.
http://www.starbrite.com/productdeta...Startron%20Gas

[HoarseWhisperer]

I was under the impression that there is no additive that actually "prevents" phase-seperation in E10.

[phaetonblue]

I have had good results with Sea Foam in the gas tank and and in the crankcase. While I had my weed eater motor apart, I rubbed some Sea Foam with my fingers onto the old ring with heavy carbon deposits and the carbon dissolved right before my very eyes. Good stuff.

[Jerry Parr WI]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Paul,
This year, I bought a '29 sport coupe from an old meticulas guy who routinely did what should be done regularly to a model A to prepare it for storage each winter. He DRAINED the gas tank, because he thought that that was the thing to do. Well, I'm here to tell you that the "dry" gas tank was/is covered entirely inside with rust particles! I've drained it and strained it and still have to change filters,etc... DON'T DO IT!!

Draining the tank is very effective in a controlled environment. In an unheated garage the cooling cycles cause condensation inside the tank. The higher the humidity and the greater the temperature swings the more condensation. Seems to affect mostly the top of the tank. A full tank has less air so it has less moisture to condense. Filling the tank and draining it in the spring may be effective.

The most effective sounding method I ever heard of was to drain the tank and fill it with dry nitrogen. You need to provide a source of makeup nitrogen to compensate for expansion due to temperature changes. Suggested method was a large balloon over the filler. If you have a leak at the steering column that could be a problem. Sounds like a lot of work.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I fill my tank with non-ethanol, park the car, and don't touch it till spring. Then I just start driving it. Never a problem, just have to stay away from any ethanol in the gas.

[ken ct]

Its NOT availible in Ct so i use seafoam.use it in lawnmower,36,motor home ,and motorcycle. Never bad gas in spring.I also use sparingly in winter [drivers] ken ct.

[HoarseWhisperer]

Some sources indicate that fuel additives containing alcohol (as in Seafoam and some others), should not be used in Ethanol (alcohol) blended gasoline.

[IronM]

Sea Foam is good stuff, they also have a spray lube (think WD-40), that I have seen do some amazing stuff.