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Seafoam Snake oil ?

7K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  sam333 
#1 · (Edited)
I had a can of Seafoam sitting around and I wanted to see how well it removed carbon from my old pistons(removed them for an overhaul, because of oil burning).

I have heard so many stories about how well it works on carbon build up , so I thought I would test it out.

I took two of my old pistons and put one in a can with gunk engine cleaner( spray can ) and one in a can with Seafoam. Both pistons had the rings removed and were completely covered. I checked them every couple of hours to see any progress in removing the carbon build up on the crown and and ring groves.

Neither the gunk or the Seafoam removed any carbon after several hours, though both the liquids were discolored and both pistons were degreased.

I left them over night and then took both pistons out to look at and pick at the carbon. Again neither had removed or even softened the carbon.

I took a tooth brush and scrub at both pistons and while it cleaned all of the oil off, the carbon was untouched on both.

The videos of its use ( poured in the cylinders) aloud to soak and then the car started are dramatic , huge clouds of smoke pouring from the exhaust presumably from the burning carbon that has been broken free and then burned.

I think the real reason for all the smoke is that a very high percentage of Seafoam is oil. I took a small container of Seafom and lit it with a match. It burned very well and after a few moments went out ,leaving about half the container full of oil( which if burned in a cylinder would make a great deal of smoke.

If seafoam cant even loosen carbon on a piston submerged in it over night without rings , there is no way its going to do it in the engine.

The only thing I found that would remove carbon easily were products containing sodium hydroxide (Lye) the same thing that is in oven cleaner.
They work very well in weak solutions(Purple Power is one brand name), but will discolor/etch aluminum if they are to strong or left on to long.
 
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#3 ·
Yep, steam cleaning your engine is the commonly accepted alternative to seafoaming, but I've seen both work perfectly in the real world. I'd choose seafoam over water though, as the seafoam has the ability to clean oil and gunk out of your intake tract when it trickles in. Granted, its not blasting through there, but it sure as hell has more grease-cutting ability than water does.

Plus, seafoaming is just plain fun if you like smoking out your neighborhood :p
 
#4 · (Edited)
bitter, what your calling varnish I call carbon/cracked oil( light brown colored material,in a thin film covering the whole interior of the engine.

I took my engine apart for a rebuild and that is what was causing the stuck rings, though it was thicker in some spots like the ring groves, pan , and valve cover.

So no, Seafoam does not remove varnish or thicker carbon deposits.

The cleaning Seafoam does is done by mechanical action( it does remove grease and oil) , just like water.

I checked the MSDS for Seafoam and found it contains :50% pale oil, 30% naphtha, 20% isopropyl alcohol.

Naphtha is a great degreaser( used it for years to clean jet engines) but does not soften/remove varnish or carbon.

Seafoam is just another gimmick.
 
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