Seafoam for real?

[JasperFrank]

If you follow, " Rev up your engines," Scotty Kilmer , he has nothing good to say about Seafoam. I disagree with him. Which is okay, ..I still watch his channel.

 

[JWR]

The testimonials are endless and to some extent the number of users amounts to a positive vote for Seafoam. I have only seen ONE absolute certain example far beyond "I think it is smoother." We have a 1954 Massey Harris Pacer with a Continental 4 cyl engine and an updraft carb. The carb has been rebuilt with new gaskets and needle valves, etc. 3 or 4 times over the years. Since about 1965 it has frequently (like multiple times per hour) stumbled and chugged and stopped UNLESS I whacked the side of the cast iron bowl with a wrench (which I could barely reach by standing up from the driver's seat.) That jarred the float/valve loose, allowed gas into the bowl again and it would run for a while. About 5 years ago I gave it the first dose of any additive ever -- Seafoam. That float has never stuck again in the last 5 years and I have never again had to beat on the carb bowl again. I can barely imagine the grief it would have saved me had I known this would work over the last 50 years (if Seafoam existed then...)

 

[K Arno]

Fuel stabilizer products are around 50% by volume detergents. I like having things that start and idle without annual teardowns. I use them in the stuff I don't use often and everything else by pouring a dose in my fuel cans before I fill them. Haven't had to clean a carb in years now.

 

[Cougsfan]

I am always skeptical about claims that say "I avoided problems by using a particular additive". How do they know that? Chances are very high they wouldn't have had a problem if they used nothing and cared for their vehicle in a reasonable manner. I view fuel and oil additives in the same light as I view vitamins and health supplements. The vast majority of them are over-hyped and not really needed.

 

[plowhog]

You all must be buying crappy gas, or I'm one lucky son of a gun. .... NEVER had a problem with starting 6 months or so later. Even storing gasoline for 6 months or so, and no issue using it.

You are saying gasoline stores better at 30 below zero?

 

[Lefty7]

Fuel stabilizer products are around 50% by volume detergents. I like having things that start and idle without annual teardowns. I use them in the stuff I don't use often and everything else by pouring a dose in my fuel cans before I fill them. Haven't had to clean a carb in years now.

I'm in this camp. Had reoccurring problems in chain saws, weedwhackers, augers and mowers until I started buying only no-ethanol high test gas and adding a 1cc dollop of StarTron to each 5 gal. can before filling it. Not a problem since.

 

[Patches]

A friend had an old pavement saw given him. We could not start the saw with the choke, so removed the plug, poured a little fuel into the cylinder and got it started. Did not run well and would not idle. I suggested he pour two capfuls of the sea foam into the tank. Started the saw as we had been and kept it running with the choke and throttle for about 5 minutes. Still didn't run or idle well. Put in the corner of the shop for several days before pulling it out and starting it with our usual method. The engine ran better and idled some. Back to the corner for probably a week before having time to play with it again. It started with nothing but the choke and ran reasonably well so we kept it running, blipping the throttle and flipping the choke on/off. The saw now starts, runs and idles well and I'm a believer

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I have used Sea Foam, though I prefer Star Tron. I generally turn the gas off in my generator after every test run; but for some reason did not do that one time. Could NOT start it. A shot of starter fluid--no sermons needed, I know the risks--started it; but it only ran choked. I dosed up the tank with some fresh gas and Star-Tron and let it run for an hour. Shut it off and let it set. Without the choke, it started on the second pull. Never had a problem since. It seems that the magic juice cured my problem.

 

[Cougsfan]

Fuel stabilizer products are around 50% by volume detergents. I like having things that start and idle without annual teardowns. I use them in the stuff I don't use often and everything else by pouring a dose in my fuel cans before I fill them. Haven't had to clean a carb in years now.

I don't use any additives and never have had annual teardowns and haven't cleaned a carb in decades, and I have a lot of seldom used engines (2 chainsaws, log splitter, riding mower, 2 push mowers, tiller, weed eater, fence post pounder, gas powered generator, high pressure sprayer, 3 motorcycles, along with 2 tractors, 1 truck, 2 cars, and I forget what else. The majority of those devices are well over 10 years old).

Am I just lucky?

I have to admit I do use non-ethanol gasoline in all my gasoline powered devices except my cars. Some of them set for a year or longer between uses, and if I know it will set for a while I will shut off gas (if it allows) and run the carb dry after use. Perhaps we use a different method of insurance to avoid the same problems.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I am always skeptical about claims that say "I avoided problems by using a particular additive". How do they know that? Chances are very high they wouldn't have had a problem if they used nothing and cared for their vehicle in a reasonable manner. I view fuel and oil additives in the same light as I view vitamins and health supplements. The vast majority of them are over-hyped and not really needed.

when you blow a engine because you have a plug injectors (on a two stroke) or you have to clean a carb every spring and once you used a product you don't have too then you know ...