Sea Foam added to oil before changing any issues?

[Laveen Z34]

Never done it before but a friend who has a 97 Monte said that adding Sea Foam and running my engine for a bit before changing the oil cleans it better. Yes or no? Just wanted you guys' opinion.

[GaPrix]

I've read that too, I've done it before, hopefully I havent damaged anything too badly. I think most people see that after adding sea foam to the oil the oil comes out far blacker than it would have, which leads us to believe that its actively helping to clean. I'd like to know too.

[GOT2B GM]

a quart of ATF before an oil change will do the same thing.

[Crazy K]

I do about 1/2 quart of ATF before an oil change sometimes. I actually use water in the intake to clean the inside of the engine. "steam clean"

[Andrew]

I actually use water in the intake to clean the inside of the engine. "steam clean"

WHAT!>>?

[RobertISaar]

i've done it before... water/methanol mix works pretty nicely too. motor MUST be warm/hot before doing it though.

[White93z34]

I've done both ATF and Seafoam. Both work pretty well.

 

When I got the new L67 for my Bonneville it was all coked up and looked as if it had gone long times between changes. I dumped some cheap oil in it at initial startup, put in most of a bottle of seafoam and dumped the rest in the fuel tank. Fired it up, bled out the coolant, ran it for 40 minutes or so. drained out some NASTY slimy oil an hour later. Since then its been great. 40,000 miles since then and the oil goes in clean comes out clean, I run 5,000 mile intervals.

 

My girlfriend accidentally added a quart of ATF to the oil of her old Euro 3.4 which till then usually dumped out pretty black oil at changes, I changed the oil a week later not knowing this and it came out kinda red, found the empty bottle in the trunk, oopsie. Plus side it had much the same effect that Seafoam did. I probably would not run it a week though

[Laveen Z34]

Thanks Everyone!

[Schurkey]

Seems to me that the instructions on the can of Seafoam were to put 1/3 into the gas tank, 1/3 into the oil, and 1/3 into the intake manifold.

 

I find it's much easier to use the aerosol can of Seafoam that has the extra-long red plastic "straw" to clean the throttle body, intake manifold, ports, and valves.

 

The question for me is the overall effectiveness of Seafoam. The times I've used it...I'm not impressed with it's "cleaning" ability.

 

I think that Seafoam is best used as a gasoline preservative for longer-term storage, and not as a "cleaner".

[pshojo]

I've wondered with our vehicles that tend to sit over winter then bring them out. I'm sure I have some sludge in system.

 

How long would you run ATF/Seafoam before changing?

[urbex]

The question for me is the overall effectiveness of Seafoam. The times I've used it...I'm not impressed with it's "cleaning" ability.

 

I think that Seafoam is best used as a gasoline preservative for longer-term storage, and not as a "cleaner".

 

 

Now when I had the engine apart on the Lumina I used the spray Seafoam to clean carbon off of everything. It worked exceptionally well for that!

[GOT2B GM]

Just yesterday I ran a half quart of ATF in my northstar for 60 miles before the oil change then dumped it.

[urbex]

Do you drain 1/2 quart of oil out before adding the ATF?

[GOT2B GM]

No, but the northstar burns oil like a fiend, so it was likely at least a half quart low anyways.