[jonathanrsr]

I use synthetic oil (which I'm not going to identify so as not to resurrect that dead horse) which I change about every 3000 - 4000 miles. I checked it before changing it this time,and it was fairly clear. Just for sh*ts & giggles, added Seafoam to the oil, and drove the bike about 35 minutes, and then carefully opened the drain plug. Could not believe the difference in color that came out - totally black, as if I had used dino oil for 20,000 miles. And yes - SF is a petroleum product.

 

[303frost]

I'm due for an oil change soon, I'll try this out!

 

[petermholmes]

This has the makings of a great tip. I'll be interested in hearing your results, 303frost.

 

[303frost]

This has the makings of a great tip. I'll be interested in hearing your results, 303frost.

I' try and do a video comparison, should be interesting!

 

[ArferBrick]

I would think that the stuff is flammable too so be careful!

How much did you use?

I used Diesel many moons ago to wash out a car engine before changing the oil - it blew up lol.

Anyone know if we can get an alternative to this "Seafoam" stuff in Europe?

 

[303frost]

Well, my breath is flammable at this point! I'll try this in the morning I suppose!

 

[303frost]

I would think that the stuff is flammable too so be careful!

How much did you use?

I used Diesel many moons ago to wash out a car engine before changing the oil - it blew up lol.

Anyone know if we can get an alternative to this "Seafoam" stuff in Europe?

Stabil Fuel Treatment is what the Triumph dealers out here are recommending if you are storing or leaving your bike sit around for a while.

 

[Merlyn]

Hrmmm- I am supposed to change my oil today- I think I'll add a couple ounces of seafoam and ride it a few miles before I do....

Merlyn

 

[Slinky]

Anyone know if we can get an alternative to this "Seafoam" stuff in Europe?

You could use good old fashioned "flushing oil" to get the same effect.

I'm not sure I like the idea of it, because it does dilute the oil and you won't get it all out.

 

[ssevy]

I would never use Seafoam in the engine oil. It smells and works just like laquer thinner, which is a very strong solvent (same stuff as carb cleaner). Besides eating up some of the sealant products that keep the oil in the engine from seeping out, you could score the cylinders, spin a bearing and really screw the pooch. If you are trying to get your engine innards cleaned, Marvel Mystery Oil is a much safer alternative, and designed to be safe for this job. If you are running a decent synthetic, this isn't really necessary. The black color that you saw coming out was most likely carbon, or part of the oil's own additive package. Slinky's point about diluting the new oil that you put in is also spot on.

 

[jonathanrsr]

ssevy,

FWIW - ingredients from the SF website (of which I only recognize 2 - don't know what IPA is):

CAS # Wt.%
Pale Oil 64742-54-7 40.00 - 60.00 N/Av >15000 mg/kg >5000 mg/kg
Naphtha 64742-49-0 25.00 - 35.00 N/Av >5000 mg/kg N/Av
IPA 67-63-0 10.00 - 20.00 17000ppm 4720mg/kg 12890mg/k

 

[denny]

isopropyl alcohol ?

 

[hawk#1]

affer we can get seafoam in e u ive saw it on flea bay but just put a general search on net and u find normally its available from any good marine chandlers its for boat engine by all accounts from what ive read not used myself ive got a m8 that works in kwick fit and the stuff he gave me is really good and deffo works a treat as far as i know seafoam is a fuel stabiliser /cleaner so guess its only for when your laying the bike up for winter i only use the fuel cleaner in first tank of season and found it good for this purpose i cant recall the name just yet but will post the morn as m8 will be in bed by now lol

 

[Billbikes]

I thought MM oil was essentially the same thing as SeaFoam.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[jonathanrsr]

Bill,

According to the MMO directions, with an oil change, you can substitute a portion of the MMO instead of adding the oil (don't recall how much). And like SF, it can be added to gas to allegedly help increase mileage, displace moisture, and I think stabilize the fuel from breakdown.

Shame the weather forecast isn't looking good for tomorrow's breakfast in Ephrata.

 

[ArferBrick]

I also originally thought exactly what sevvy said, that it would eat seals away but decided not to post that because on second thoughts I reasoned that if it's safe for carburettors then it shouldn't eat O-rings.

But on "third thoughts" the O-rings in carbs are specifically fuel resistant and I'm not sure about the ones inside the engine, or any other seals for that matter!

The black in the old oil could either be the oil mix from the cylinder walls that was burnt in the combustion chambers (being thinner I would imagine that it gets past the oil scraper ring easier), also maybe mixed with dissolved carbon from the top of the pistons/cylinder head, or melted seal material .

You could maybe confirm this if you could see inside the cylinders. If the tops of the pistons are nice and clean, you could deduce that the Seafoam had simply cleaned out some carbon, and all is well.

But as Slinky says, there will still be quite a bit of that old "Seafoam mix" oil in there, upto about half a litre I reckon.

I read here somewhere that some people tip their bikes right over on both sides at oil change time in order to get the last few drops out of the cam wells on the cylinder head.

Seems a bit much, but if you can do it safely it certainly couldn't hurt.

I guess my point is that I'd be worried as hell that I did some damage to the motor, and would be doing anything I could think of to either verify or deny that.

 

[Gonzo 61]

The problem with this theory is that all the crud set free with the sea foam (good product for fuel systems) Is travelling through the entire oil system ie, bearings. I would'nt think that is good for things.Using a good quality oil changed often is enough save the cleaning for rebuild time.
I have seen people in the past use engine flush only to need a rebuild afterward because of bearing knock that started after using the product.

 

[ssevy]

If anyone here has had the experience of switching an older car from regular oil to synthetic, then you already know that synthetics clean out lots of accumulated crud all on their own. In fact, for some older cars, you can actually create problems using synthetic oil, as the sludge that was sealing all of those gaps in the engine is suddenly gone, and now you're either leaking or burning oil. A good synthetic will keep the inside of your engine in very clean condition, as I have seen when tearing down engines after many years of synthetic use.

 

[triplestrength]

If you change oil at frequent intervals and use a new filter, crud doesn't build up in the first place.
If you are determined to ’flush' then do it with the reccomended oil and filter very early. I. E. run the engine after an oil change and then drain and refill.
Personally I wouldnt bother but each to their own.

Sent from my GT-I9100P using Motorcycle.com Free App

 

[DragonNester]

From the Sea Foam web site:

"To clean built-up oil residues and contamination from the crank case, add 1½ oz. Sea Foam to each quart of engine oil. Sea Foam will slowly re-liquefy residues and suspend contaminants for easy removal. Monitor oil for color and clarity and change oil and replace filter when oil looks dirty."

Personally, I don't think the risk is worth the effort.