isn't seafoam recommended for use close to an oil change not the whole change? I don't think it will hurt anything I just not sure I would run it the whole time myself? I know that's not how the directions read though, it says for use all the time. I just am leary of using anything in my vehicles (even though I use and trust in seafoam) esp something with only 125k! that thing has an easy 175k left in it!!
clemsonfor I prefer to run in it the crankcase for a few days (25-75 miles). Because Sea Foam works while you sleep too I think having it in for several 5-10 mile runs does the most good but sometimes I just warm up an engine and then add the Sea Foam (about 1.5 oz per quart of motor oil) and let it idle for 20 minutes before I drain.
For automatic transmissions I like to add the Sea Foam about 200-300 miles before I change it out. In the gas tank I just run the 2oz per gallon ratio per info on the can if I want to get a good cleaning. If I am going to use it through the intake I like to do that just before changing the engine oil so not to dump a lot of carbon into the crankcase right after a fresh oil change.
Now I did run it in the crankcase of the 5.3L for about 160 miles because I though and still do think the oil pressure relief valve in the oil pump may have been one factor in our wild oil gauge readings. The wild readings with even no oil pressure on the gauge did go away before we installed the new sending unit. I also wanted to flush the crank case well because I was moving from dino to synthetic at the next change.
Today we put some interstate miles on the SUV staying out of OD because I had a tank of 1:64 ratio of Sea Foam in the gas tank. The oil pressure was rock solid at 2500 RPM but at 3000RPM/70MPH sometimes it would jump up to 70-75 PSI and back down to about 60 PSI in rapid order with the cruise control set. It never when to the low side.
The first 20 mile on the interstate I was getting up to 80 MPH which equals 3500 RPM and letting off until it got back down to 50 MPH then go WOT to 80 then repeat over an over to request a full spray from the injectors while running the 1:64 Sea Foam with premium gas. After we ate we went to a nearby zip line park because it was up to about 50F today and the kids like zip lines.
When we got back on the interstate Oil Pressure was stable again and with reading more like the Blazer. At idle the dash gauge reports 35 PSI which was the same as the manual gauge reported. The manual gauge also reported 60 at 2K RPM and 65 at 3K RPM. After lunch I now see 60 PSI at 2000 RPM and 65 at 3K.
While I have Sea Foam in the tank the engine only has the new change to Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W-40 motor oil in it.
I expect part of my initial problem was related to the oil pump pressure relief valve being dirty and sticking. For years the engine as seldom seen over 2000 RPM I am sure. After the oil change I did some WOT take offs which meant it saw 5000 RPM because that is the GM computer high shift points. The Low Oil Pressure reading/alarm started about 10 minutes after a couple WOT take offs then shutting off the engine for a few minutes then restarting it. This oil pressure issue never occurred when it was cold on start up not never when driving it down the road hot or cold. It was only an issue sometimes on a hot restart but it always went to normal after 4-5 restarts. It was shut down each time if the oil pressure did not pop to and stay around 40 in 10 seconds.
From this point forward I plan to always run Sea Foam in the crank case for 50 miles before any oil change but especially these 5.3L and 6.0L GM engines that have this known failure point of the oil pump high pressure relief valve getting dirty and sticking.
Sea Foam does not stay in the oil too long because I think cooks off pretty fast. I have ran it full time the the backhoe to help get the water out of it and would run a few cans for a few days before changing out the UTF of any piece of equipment.
