Seafoam

[mohamer]

WOW! that was a major dose of SeaFoam but it sounds like it perhaps freed up sticking rings. Saturn had this issue and some of the 2011+ Subaru's are reporting oil burning issues. I suspect ring-grove build up may be the common thread in these cases.

It is good to know the time line that it took the SeaFoam to do its thing in your case. I have used it in the fuel, engine and ATF successful.

Thanks for reporting your SeaFoam experience. It will not fix cracked heads and holes in pistons but I have seen in resolve/prevent crud related machine issues.

I did the first oil change in this new to us 2010 Subaru Forester that came with 105K miles but with new head gaskets, plugs, water pump and timing belt 2K miles earlier just because the oil was getting darker due to our Archoil AR9100 usage. I do think dumping in a can of SeaFoam right before an oil change gives a better drain out of build up about 100% of the time.

Gal,
I measured what the can said to put in, I think it was 20 oz. Did not use near a full can

Lem,
I use Stabil too, it sits right beside the can of Seafoam I always have in the shop..
They are used for differing applications as far as I am concerned, Seafoam for cleaning fuel systems and other things, Stabil to stabilize Fuels.
I put Stabil in all my Gasoline cans when I buy gas, I also put it in my Motorhome when I am not on the road with it, it holds about 80 gallons, I don't want it to go bad..


John kb0ou

 

[mohamer]

I have to issue a CORRECTION....
I looked at the can of Seafoam, it still had 7 ounces in it, and the can says it hold 16 ounces, so I dumped about 9 ounces in the Prius engine the other day..
While looking at the can I read the directions, 1 ounce per quart of oil... 9 ounces was a healthy dose of Seafoam.

BUT, it worked!!! 1600 miles and the oil level has only dropped about 1/8 of an inch, maybe 1/2 a pint, that is a lot less oil consumption.

In reading some of the Prius forums etc. it seems that those engines can have a problem with carbon formation on the piston rings causing oil consumption.
I will keep and eye on it....

John kb0ou

 

[ultrarunner]

Always good to have an update from the field...

 

[Gale Hawkins]

That sound great. Saturn had some engines with that issue. I think the small high output engines are more prone to ring coking perhaps. Keep us updated. Sometimes I add 1-2 oz per quart about 40 miles before an oil change. We almost lost a 5.3L 2003 engine due to oil pressure relief valve hanging open when shut down hot and then restarted before a full cool down. I think I ran a heavy Sea Foam mix for about 200 miles in new oil and it came out black (not jet black) and thin hot. That was several years ago and the wife is still driving that SUV and the engine still is running fine with no oil pressure issues.

For a few years now I am running Archoil AR9100 at the rate of 1.12 oz per quart of new motor oil for the life of the oil change. Sometimes I still do a SeaFoam flush in a new to us engine but not typically. We buy the Archoil AR9100 by the gallon ($200) so the cost is under $2 per oz. I started out just using it in the engines but with the 2010 Subaru Forester we got recently it is now in the engine, power steering, automatic transmission and front and rear differentials at the Archoil specs for each type of usage. It is in the 1966 Ford 3000 power steering, engine, transmission and differential/lift system. The same will happen to the 1976 265 MF. Archoil started off in heavy industry usage.

Industries Served | Archoil

Oh I do run Sea Foam in automatic transmissions for 200-300 miles before doing a total change out of ATF using the driveway bucket flush method. On the recent Subaru it shifted up well but manual downshifts could sound like a hammer in the transmission. After the Sea Foam and then new ATF the down shifting smoothed out and is staying that way. I added the AR9100 to the new AFT.

I run in Manual Mode some most ever trip and sometimes do 100% of braking when going from one road to another where a stop is not required. The computer locks out up and down shifts out of the safe range. Coming down from 2nd to 1st at 30 MPH will kick RPM's to about 5000 and throw you forward a bit.

Sea Foam I prefer for a fast initial clean up of dirty systems especially if they contain moisture. Archoil is slower to clean but seems to reduce friction which Sea Foam does not claim to do. For stuck rings I expect Archoil would take a much longer time than Sea Foam.

 

[Lem]

WOW! that was a major dose of SeaFoam but it sounds like it perhaps freed up sticking rings. Saturn had this issue and some of the 2011+ Subaru's are reporting oil burning issues. I suspect ring-grove build up may be the common thread in these cases.

It is good to know the time line that it took the SeaFoam to do its thing in your case. I have used it in the fuel, engine and ATF successful.

Thanks for reporting your SeaFoam experience. It will not fix cracked heads and holes in pistons but I have seen in resolve/prevent crud related machine issues.

I did the first oil change in this new to us 2010 Subaru Forester that came with 105K miles but with new head gaskets, plugs, water pump and timing belt 2K miles earlier just because the oil was getting darker due to our Archoil AR9100 usage. I do think dumping in a can of SeaFoam right before an oil change gives a better drain out of build up about 100% of the time.

Think you did it the right way but who am I to say. The filter probably caught the nasty stuff and it would always be good to spin that filter off and a new one on since you probably did do and new oil. Good luck and I have a small diesel tractor that I used it in the oil and gas and I could not check the oil it was so clear and is 100% better than before. Thanks for sharing your info. Sea Foam does more good things than just free sticky rings like Stabil. I use it to keep the water out of the fuel system and it is super on that........Small engines are a must for something something to be added to the fuel that is laden with ethanol based fuels. Has cost farmers millions of dollars and made the small engine mechanics plenty of money...

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I have never hydro locked an engine by pouring SeaFoam directly in the carb or through the brake booster vacuum line.

About 10 years ago I started using Sea Foam in automatic transmissions a few hundred miles before a total bucket flush in the drive way. It will make the ATF go dark. We just did this with the 2010 Subaru Forester that we just picked up with 105K miles. It was up shifting very well but when driving it in manual mode the forced down shifts where delayed then hard. After a few hundred miles I also added Archoil AR9100 to the transmission and now it is shifting better up and down. Yesterday we took a line loose at the transmission cooler and pumped the old out into a bucket by starting the engine until air bubbles appeared then refilled and repeated.

Tonight I put a can of Sea Foam into the gas tank and topped it off.

This Forester is kind of a test bed since I never drove one before and because of their EyeSight system I am interested in a new one. Buying one 8 years old with over 100K miles should let me learn something about Subaru long term quality. Yes I am already in love with it.

While we have been using Archoil 9100 for a while (just ordered and received our 5th gallon) this is the first vehicle to get it in the engine, differentials, auto transmission and power steering.

It is hard to believe but I have put 15K miles (now at 122K) on the Subaru since using Archoil AR 9100 in the auto transmission as well as both differentials and engine. I have aggressively use the Manual Shift Mode as well as the default automatic mode. It only has the factor spec ATF fluid plus 12 oz. of the Archoil.

We just got a 2010 Ford F-150 4WD with the 11,200 pound tow package showing 205K miles. I have added a can of Seafoam Trans Tune, 16 oz of LubeGard Platinum and 11 oz (was just the amount left in that bottle) Archoil AR 9100.

The hard shifts from 3-2 are about gone when coming to a stop slowly and the bump from 2-1 downshift is more faint if heard at all.

Since it does not have a transmission dip stick under the hood I have ordered a 12 volt sump pump to add the new ATF through the return line from the ATF coolers back to the transmission while the transmission pump pushes out the old ATF into a 5 gallon bucket. We will have to then go under the truck and check levels using the short plastic dip stick that Ford uses in the 6R80 six speeds starting in 2009 using in F 150 trucks. This is our first vehicle with no transmission dip stick under the hood which makes doing a bucket flush a bit different.

We have no service records on this truck. The ATF did not look dirty on the dipstick but on a white paper towel it showed NO redness or bad smell. Since it is shifting smoother now I expect the add package in the ATF was used up. LubeGard states their Platinum line is the correct one to use in Mercon LV ATF.

I am hoping this 2010 checks out and will be a keeper for doing tractor shows with the 3000 Ford with the Ford 711 one arm FEL. The super crew cab even with the 5.5' bed makes it long with a wheel base of 145".

 

[Lem]

Very interesting reads of the special lubes etc.