Has anyone Seafoamed (or similar) their 1.4T?

[HalfPint]

I wouldn't put seafoam in anything beyond maybe an old flathead mower engine. Why are people so fascinated by these mechanic-in-a-can snake oils?

[map]

There are a lot of people who swear by Seafoam and it was a good product... for the 1940's engines it was designed for. To clean injectors, go for cleaners with a nitrogen base product or just run a couple tanks of gas with high levels of cleaners, like Shell or Chevron.

Seafoam is basically #1 diesel (pale oil, around 55%) with 30% Naphtha (yes, paint thinner/stripper, that naphtha), with around 15% IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) by weight. I wouldn't purposely dump any of those in my tank, so don't know why combining them is a good idea. If you want to wait until your tank is down to a couple gallons and toss in a couple ounces, it probably won't hurt. It's most suited to carbed engines that have "varnish" after drying out over the winter.

[abarthshep]

There are a lot of people who swear by Seafoam and it was a good product... for the 1940's engines it was designed for. To clean injectors, go for cleaners with a nitrogen base product or just run a couple tanks of gas with high levels of cleaners, like Shell or Chevron.

Seafoam is basically #1 diesel (pale oil, around 55%) with 30% Naphtha (yes, paint thinner/stripper, that naphtha), with around 15% IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) by weight. I wouldn't purposely dump any of those in my tank, so don't know why combining them is a good idea. If you want to wait until your tank is down to a couple gallons and toss in a couple ounces, it probably won't hurt. It's most suited to carbed engines that have "varnish" after drying out over the winter.

this is the **** that terrifies me (also what SRT said). but in one thread you'll read this, and in another you'll read about someone who's used it in their oil / gas for the last 100,000km and swear by it. ****, i was just looking up the type of oil my dads C350 uses, and ended up reading about a guy who seafoams it before every oil change

[Fiat500USA]

I've seen guys run Seafoam through their intake via a vacuum hose and it produces what looks like the worlds biggest clouds of dense, white smoke. There was a guy around here that did it in the Walmart parking lot and the fire department was called because someone thought the store was burning down. I can't imagine that would be good for the converter. I've also had folks tell me their plugs got fouled out by doing that. Seems more suitable for a car like my old 70 Duster.

As for putting it the oil, I'd pass on that. Doing back to back oil changes to try to clean things out and changing out the MultiAir filter is safer.

However, having said the above, I ran into a situation with my son's Subaru where there is a factory Tech Bulletin that recommends using their engine flush to fix a problem with their VVT throwing a MIL. Sometimes these valves can get clogged up if the oil changes weren't done in a timely manner (before the crazy 10K oil change interval) and "their flush" can fix that. I said what the heck, bought their crazy priced flush and changed the oil around 300 -500 miles multiple times and that fixed the issue. That's the only time I've used a flush in 40+ years other than when I was a kid with my old Duster.

[smark]

[abarthshep]

thanks guys. i've been successfully turned off. i guess i'll go get my ten bucks back

[abarthshep]

I wouldn't put seafoam in anything beyond maybe an old flathead mower engine. Why are people so fascinated by these mechanic-in-a-can snake oils?

honestly dude, i'm just doing everything that I can in order to lengthen the longevity of this used engine that i'm sure had been sitting for a while. When googling ways to do that, seafoam came up and it's only ten bucks.

[HalfPint]

I've seen guys run Seafoam through their intake via a vacuum hose and it produces what looks like the worlds biggest clouds of dense, white smoke. There was a guy around here that did it in the Walmart parking lot and the fire department was called because someone thought the store was burning down. I can't imagine that would be good for the converter. I've also had folks tell me their plugs got fouled out by doing that. Seems more suitable for a car like my old 70 Duster.

As for putting it the oil, I'd pass on that. Doing back to back oil changes to try to clean things out and changing out the MultiAir filter is safer.

However, having said the above, I ran into a situation with my son's Subaru where there is a factory Tech Bulletin that recommends using their engine flush to fix a problem with their VVT throwing a MIL. Sometimes these valves can get clogged up if the oil changes weren't done in a timely manner (before the crazy 10K oil change interval) and "their flush" can fix that. I said what the heck, bought their crazy priced flush and changed the oil around 300 -500 miles multiple times and that fixed the issue. That's the only time I've used a flush in 40+ years other than when I was a kid with my old Duster.

In all fairness though that was a specific problem where the hail-Mary pass of dumping solvents in the oil was better than tearing the top end apart on an opposed 4 - pretty much no matter what other problems it might cause.

[Fiat500USA]

In all fairness though that was a specific problem where the hail-Mary pass of dumping solvents in the oil was better than tearing the top end apart on an opposed 4 - pretty much no matter what other problems it might cause.

Yeah, I assume the flush was tested to be compatible with seals and gaskets. The parts manager at the dealership I know said they had good luck with it so that made me feel better paying something like $20. Still, I had a feeling that it may have been the same stuff they sell down the street for $5.

When I worked at an VW/Audi shop they also had a problem of engines sludging up so they issued a tech bulletin to run a flush through, but then they wanted you to pull the pan down, clean it and clean/replace the oil pickup tube.

I also recall Chrysler has a flush, too. Better than tearing an engine apart like you said. All can be avoided by just changing the oil regularly.

I'm not big with additives, but I use fuel stabilizers in my old car and small engines. A zinc additive in the '73 coupe and I have used Techron occasionally. That's got a good reputation and I've seen OEMs recommend it, so that's good enough for me.

[map]

I've seen guys run Seafoam through their intake via a vacuum hose and it produces what looks like the worlds biggest clouds of dense, white smoke. There was a guy around here that did it in the Walmart parking lot and the fire department was called because someone thought the store was burning down. I can't imagine that would be good for the converter. I've also had folks tell me their plugs got fouled out by doing that. Seems more suitable for a car like my old 70 Duster.

We used to do that with Marvel Mystery Oil, back in the 60's. I think that may be where people got the idea of putting Seafoam in the oil... and granddad's advice is still being used on today's cars. In the 60's, before PVC systems, it was common for an engine to sludge up. The problem with cleaning the sludge was oil passages could get blocked. My '59 Hillman suffered that fate simply by switching from Pennzoil to Valvoline (an oil, at the time, that cleaned better). The oil pressure bypass seized open and, if I hadn't had an oil gauge, would have ruined the engine. Oil pressure dropped to 12 lbs.

Dumping Marvel down the carb produced an amazing amount of smoke and was supposed to remove carbon build up. I ran 1/4 can thru the one car in the driveway and dad came running out of the house with a fire extinguisher.