Seafoam spray through carbs ?

[sweatybetty]

27 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

No offense, if you're a Seafoam fan.  There just doesn't seem to be much evidence behind it.  You'd think that they'd have a video that actually showed a dirty engine getting cleaner inside.  They do have one though - https://seafoamsales.com/sea-foam-official-video-how-to-clean-a-fuel-injection-gasoline-intake-with-sea-foam-spray/

"backwash" vapors at 2:25.

 

after watching that video, i truly believe the phrase "there is a sucker born every minute"

[Stanley]

I'm not seeing a huge amount of excitement here about Seafoam. Also, the dread I had about carbon build-up from running rich for a few months evaporated an hour ago when I pulled the spark plugs.

Yesterday I swapped the SM's for some modded N-27's, opened the gap on the crappy old points a bit so it would start, set the mix 2 1/8 turns down and checked the flow, and drove to Gardena in 2nd gear to pick up some lube for the points cam, then over to Torrance for some groceries. The engine temp got up to halfway on the gauge which almost never happens (have some cooling system mods for summer trips through Blythe). Had to stop three times to lower the idle, which I'd previously raised so it would keep running with the no points gap shituation. Each time I noticed how hot the engine was. Almost burned my hand adjusting the idle. Couple times it crapped out and died, I realized it would keep running if I pulled the choke way back.

So today I found (after an hour of searching) a new set of Nissan points and the feeler gauge. After installing the points still had some daylight left, so checked the plugs. Amazing. They were all spotless and new-looking except some grayish lean-burn stuff on the ground side. After seeing the plugs fouled for months I couldn't believe it.The sooty stuff on the insulator I could never reach with the wire brush was all gone. Maybe the lean condition 2nd gear run cleaned out the engine. Think I'll richen it up a little though.

Edited June 29, 2017 by Stanley

[Zed Head]

I feel bad for bashing on the Seafoam.

Seems like you were looking at Seafoam to fix what's really just a tuning problem, and maybe some other issues.  The engine almost never gets up to temp?  Maybe you need a new thermostat.  There's another thread going on where thermostats were mentioned.  I noticed a significant effect of replacing what appeared to be a good thermostat with a new Nissan thermostat.  The old thermostat seemed to open at the correct temperature, tested on the stove in a pan of water using a thermometer, but I think that it had a weak spring and was blowing open in operation.  The engine ran cool and would fluctuate from below halfway to halfway.  With the new T-stat the needle just slowly rises to a little over halfway and sits there.  Doesn't budge once it gets there.  Very noticeable difference from the old one.

[grannyknot]

Well, that's disappointing!

Seafoam was just about the only 'Mechanic in a Can' product I purchased because I thought it was different. Just goes to show how powerful the placebo effect is. Thanks for popping my bliss bubble

[240260280]

It works better if you flood the cylinder and let it soak.

[Captain Obvious]

I haven't studied or used the stuff, but it sets off my snake oil alarm.

Pour it into the gas tank. Draw it directly into the intake tract. You can even rub it on sore muscles. Puts tread back on worn tires. Cures whatever ails ya!

More power to the people who believe they've gotten good results, but I just don't like the sound of it.

[Kurbycar32]

The claims that seafoam is a mechanic in a can or cleans up carbon in one shot are dubious, but the stuff has its place.  I use a bunch of it on my dirt bikes here in California, home to high ethanol content gas that was never approved for use in my dirt bikes.  Ultimately the stuff is a solvent that burns well enough to use on fuel systems.  My typical use is cleaning out bike carbs but I also find that if I drain the carbs before storage and also spray some sea foam up the overflow tubes they don't clog up in storage.  Other chemicals probably work just as well but I find in this application seafoam does work better than WD40

[Stanley]

Thermostat is fine, it's a 180 degree IIRC Nissan. Temp climbs to a little to the left of the middle of the gauge where the thermostat opens and stays there. If I'm going up the hill from Palm Springs to Chiriaco Summit in summer for example it will go to a little right of center. Glad it's 180 not 165 degrees or it wouldn't get to correct operating temp with the oil cooler. Should probably cover the oil cooler with a blanket or something in winter. It does have a bypass that's supposed to work until the oil heats up, though. Don't remember what temp it's supposed to kick in.

High-jacking my thread: noticed that the cam follower on the old points was quite worn down, decreasing the point gap and apparently causing the points to wear down. Gonna keep the points cam greased with correct grease from now on.    Pep Boys, Autozone and O'Reilly didn't have it but my local independent auto parts store got me some.

[siteunseen]

21 hours ago, Zed Head said:

Is that the lawnmower stuff?  I didn't search the youtube tube.

 

I use this stuff on my hand held Stihl 4-Mix equipment to clean the valves.  Run them until hot, pull the plug out and shoot in the hole.  Pull the rope a few times to get it in there and let it sit overnight.  Pull the rope a few more times, put the plug back in and let it rip.  Been doing this for six years and never had to adjust the valves.

The trick is shoot it straight into the plug's hole, not the carburetor and it bypasses all the intake stuff then when you pull the rope it gets into the valves.  A lot of guys do this although it may be witchcraft thinking but it seems to help so I continue to do so, stay positive. 

Edit. Not six years, since buying them in '06.

Edited June 29, 2017 by siteunseen