did the sea foam yesterday and well ... i feel cheated !!! no big cloud !!! could be all the highway miles. i've got 72000 in 3 yrs. put it in with warm running car . let sit 5 min. and started it . no puffy cloud . no black crap flyin' out the back . but ... it does run better . definately not placebo effect . it wouldn't idle for some time after but is fine now . put a pint in the tank too . and some in the oil . now if i can just get rid of all the sea gulls following the car . sorry for that one .

 

Please elaborate on what you added.

 

I think the "puffy cloud" occurs when the Sea Foam is added directly to the intake path, not when it is added to the gas tank. Your description reads like you added it to the gas tank. I don't recall from the previous discussion, how have people been adding it into the intake path directly?

 

You put Sea Foam in your oil?

Zip

 

Herbie, poorly maintained cars are more likely to get "the cloud". If you use injector cleaner periodically, and don't use crappy gas, things should stay relatively clean inside. The seafoam still helps, though.
Which vac line did you use to pull it into the intake?

 

i went with the big grey one from the pcv . yeah you might be right . i do use injector cleaner regularly .

 

yeah!!! it's no worse than fully synthetic oil. plus it'll clean my ring grooves and lifters and all them tight areas.

 

it's called sea foam . it's all the rage right now . alot of corvette people swear by it too . you run it thru the intake path . cleans all the crap outta the head . piston tops. cold water woks too . but this is said to lube too .

 

Have a link to it?

Not for the MINI but I know some other cars that would likely benifit

 

http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpTechGas.htm

 

Thanks I might have to give that a try on the beater before I sell it (it was fading and has spent a good deal of the last two years sitting)

 

Okay, thanks, I'll give it a try.

Zip

 

I've added a can to a couple of 1/4-1/2 full tanks of gas over the last couple weeks and let them get used up before filling up again. I haven't done the "suck it directly into the intake and let it soak" trick. Did a LOT of driving yesterday on a run (about 480 miles for the day), including lots of heavy uphill and lots of hard acceleration, and I didn't get any pinging like I have been noticing lately. Throttle response seems to be just a hair noticably sharper, too.

 

i sell this stuff

 

It's great stuff. I've used it for years on my S10 (which now has 200k mi) and other cars/trucks. Marvel Mystery Oil is good too.

 

While the concept of putting into the fuel seems relavtively sound (with the exception that it slightly lowers the octane rating) and the intake suction method seems to be relatively hazard free (so long as you don't suck in too much at once), I've still never found any actual testing done to this stuff that it's safe to put in your oil. Has anyone ever seen any research done on it's actual lubricating properties and it's effect on the film strength of the motor oil?
My car's too new to need this treatment and I no longer have my $100 beater to test on so I'm really skeptical about things that seem they may be too good to be true. I like to see scientific testing with hard data before I'll subscribe to just any new snake oil.

 

Could someone snap a picture of the correct hose to put the seafoam in? This sounds obvious to some, but I'm unclear. Thanks!

mb

 

Going back to my S10 and my 2 Fieros (I know, I know, but they were fun) that I had. I have used a combination of SeaFoam and Marvel MysOil in both the oil and gas. The S10 has 200k mi on it and does not burn a drop of oil. Granted I used synthetic oil for most of its life, I think that the additives played a role in keeping the engine clean. The Po' ntiacs both had over a hundred thousand on them when I got them. I "cleaned up" one (4cyl) and drove it for another 90k. The other was in bad shape (v6) and I rebuilt it. Drove it for about 60k. Neither used oil and never had any hesitation issues and maintained good gas mileage.

I think as long as you do NOT put more than is recommended (read the label) in the crankcase oil, you are fine. It may lower the viscosity a minor bit, but if you have good oil, this is negligible. As far as lowering the octane, this also should be negligible.


Now how often are you supposed to do this, you ask? I put some, usually a can in the tank about every 5th or 6th fill up. If you average 300 to 340 miles a tank, that's about every 1500 to 3000 miles. About the same as doing an oil change. In the fall, i usually put a can in the oil to "clean out" the sludge from the hot summer. I ran this oil for a shorter time then usual.

You can do the vacuum line ingestion, however, this is reserved for a more extreme means of clean-out. (Tip: use in well ventilated area)

My whole point is: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Spend the $3.50 and get some Marvel and keep 'em running.

 

it's no doubt similar to marvel mystery oil . which i've used many times in other cars. minis are prone to sludge . the need for synthetics demonstrates this .(bmw wouldn't put it in for free unless it was needed) . so it won't hurt to add a bit a thousand miles or so prior to an oil change . hell it's best to keep your oil lower than fuller (over full) so a little of this won't hurt .

 

it's the hose coming off the pcv on the valve cover .

 

A follow up:

This afternoon coming home from work: I was at an out of town office today, and had been driving on the freeway for over an hour in heavy traffic. I got off the freeway at a place where I turn onto a wide street that goes steep uphill for about 1/4 mile. I got stopped at the light at the bottom. When I took off from the light, I went through the gears, flooring it until about 6,500 rpm before each shift.

I was rather amazed to be in fifth gear (well, I didn't hold 4th gear untill 6,500 rpm), going uphill, pedal floored and holding, accelerating strong, and the car was NOT PINGING at all. A few weeks ago, I could make the car ping in second on a flat road.

I think the Seafoam helped out in this regard.

 

The california gas sure as hell wasn;t helping your cause

This stuff is great. I used it to clean out the exhaust manifold on my 90' C4 Vette. Worked wonders.

 

Boy, that's the truth. I'm tempted to start buying in-the-tank injector cleaner and octane booster by the pallet.

 

Will adding this stuff to the gas tank increase or decrease octane?

 

I know you were sort of kidding, but go easy on the octane boosters. Most of them will eventually plug your catalytic converter. No more fun.