Anyone use SeaFoam with their saws

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ccfr63

ccfr63

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I switched to Sea Foam when I had some problems with Sta-bil. I bought a big bottle of it to winterize all of my equipment one year and then the next winter I went to use it again and found some stuff(?) floating in it. It looked like flakes of paper, I e-mailed Sta-bil and they told me that it says on the back of the bottle that it is only good for 90 days (I believe) and that it had went bad. It actually says it on the back of the bottle (duh). I had a friend that worked at a small engine shop and he turned me onto Sea Foam. He swore it performed small miracles. I've only had it make something run better once, my grandpa's riding mower. It had one of those non-adjustable carbsand it was surging under no-load conditions. I cleaned the carb and it still did it so I tried the Sea-Foam. After a couple of tanks it smoothed out. It still runs great even though he doesn't use it in the fuel anymore.
 
Brushwacker

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All that has been said.... well. It doesn't override positive results several occasions, fuel related problems. I haven't used it much in chainsaws with oilmix. Mostly straight gas in 4 stroke engines that have set for extended periods. Not every occasion was fresh gas used with it that it cleared things up or did some thing well enough to make the engines run normal . I do not remember things happening like that before I started using it 3 or 4 years ago and I have been messing with engines 35+ years. I do not claim it works miricles or every time, but it is worth a try before doing serious wrenching ,at least its saved me many hours of time pursuing the problems further.
 
Fastcast

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For all you guys that worry about putting alcohol in your gas, Sea Foam is simply a mix of pale oil (very light weight oil similar to kerosene, Naptha (as found in coleman lantern fluid) and IPA - isopropal alcohol. You can mix your own for about $6 a gallon..

Which of these is dissolving true varnish? none...

I suspect the naptha aids ignition (low octane), the IPA takes any water out of the jets, and the pale oil just coats any surfaces that dry out (your mix oil already does this).

Fresh gas....

Have you done a chemical analysis of Seafoam? For the record, Naptha is considered a solvent/cleaner and through chemical process, raises fuel octane also.

Actually the saws are the one thing I've never used Seafoam in....I mostly use the aerosol can as penetrating oil but it is very useful for many things and is IMO one of the best of its kind.

I have no desire to mix my own snake oil or bottle it into an aerosol can so I'll just continue to pay $6.00 a can (economic stimulus...lol) for one of the absolute best penetrating oils on the market....Not to mention all its other useful applications, just a squirt away.

Give it a try sometime....It doesn't always have to be about saws to be good. :)
 
pa.hunter

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it will clean carbon

in saw so, i mix 40:1 in all my saws normal use so, i use it to keep carbon build up down. cant hurt and when milling 32:1 mix
 
parrisw

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how do you know this , i needs some facts before i will do this

Because I've tried it, and looked at the results. Also I fly R/C helicopters, and one of them had a 2 stroke engine like a weedeater/chainsaw engine, and thats what I used for fuel was straight camp fuel mixed at 80:1 with amisoil sabre professional.

I've also ran a few tanks of straight campfuel in a crafstman saw I have, cleaned it right up.

Plus the stuff is cheap enough, no harm in trying.
 
WiscSawFan

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SeaFoam has a permanent spot on my work bench. I have the pour & spray cans.

Use it for just about everything......Fog outboards, stabilize fuel, penetrating oil, quick wipe down on guns, a shot in the morning coffee and on and on and on.

Liquid gold, I tell ya! :)

I'd be leary of something that's such a swiss army knife. Using it as penetrating oil and such probably won't hurt anything. As for fogging oil, if it does dissolve deposits it can't be any good for coating engines for storage. It can be the opposite, stripping away what lubrication is there.

And fuel dryer should be used very sparingly in small engines, especially air-cooled ones. Liquid-cooled snowmobile engines should have much isopropyl in them as it often runs hot, too hot in excess.
 
Lakeside53

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Have you done a chemical analysis of Seafoam? For the record, Naptha is considered a solvent/cleaner and through chemical process, raises fuel octane also.


It's detailed in the MSDS... "napha" takes many many forms... The type I suspect it uses is about 58-60 octane.


I've used Seafoam, in and in all cases where there was a difference, water in the gas was the culprit. I'm not saying it doesn't work under some circumstances.. just that it's not required for you to have a good running engine.
 
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Lakeside53

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Isn't naptha petroleum ether, and also used in hotrods? Maybe I'm thinking of something else, I know it's good paint thinner at least.

via google: "Naphtha normally refers to a number of different flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, i.e. a distillation product from petroleum or coal tar boiling in a certain range and containing certain hydrocarbons, a broad term encompassing any volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture"

The rest of the "naptha" story : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphtha


It can be very low octance or high.... depends... and have many properties.

For example - the Naptha I use for cleaning fluid is nothing like the Naptha as found Coleman lantern fluid.
 
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pa.hunter

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lets see msds on sea - foam

or you will not change my mind sorry , i need some real facts not assumptions and this is what im seeing im a mechanic by trade and im a hard head so lets see facts
 
Rescue1

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I love the Stuff.I use it every oil change in my Truck and Jeep.I usually run half through my brake booster line to do an intake clean,and the other half I put in the tank.The best part is the smoking,wow that's fun.I notice more seat of the pants power and better fuel mileage every time I use it,great stuff no matter what the chemical composition.I never thought of using it has a general lubricant,but will certainly try.I would be curious to see if its better than PB...:chainsaw:
 
Fastcast

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As for fogging oil, if it does dissolve deposits it can't be any good for coating engines for storage. It can be the opposite, stripping away what lubrication is there.

Hmmmm......Seafoam made their name in the boating biz, fogging outboards.....Hence, the name 'Seafoam'.....I've been fogging outboards with it yearly for 15 years and no ill effects to date. I originally bought it just to use as fogging oil, then realized it had many other uses and liked it so well, there has been a can lying on my work bench ever since.

If you fellows don't like it or don't think it's worth its price tag, don't buy it.....Sorry, but ya still haven't convinced me, that it's no good! :givebeer:
 
Knuckles

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How in the world are some of you having problems with Sta-bil???

I've used that stuff in all my power equipment, motorcycles and snowmobiles since I was a kid and NEVER had a fuel quality issue. Even after the equipment sits for several months.
 

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