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SeaFoam - Pistons before & after

4K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  rswendsen 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thought I'd share this video. Guy uses a snake camera to inspect the pistons before and after. I gotta say I agree with his comment at the end about reducing/eliminating the carbon around the edge of the pistons reducing friction. The top surface may not have been reduced significantlee, but I believe removal of the carbon on the outer surface "ring", which is in near contact with the cylinder wall, would greatly reduce the friction/heat.






HEY EZ, doesn't appear that youtube brackets are working in this sub-forum? Maybe it's been so long I forgot? I tried multiple ways though :dunno
 
#2 ·
Interesting test, I wished he would had been more qualitative with data of compression and leak down before and after. To me, the piston domes did not look bad to start. Compared to some older Porsche pistons I have seen removed with ~ .070 carbon flakes/buildup, that is.

I used Seafoam on the big blocks in my boat and the amount of carbon that belched out and floating on the water was unbelievable!
 
#4 ·
Seafoam is kerosene with some other crap added. I don't use it in a running engine, either. If you have carbon buildup that needs to be removed without disassembly, Techron (techroline) is the way to go. BW II has 60K on the clock now and the intake valves are clean thanks to the occasional shot of techroline in the tank. No snake camera, but I'd bet the piston crowns don't look bad, either.
 
#6 ·
Chevron blends it into it's fuel (as do others, I'm told) and sells it in auto parts stores as an additive.

Since it helps keep intake valves clean, as well as their stems, there is less chance of any carbon deposits making their way to the intake guides, of seats where they would cause rapid wear. And it doesn't cause your engine to belch clouds of smoke like Seafoam does.
 
#7 ·
The old school trick to remove carbon was to inject water into a hot motor and it would flake off the hot carbon pieces.
Sounds like injecting seafoam accomplishes the same thing but with a lot of smoke thinking you're cleaning everything
Not sure if I would want to be washing down hard carbon onto my cylinder walls
and what does all that smoke do to catalysts and O2 sensors?
 
#8 ·
Have not been able to find anything other than fuel system "treatments", most of which are just snake oils. Looking for something that will list the chemical ingredient techroline. Shell puts an "additive" in the gasoline to clean but they do not say what, just that it cleans. I try to stay away from ethanol and run high octane gas, since it does not contain any. Guess I will keep looking.
 
#9 ·
I believe Shell uses additives similar to techroline. The purpose of the molecular nitrogen they use (and advertise) is to help stabilize the deposit-cleaning additives and make them work better. Exactly what those additives are, they are keeping pretty close to the breast. If you can't get Chevron gas or fuel additive products retail in your area, Shell fuels are very high-quality.
 
#11 ·
There is a fuel additive that should be available in Canada called BG44K. Not cheap at 30 bucks for about a 12-oz. can, but I've read good things about it. Sounds like you don't have to use a hell of a lot at a time. Also read Chevron products are only available in B.C.
 
#13 ·
I use the BG44K on my 84 911 before oil change because I dont put a lot of miles on the car and sometimes its 2 yrs between 3K oil changes. I do recommend it but be careful its really strong stuff. I put that one can into 20 gal per the info from the 911 gurus. The advice on best use is also to put many heat cycles on the engine for it to be most effective. Don't just add it to one tank and burn thru is in a few hrs, if you do I would run thru several tank fulls to get the full heat cycle effect.
 
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