What do you all think about sea foam? Does it work? Is it safe? Is there anything better out there?
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What do you all think about sea foam? Does it work? Is it safe? Is there anything better out there?
I've used it. Worked fine. The latest stuff I've used is CRC TB cleaner...
I have heard good things about Sea foam but it does make a shit-load of smoke.
Theres a write up somewhere on how to sea foam your car completely. I did it and I thought it was great. Go for it.
I use it on all my vehicles every 75K or so. Or when I buy and used car. It had cleared some rough idles I had and improved acceleration. It is great stuff.
I used it on my cammed Z28. It was idling abnormally rough and it was getting crappy gas mileage, it made a huge difference! I put it in the Oil, Gas, and Intake.
Seafoam is a solvent. Better option is to use 1 oz. of TC-W3 two-stroke oil per 5 gallons of gasoline. I run this in all of our cars on a semi-regular basis. If you just want a fuel system cleaner, then Chevron Techron is your best bet - one bottle per 12 gallons of fuel.
The following is a loosely conducted experiment which MAY derive credibility based on the fact that it was performed in uncontrolled (i.e. realistic) circumstances.
I tried a full tank of several different brands of gasoline from day 1 after purchasing my Z28. I gagued the fuel economy on the number of miles on the trip odo at 3/4 tank and the number of miles at the time of refueling (I did not record the data, so I only remember the 3/4 tank data). The gas was 93 octane pump gas in Washington state.
Shell: 90 miles on 1/4 tank.
Chevron: 110 miles on 1/4 tank.
Unical 76: 82 miles on 1/4 tank.
AAFES: 54 miles on 1/4 tank
I did a few other brands, but I don't remember the numbers. None of the numbers, however, were as good a Chevron gas, or even as good a Shell gas, for that matter. So, while I paid more at the pump, I actually drove farther on the same amount of gas when running Chevron, and reduced my fuel cost overall. Since coming to AZ, I have not bothered to repeat the experiment with the different brands they have down here. I use only Chevron unless it's an emergency and there is no Chevron around.
I have also been using TC-W3 for a couple of years now. I THINK I notice a decrease in economy if I go a couple of tanks without it, but I have not bothered to really track that conscientiously.
Also, how old is your fuel filter?
^^ There should be a slight increase in mileage with TC-W3. :yup:
Interested in this, any more info/write up's? What are the benefit's? Does it cause smoking?Quote:
Originally Posted by pajeff02
Were your driving conditions exactly the same per fill-up? I only ask because a little bit of a heavier foot can tend to lead to drastic mileage differences. My car, for instance, can get around 30MPG on the highway driving it normal. If I floor it, I can literally see the needle of the gas gauge move. I am not joking either lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Naaman
No smoke at all.
Here's the original thread: http://www.ls1.com/forums/f48/been-testing-oil-91206/
The experiment was as "controlled" as I cared to make it and each brand got one full tank of trial period. Essentially, after a few weeks of testing (about 1 tank per week was the average), It seemed as though Chevron was the best bang for the buck. Note that the my driving was almost NO WOT or "heavy footed" driving because this was early in my ownership and I was still afraid of the car at that point.Quote:
Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS
I decided that the best way to test it was to just drive "normal" with each tank. For example, if I did the test today, every single time I get on an on-ramp, I go WOT, starting in 1st, space permitting (which is over 95% of the time). I also make no effort to conserve fuel when taking off from a light (but I don't go WOT either). On the freeway, I set the cruise control... until a truck gets in my way and I "need" to select 3rd in order to pass in a timely manner. ;) I just drive how I drive in order to see what a brand will do with my driving style.
Also, a friend of mine did his own experiment where he filled up containers with different brands of gasoline. The only brand to come out of the pump "clear and clean" (no debris floating around, etc) was Chevron. He told me about his experiment once I said to him "I only put Chevron in my car." Ever since his own experiment, he, too, only runs Chevron (he drives a Nissan 4-banger, FWIW).