Seafoam/oil treatment question

[blkfordsedan]

I agree that I took a chance with the gunk flush, but I had also just had the valve cover off and saw how clean top of the motor was. So I guess I was lucky but I also knew I had car for eight years and was third owner, my son in law had car for five years and was second owner and he and I change oil on our vehicles more than most people. I change my oil about every three months just to keep motor clean so I knew a little more about it. But I do believe in stp or even Rislone as an additive. I suppose if a person didn't mind doing a little more, he could use gunk, take oil pan off and clean the screen also just to see what the gunk did clean out and drop down. Maybe I'll have to look into the sea foam also. Back in old days, we use to add about two pints of kerosene in a motor to clean sludge and gunk out of them. It worked pretty good too. It really broke the sludge and gunk down and we would take oil pan off, put in a new screen and put it all back together and car would stay clean if you took care of it. Sometimes we would have to take valve covers off, adjust lifters too cause back in those days, most of them had solid lifters, but motors were a whole lot easier to work on then.

I think what you did was fine. You knew your motor and that you wouldn't have any issues. I can't believe the guy at AZone would recommend it without knowing the customer's motor. And then, turn around and say that a couple ounces of Seafoam will thin out 4+ quarts of oil
.

[loknlode]

knew one guy who would drain the oil at changes and then throw in a gallon of diesel fuel and run it for 5-10 minutes at idle and a little reving and then drain it put fresh 50 weight oil and filter and run that for a week and then do another oil change w/30 weight. he would do that about every 3rd or 4th change. that was on US v-8s though. never heard of any bad things happening. this was all before synthetics and stp was the ONLY additive you could buy besides marvel mystery oil. thats how old I am,lol.

[91_festy_Gl]

Seafoam is a cleaning agent and will cause old oil to break down further and stay thinned out. Take some oil that has roughly 8,000 miles on it and add seafoam. Take another bit of that same oil and dont put anything in it. Check the viscosity of both oils and tell me that the oil that had seafoam added thickened and was the same viscosity as the oil that didnt have anything added. Not only that why would anyone add seafoam on a fresh oil change. If the engine was cleaned before the oil change then there is no reason to use seafoam in your oil. When used in oil it is strictly a cleaning agent, its not a oil additive that helps the oil. Lucas makes that kind of stuff.

Hasn't anyone ever wondered why seafoam is in a metal can? For the best use out of seafoam 1/3 of the can should be used in the oil, a 1/3 used throught the vacuum, and 1/3 in the fuel tank. i personally use 1 whole can in the oil to remove and flush out the sludge and then give it a oil change.

[getnpsi]

Make sure your thermostat is working proper. An engine that doesn't get hot doesn't get a chance to burn junk off on its own. Replace pcv whether it rattles or not they are cheap. Make sure the grommet isn't split either. Unburned products contribute to the sludge when combined with water.

Run a conventional 5w20. Your engine will get quieter after a week with no additives. Thick oils mask issues. But I do love to try things on tired engines don't get me wrong. Make sure its at the end of your oil change

[Movin]

True, but I don't think it has any detergents like standard oil. Mobil1 "high mileage" has like 1000 or 1100 ppm of zinc and phospherous, as opposed to like 800 ppm in most new oils. Still not the 1200 ppm like old oil used to, but still better than 800. I believe their 5W-40 Turbodiesel oil has like 1200 ppm. The VR1 has more ZDDP but no detergents and is hard to find, like you said. When my B6 is done, I think I'll run M1 High Mileage or just some ZDDP break-in additive at every oil change.

VR1 has .13% zinc and .12% phosphorus the max allowed for street legal oil.
VR1 has detergents suitable for race and performance engines but not for 5k miles. It is priced much better than red line or royal purple and other synthetics made from crude oil. VR1 is conventional.

[FestYboy]

so buy the VR1 and add a detergent additive, perfect! (except the cost).

[Movin]

Shoot, it was only a buck more a quart for the last case than store brand..

[Advancedynamix]

The Zinc tip is also true for rebuilds. I use additives high in Zinc and sulfur when breaking in a fresh bore in an iron block engine (I.E. Mazda B-series engines). It also extends the life of camshafts and oil pump gears. Lucas synthetic oils have these additives in them.

[tkannegaard]

if u read the back of most zinc additives they are just synthetic and contain no real zinc. worked for three big auto parts company's and was true at all three its in the fine print. On bigger engines i run fleet out because it has cam additives in it to thats why most big trucks have 5000 mile service intervals

[blkfordsedan]

VR1 has .13% zinc and .12% phosphorus the max allowed for street legal oil.
VR1 has detergents suitable for race and performance engines but not for 5k miles. It is priced much better than red line or royal purple and other synthetics made from crude oil. VR1 is conventional.

Good info....I think the VR1 would be good to use in a new engine or already clean engine (where the lower detergent content is not as much of an issue). Especially if the oil is changed on a regular basis at 3K miles. No more oil than it holds, the price isn't as much of an issue for me on the Festy. On my Mustang or Truck, however, 6 to 7 quarts really starts to add up.

[blkfordsedan]

The Zinc tip is also true for rebuilds. I use additives high in Zinc and sulfur when breaking in a fresh bore in an iron block engine (I.E. Mazda B-series engines). It also extends the life of camshafts and oil pump gears. Lucas synthetic oils have these additives in them.

Do you use Synthetic oils for break in? I've always used a straight 30W or just 10W-30 convensional. I've been told to stay away from Synthetics for proper ring seat during break-in.

[Movin]

Lucas products are good.
The oil additive package will likely be synthetic
and the zinc and other things will be compounded
in carriers to keep it stable and in circulation for
the duration. Stay on top of whats working and
use that.
HD truck oils can damage our engines when new..
15w40 is to thick to lubricate engines designed for
5w30. Things like valve guides will not be properly
oiled until they have worn enough to let oil in. 10w30
it still happens but not as much. 15w40 in a loose engine
is no problem and is a very good oil. In a gasoline engine
I would still change it at 3K. Propane or CNG can run any oil
longer. Turbo engines should use oils rated for turbos, turbos
take regular oil and make soot during the hot soak. This soot
can plug the sump screen quicker than 50K miles. The oil
starvation will take out the cam bearing and ruin the head
on these small hiper. engines.
I would not run thinners or cleaning agents in oil I am not
going to change, even then not arbitrarily.

[Movin]

For break in nothing fancy nothing cheap and use the whole container of cam lube that comes with the cam.

[Advancedynamix]

Do you use Synthetic oils for break in? I've always used a straight 30W or just 10W-30 convensional. I've been told to stay away from Synthetics for proper ring seat during break-in.

Conventional oil for engines with iron bores, synthetic for alusil or nykasil bores.

[navdoc101]

Has everyone read Bobistheoilguy.com? Try it & learn alittle. Also what does everyone think of V-Max? Both engine & gas treatment.