Sea Foam - Cocktail mixer or octane booster ?

[Triple Jim]

JIM:

Stupid questions: What is MSDS?  What is a release agent?

MSDS stands for "Material Safety Data Sheet", required by law to be available to users of certain products.  A lot of times you can search online for the name of a product and the letters "MSDS" and find the material safety data sheet for the product.

A mold release agent, or sometimes just "release agent" is used to keep material that's being molded from sticking to the die.  It's needed for most molded things, like tires and injection molded plastic parts.

[atavar]

Material Safety Data Sheet - required for all manufacturers to provide to the workplace to describe hazardous products to help in first aid and disaster relief.

Release agent - something to make molds non-sticky so you can get castings out easier.

[Wayne Orwig]

Well Seafoam could possibly raise octane, it has alcohol in it, which resists preignition.

Do you mean detonation?
There is a HUGE difference.


As for Seafoam, I've found it to be useless. It doesn't even clean varnish off of carb parts very well.

[cruzziguzzi]

Seafoam seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping the crap "California blend" gas we get from going to varnish as quickly as it usually would - given the heat here.
I don't know why, I don't know how, but I've never had to disassemble anything and de-shellack it if seafoam was involved.

That said, A couple of times now, introducing seafoam to an otherwise maltreated, though running, quad or dirt bike, has loosened bits o' stuff rendering the scoot unreliable and tedious in its unpredictable nature.

Seafoam in a trusted fuel system as a stabilizer? Its been well worth it.

Seafoam added to an unknown condition, though running, system? Not doing that again. I swear those wild Burros were lambasting me more than usual as I pushed that old Yamaha through the desert last week.

Todd.

[bratman2]

In my old Subaru the elimination of pinging was a result of cleaning carbon and crud out of the combustion chamber. That is what I believed it have done. That sucker smoked for 5 full miles or more. Surely the seafoam itself would have burned out of a dump application as such by then. I have had good success with several motors over the many years I have used it. I do not use it to boost octane, doubt it does, or as a regular fuel treatment. I try sticking to pure gas whenever possible.

[guzzipete]

I have had much better luck with StarTron, it gives me 50-75 extra miles per tank and completely eliminates low RPM ping.  The Norge even tolerates ethanol with that stuff.  My favorite part is that it comes in shot sized bottles that are perfect for one tank of gas, no measuring.  This is the only additive that has ever given me measurable results.

I have used StarTron in my 09 V7C for the past 5 years. I started using it because it is supposed to keep the ethanol and the water it attracts in suspension. I don't know if it actually does that, but I still have the original plastic tank and there is no noticeable swelling. I purchased 6 1oz Nalgene bottles from REI, fill them with StarTron, and use 1 bottle at each fill up.

[Bill N]

I have been using SeaFoam for years in my KLR650, the thumper sits for months at a time. The stuff seems to act as a stabilizer and a carb cleaner. Several years ago the bike was very sluggish and on a whim I ran a tankful, smartened right up. Been using it ever since, always store it with a few 1/2 cup in a full tank of gas.

Jim

That's what Seafoam does best. Good idea to add it if the bike has sat for awhile or during storage. Adding it routinely is a waste of money IMHO.
Bill

[Rough Edge racing]

  Star tron MSDS says it is 95% naphtha  and 5% mystery enzymes . We know what naphtha is and you can buy it in Lowe's for Tractor Supply for about 8 bucks a quart.it's also known as Zippo lighter fluid... What are the secret enzymes? And and what aren't they actually required to be spelled out on the MSDS sheet?
 Naphtha is the common and main ingredient in all these fuel treatments.... 

[redrider]

The Techron msds lists 1.5% naptha. Stoddard solvent(paint thinner/mineral spirits) is in there along with a few listed as trade secrets. It does jive with the explanation by the BG rep. Chevron owns the patent/formulation and sells it to others such as Wynns, BG etc. To stay competitive on price, these buyers dilute or tweak the formula. Techron does an outstanding job cleaning the top end. I was impressed looking into the intakes on the Mille after one treatment. Disassembly revealed no carbon on the piston or chamber and light dusting in the exhaust port. Carbs are spotless.

I use it before an oil change because some of the crud invariably gets mixed in.

Poor running of the MSF fleet has disappeared by using Startron and Lucas products. These bikes may sit for a month or more. They start and run smoothly.

[Triple Jim]

 Star tron MSDS says it is 95% naphtha  and 5% mystery enzymes .

The MSDS in the link I posted above says less than 0.5%, not 5%.

[nunzio]

Seafoam also makes Deep Creep a "rust buster/penetrator" spray.

I don't know  MSDS from Shinola ,,but it works well for me....... ;-T