Diesel

1. Started off with a fresh can of Seafoam and a 10W Oil.


2. And a Bottle, apparently Im not allowed to put engine oil into our drinking cups. Women...




3. Put some 10W Oil into the Bottle




Here is to show you that it was a new can

Diesel

4. Some Seafoam



5. Would you like that shaken or stirred? Djb, shaken. Vigorously for about 2 min.




6. Next, I got ready to get some beauty sleep and ended up putting down one of our goats instead, and some other things. So after about 3 and a half hours we have this. The Seafoam is starting to settle on top again, but as you can see not all of it has separated. And by this time I was tired, cranky and the girlfriend wanted it out of the bedroom.





The reason why it did not mix, even though both are petroleum based, is that the Seafoam contains Naptha and IPA as well as other ingredients in additon to the Pale Oil. Seafoam is a Solution, a mixture of one substance dissolved in another so the properties are the same throughout. When the Oil is mixed with Seafoam, refer to step 5, it becomes a suspension, a mixture between two substances, one of which is finely divided and dispersed in the other. Particles in a suspension will settle out if the suspension is allowed to stand undisturbed. In order for the seafoam and the oil to stay mixed together you would need a emulsifier.

dukie564

mmm good test. I think that it would only really separate in the oil pan anyways. As soon as you started the vehicle back up it would re-mix itself with the oil. I don't see the possibility of it forming air pockets - it doesn't foam or cause bubbles - it's pure petroleum just like the oil, just much more refined - causing it to have a lower density than the engine oil - thus rising to the surface.

There is no surface tension between the two, so they never truly "separate"

Diesel

The air pockets is still questionable, Im trying to think of a accurate test to try that.

As far as the separating, I see your point of view, but look at step 5, the second picture, I think overtime that would cause a lubrication issue, they never completely mixed, so at a micro level you would have oil lubricating and seafoam separately.

dukie564

yea, i don't really like putting it in my oil anyways, especially for expended periods. I've since found better products for the gentle oil passage cleansing portion of my maintenance.

(a product called Auto-RX if you are wondering - works wonders on varnish and sludged oil)

djb383

Dayum! Excellent post......and tell your girlfriend thanks for being patient with you/us. Personally, I've never added anything to the engine oil and never will. The statement that 2 petroleum products wouldn't mix just sounded a little "over the top" to me but hey, I can wipe egg off my face with the best of them......I've had a lot of practice and I'm willing to admit it. LOL Again, excellent post.

1991Jeep_Man

Uh... seafoam in the crankcase is meant to clean correct? Why not just get a bottle of engine flush? About every second or third oil change I run some Engine Flush through the system (don't worry.. it's idle only.. and for about 5 mins.) Then drain. Same effect, so far no troubles, clearly cleaning little deposits of sludge evident in the oil catch pan.

Thanks for the post Diesel. I was one of the people in that debate lol althought I don't think I really had a side to it. This clears up a lot of unanswered questions people may have.

Diesel

We have a machine at our shop that pumps hot oil through everything. Leave it running through everything for 2 hours and everythings clean as a whistle.

We dont own it, local guy went out and he is letting us "Store" it for him.

jcwclm

I heard you're not supposed to run the seafoam in your oil for the full 3,000 mi (or whatever you run your oil for), just a couple hundred miles or something.

dukie564

agreed, i run it for about 30-50 miles

djb383

The facts are (from Seafoam's website), it needs to be in the engine for a minimum of 30 miles and there's no maximum number of miles, just change the oil when it appears dirty.

dilljeepo

That's called a "Mechanical Mixture", and it's pretty intense in your picture because you used about half and half. When you put in 1 and a half ounces for each quart it wouldn't be so extreme, and it would still lubricate. That's how seafoam reliquifies the grudge and breaks down carbon deposits though, it has to be it's own molecule inside the oil. Other oil additives make a mechanical mixture when put in oil too, you just can't see them like you can Seafoam. Thats like being afraid of water liquid rusting your car, but not worrying about water vapor because you can't see it. It's in the air. It rusts metal too. Anyways, I've agreed to disagree on our "debate", and I still think it's okay to put in your oil. Like I said before, it's all in moderation... kinda like Sodium in your diet.
P.S- the seafoam website says MAX 100 miles with seafoam in your oil.
If you want to make an accurate test you should mix it right, heat it to operating temperatures in a sealed container and see how it fares with some machined pieces of metal constantly rubbing together, OR make a glass crankcase... that would be neat.
Can we be best friends again?

no rdplz

Love the comment about the drinking cups! I run into the same issue all the time with my wife. It's like they just don't understand how perfect they are for mixing automotive fluids.

Anyway, great test, but as the engine runs, it continually mixes the two, so separation only occurs while it's sitting for a few hours. Once it fires up, it remixes. Either way, it's recommened by many to only run it in your oil for a max of 300 miles.

djb383

I must have missed that.....if I did, then Seafoam is contradicting themselves (cleaning lifters and oil rings).

http://www.seafoamsales.com/how-to-u...treatment.html

dilljeepo

Yeah I missed that, I quoted the 100 miles max from a different section, it changes in each one, one says it can stay in until your next oil change. I wonder if it has alcohol in it, I wonder if it evaporates after a while...