I’ve heard people on here talk about sea foam. What is its purpose? Is it a fuel additive?
Sea Foam is a fuel additive available everywhere from auto stores and WalMart to Menards. It’s been around for many decades. My opinion is that it’s way over-rated – considered a cure-all by many. It has cleaners and lubes in it and who knows what else. If you have a dirty carb problem, there is a chance it may cure it, but best to take the carb apart. It can also loosen dirt in the tank and send it to the motor where it causes problems. The only use I believe in and use it for is storage of 4-stroke car-type engines. In my I/O ski boat that has a 4.3 Chevy engine as a MerCruiser factory setup, I put it at a fast idle and slowly dump 1/2 can into the carb, then shut it down for the winter. This provides valve and upper cylinder lubrication and coating for winter storage. Years ago a friend with an inboard cabin cruiser told me all the people at the St. Paul Yacht Club do this and they claim that engine storage problems went away and motors are much easier to get started in the spring. This came form a good friend who rebuilds these engines, so I trust his judgement. The stuff runs from $7 to $10 for a 16 ounce can. Some use it as a gas stabilizer for winter, but it contains 18% alcohol, so that could actually add to the fuel storage problem. I do not believe in adding it to gas and think that’s a waste of money. Most people who swear by it say they “always use it and never have a fuel problem” – my opinion is that they wouldn’t have had a fuel problem anyway. That’s my 2 HP on the subject. You will likely get a lot of opinions here. I hear a lot of the same claims for Marvel Mystery Oil that’s been around since the 1920s or 30s.
