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Ingredients of 'SeaFoam'

35K views 36 replies 13 participants last post by  Gohot 
#1 ·
Here's the basic recipe for SeaFoam, and considerably cheaper. All the componant ingredients are available with a visit to just a couple stores in town. Maybe Wally's and a Sherwin Williams or even Lowes. You'll be able to find the ingredients easily enough though

Found on the internet under 'Homebrew SeaFoam recipe', I'd site the author, but he/she seems to be FAR removed by now as this has probably made the forum rounds an alot of motorhead sites.

It's very cheap and easy to make at home

25% Cleaner>Naphtha
60% Stabilizer>Kerosene
15% Oxygenate> Isopropyl Alcohol (common Rubbing Alcohol)

Other Commercial Brands such as Chevron Techron Concentrate are 100% Cleaner.
Majority is Naphtha,,,along with Stoddard Solvent,Benzene,Xylene,etc.

You can Substitute Seafoam's 15% IPA for Toluene and get better results,,,most paint stores have it.

ALL the Products are merely a variety of Blends of generic,,bulk commodity petrochemicals.

They are simply bought by the barrel,,,,mixed together in various ratios,,,,Bottled>Labeled>Sold

SeaFoam for example,,
It's sells for about $8 USD for 16oz.

$64 USD per gallon

"Naphtha",,,2 Bottles @ $1 ea = 1/2 gallon
"Kerosene" 3 Bottles@ $1 ea =3/4 gal
"IPA" 2 bottles for 1$ = 1/4 gal

$6 for 1.5 gals
For "GENERIC ,Homemade Seafoam"

versus the
$64 USD per gallon
for actual,,name brand Sea Foam

It's not so much the point that it's only 1/10 the Cost,,,
it's that homemade blend allows for ,,,not just Enhancement but even Exaggeration of the Beneficial Properties of the Additive Mix.

For example :
Skip the Rubbing Alcohol,replace it with Acetone,,,Same Price.
Makes engine Start much better in Cold Weather,,,SOMETIMES improves fuel mileage,,,is Less Corrosive,,,and acts like a Cleaner Itself.
And,,it gets added in at much,much lower doses.

Or,,,add a $5 pint of Toluene in lieu of a quart of Kerosene

Or ,,1$ Quart of Auto Trans Fluid,to make Mega Stabilizer.

Or,to add to Crankcase---it sometimes Smokes a bit.
But I just FEEL better Cleaning internals with a premium LUBRICANT as the engine runs,,,rather than all Solvents.

Or if You would rather buy a Commercial Product and can Not find Seafoam
Chevron Techron is much,much More Powerful Cleaner by volume.
It will work at minimum,,,,better and faster and on a wider range of Fuel Deposits .
But ya should really only use it in fuel,,not in Crankcase.
It's too aggressive a cleaner and not made for such use.

Beyond Those particular products,,
Anything labeled "FUEL INJECTION" cleaner is typically going to be Higher Concentration of appropriate CLEANERS,,, than products labeled as "Carb Cleaner" or "Gas/Fuel Treatment"

The Later 2 products Have been enriched during last Decade or so,,
So the Differences in all the Variety are Not as Great as they were 15~20 years ago

If Sea Foam is Not available,,
Chose Anything labeled as FUEL INJECTION cleaner and it will do about as good a job as Sea Foam in your Tank, injectors, varnish, carbon etc in Intake tract, Valves and combustion chamber.

All more/less same stuff.
CLEANERS,,,have More Cleaner and Less Stabilizer than SeaFoam.
You are currently going through Fresh Petrol,,,so Ya do not Need the hi-dosage Stabilizers at this point.
Especially when trying to CLEAN the fuel system.
You need the higher dose Cleaner.
Reply With Quote


As You can see..... the prices are about two or three years ago, when this recipe first surfaced, or when 'I' found it, that much time variance I'm sure of. But still at double all the costs of the chemicals, sSeaFoam typically sells 'most recently at Advanced Auto' for upwards of $9.00 a can, I believe @ 16 oz.
 

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#2 ·
{cool} Thanks for the info.
 
#3 ·
Interesting.  {cool}
 
#4 ·
Many auto shops sell a "Fuel Injection system Tune up" which really has nothing do do with the fuel system.  They seafoam treat the engine and blow the carbon out of the chambers.  But it makes a night and day difference on cars with some miles on them. 
I have been told to disconnect the cats if you seafoam your engine because it can kill your CCs. 
 
#6 ·
Ok , so I worked in chemical industry in past , and some of your substitutions are very dangerous, and some of the ingredients are vague (specifically the naphtha, there are many different kinds with many different chemical breakdowns).
Replacing IPA (which kind you don't mention) with Toluene is very dumb and toxic.
Some of the ingredients are not even available to public.
Most are major cancinagens too.
The cost of making your own would end up costing you more than what you could just pick up off shelf at store.


So in my opininion doing this is a very very dangerous  and deadly undertaking for some one not knowing what they are doing .

So if you really don't enjoy life , Go for it , Videotape it also should be fun to watch on 1,000 ways to die tv show!
 
#7 ·
Simple chemicals, simple mixture, it's not like your going to be leaving it out in a moss covered building by the swamp in a cauldren. Serriously, it's just common ingredients found at your Wallmart or paint store. Three ingredients, the most exotic being naphtha.Naphtha is used primarily as feedstock for producing high octane gasoline (via the catalytic reforming process). It is also used in the petrochemical industry for producing olefins in steam crackers and in the chemical industry for solvent (cleaning) applications. Common products made with it include lighter fluid, fuel for camp stoves, and some cleaning solvents.
Kerosine a non-event as well as IPA 'rubbing alcahol' which comes in two percentage types from Wallgreens, I think 40% and 80%, but this concern seems an over-reaction. Sure there are plenty of mouthbreathers and Darwin awards out there, but come on. Anyway, naphtha, rubbing alcahol and Kerosene are hardly mushroom cloud events. Everything is a carcinogen, or .....not.
 
#8 ·
Gohot said:
Simple chemicals, simple mixture, it's not like your going to be leaving it out in a moss covered building by the swamp in a cauldren. Serriously, it's just common ingredients found at your Wallmart or paint store. Three ingredients, the most exotic being naphtha.Naphtha is used primarily as feedstock for producing high octane gasoline (via the catalytic reforming process). It is also used in the petrochemical industry for producing olefins in steam crackers and in the chemical industry for solvent (cleaning) applications. Common products made with it include lighter fluid, fuel for camp stoves, and some cleaning solvents.
Kerosine a non-event as well as IPA 'rubbing alcahol' which comes in two percentage types from Wallgreens, I think 40% and 80%, but this concern seems an over-reaction. Sure there are plenty of mouthbreathers and Darwin awards out there, but come on. Anyway, naphtha, rubbing alcahol and Kerosene are hardly mushroom cloud events. Everything is a carcinogen, or .....not.
Agreed, nothing of major concern there, but stay away from benzene as mentioned!

With that said, I'd still just buy SeaFoam to avoid having to store all of the other things (their flammability is my only real concern), it's not like you need to buy a can of SeaFoam every week.
 
#9 ·
There are more than 25 different "naptha solvents"
Also ipa comes in many percentages , all depends on H2O content , most rubbing alcohol is 71% .
I would be curious to know how long you worked in chemical industry and if you even read the MSDS for each chemical.
If you just read the one for Seafoam , they are allowed by law to use some vague despriptions under a trade secret ruling .
Having mixed and delivered this stuff for a long time , I can say it is nothing to play with if your uninformed.
But you do what you will.
And for your information toluene is the chemical used to increase octane in gasoline not Naptha, and kerosene is a naptha solvent also.

You are sadly mistaken thinking this is over reacting ,
It is irresponseible to think you can home brew with dangerous chemicals . Guessing at formulas , that are mixed under strict safety regulations
Chemicals mixed wrong can be very dangerous
You can call me all the names you want  
But your a fool if you try this.
 
#11 ·
KThaxton said:
Who called you names?
That would be a pre-event statement.
I'm sorry that some may feel this is a over reaction statement on my part ,
But after working in chemical industry as long as I have .
To see some one thing such a cavalier attitude about dangerous chemicals and reccommend there useage to a novice is very dangerous and irresponsable. With potential for disastrous results is highly likely .
 
#12 ·
I'm not doing this because of Furyschild's comments, I just don't see the need to make my own. Seafoam isn't that expensive and you don't need it all that often.

Chris
 
#16 ·
I don't see any reason to lock or delete it either. I am sure there some members here who will use this info. I have no place to store it or the ingredients. That plus the fact I get a pretty good discount at work makes Seafoam pretty cheap for me.

Chris
 
#17 ·
Interesting info, but is a way for Darwin to make himslef known. I myself would research the chemicals before I blindly mix these together because it was posted online.

Now if someone can post how to make nitrous oxide........Mythbusters supposedly did but of course they blocked the main procedures to do it.
 
#18 ·
Typical solvents such as these are not reactive with each other as they are all closely related. They're all carbon based, most are hydrocarbons and many are aromatic hydrocarbons. They almost always play nice together (I'm not a chemist, so I won't say "always"). The things you want to avoid are oxidizers and strong acids or bases.

In the realm of common chemicals, these solvents are the least reactive. 
 
#19 ·
KThaxton said:
Typical solvents such as these are not reactive with each other as they are all closely related. They're all carbon based, most are hydrocarbons and many are aromatic hydrocarbons. They almost always play nice together (I'm not a chemist, so I won't say "always"). The things you want to avoid are oxidizers and strong acids or bases.

In the realm of common chemicals, these solvents are the least reactive.
Being As I worked in a chemical company for 23 yrs and Gone thru Hazardous materials training and haz mat waste recycling , I may know something about how chemical can and will react ( and there are other things besides reacting with each other to factor in too, like exposure and inhalation) ,but like I said go for it , Thousand Ways to Die needs more stories for there show !
 
#20 ·
Furyschild said:
Being As I worked in a chemical company for 23 yrs and Gone thru Hazardous materials training and haz mat waste recycling , I may know something about how chemical can and will react ( and there are other things besides reacting with each other to factor in too, like exposure and inhalation) ,but like I said go for it , Thousand Ways to Die needs more stories for there show !
Well, if you know something, tell us. What kind of violent reaction can be expected from the solvents listed being mixed? What kind of "exposure and inhalation" hazard will be worse than using these chemicals for their intended purpose? If you're going to tell us your experience makes you an expert, tell us what will happen, don't give generalities....'cuz honestly, it sounds like you don't really know.

I have a bit of chemical and haz-mat training myself, and I still do it for a living....however, I don't do any "haz mat waste recycling", because for us in the know, that terminology doesn't make much sense.
 
#21 ·
Furyschild said:
Being As I worked in a chemical company for 23 yrs and Gone thru Hazardous materials training and haz mat waste recycling , I may know something about how chemical can and will react ( and there are other things besides reacting with each other to factor in too, like exposure and inhalation) ,but like I said go for it , Thousand Ways to Die needs more stories for there show !
I wouldn't ba afraid to mix any of the listed chemicals. I just don't want them stored in my apartment waiting to be mixed.

Chris
 
#22 ·
KThaxton said:
Well, if you know something, tell us. What kind of violent reaction can be expected from the solvents listed being mixed? What kind of "exposure and inhalation" hazard will be worse than using these chemicals for their intended purpose? If you're going to tell us your experience makes you an expert, tell us what will happen, don't give generalities....'cuz honestly, it sounds like you don't really know.

I have a bit of chemical and haz-mat training myself, and I still do it for a living....however, I don't do any "haz mat waste recycling", because for us in the know, that terminology doesn't make much sense.
Maybe instead of recycling I should have used word reclaimation, Specifically chlorinated solvents , methylene chloride, III trichlorethylene, Trichlorethylene, N Propyl Bromide , PLus some liquid freons used in electronic industry (very little of this as it has been banned, by federal goverment, they are only ones still using).Also did some flammable solvent reclaimation back in 90's but that was not profittable for company.

Does This make more sense to you now?

There can be any number of reactions , while dealing with chemicals , But you need a list? Fire, explosion, health risk for inhalation, or absorbsion

The Broad general description of a naptha solvent , could mean any of a multitude of chemicals.Companies use thes generallizations to protect from people copying there formulas, ie "trade secrets".Naptha is too broad of a term ,Naptha's are generally a combination of components http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-naptha.htm , http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/chemicals/cn/Medium%A0Aliphatic%A0Solvent%A0Naphtha.html

Here's some of the info on a few:

Isopropyl Alcohol : http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/isopropylalcohol/recognition.html

Toluene:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-123/pdfs/0619.pdf

Benzene :
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10042

Xylene :
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/xylene/recognition.html

In case you require more;
Another resource used in chemical industry that can be heplful , under 49 cfr guideline is a Emergency Response Guide , http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/hazmat/table/

WANT MORE resouces ?

But would require more reading !

You up for it ?

I can get into it more if you like ,but to put into terms for general population , its easier to just say , its not safe without proper handling , safety , or knowledge of what these chemicals can do and without proper training on handling of such there is a danger to health and public safety.

OH and by the way , only reason I'm not doing this anymore is because of a severe back injury from working at this job ! And that was in the last year ! I mixed , packaged , made shipping papers and waste manifests , did waste management,reclaimed, delivered and supervised 25 employees at a chemical facility .
But that probably not enough knowledge for this subject.

P.S. saying I'm giving out generalities , then saying your not a chemist , but work in industry (not saying how ) is a generality!
If you are "in " industry you should know better than reccomend to novices then to play backyard chemist .
 
#23 ·
Furyschild said:
There can be any number of reactions , while dealing with chemicals , But you need a list? Fire, explosion, health risk for inhalation, or absorbsion
Again, generalities, a blanket statement if you will. I think we all know that mixing the wrong chemicals can result in such reactions, but do you have knowledge of these reactions OF THE CHEMICALS LISTED IN THIS THREAD? (that's the important, non-general part we're looking for)

The Broad general description of a naptha solvent , could mean any of a multitude of chemicals.Companies use thes generallizations to protect from people copying there formulas, ie "trade secrets".Naptha is too broad of a term ,Naptha's are generally a combination of components http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-naptha.htm , http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/chemicals/cn/Medium%A0Aliphatic%A0Solvent%A0Naphtha.html

Here's some of the info on a few:

Isopropyl Alcohol : http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/isopropylalcohol/recognition.html

Toluene:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-123/pdfs/0619.pdf

Benzene :
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10042

Xylene :
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/xylene/recognition.html

In case you require more;
Another resource used in chemical industry that can be heplful , under 49 cfr guideline is a Emergency Response Guide , http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/hazmat/table/

WANT MORE resouces ?
Blah blah blah, that's enough thanks, and I have access to that information and more already. Regardless, in a quick overview of your links, I didn't see any reactivity warnings with other solvents, again, that is what we're talking about here. Also, as I said before, inhalation, absorbtion and fire risks are no different than if these chemicals were used by themselves, for their intended uses. Give us some data that shows reactions or increased health risks by mixing THE CHEMICALS DISCUSSED IN THIS THREAD!

OH and by the way , only reason I'm not doing this anymore is because of a severe back injury from working at this job ! And that was in the last year ! I mixed , packaged , made shipping papers and waste manifests , did waste management,reclaimed, delivered and supervised 25 employees at a chemical facility .
But that probably not enough knowledge for this subject.
Wonderful, great. Now that you've bragged about your experience again, show us it's usefulness by telling us specifics.

P.S. saying I'm giving out generalities , then saying your not a chemist , but work in industry (not saying how ) is a generality!
Not really, it would be considered being not very specific, but not on purpose. If I thought it was required I would have done so. I am an Environmental Health and Safety Manager for a large Aerospace gear and gearbox manufacturer. We have many solvents and other chemicals to support our plating facility. I also run our industrial waste water treatment facility. Being the EHS manager means I have my foot in saftey, haz waste, emergency response and Hazcom, and much more.

If you are "in " industry you should know better than reccomend to novices then to play backyard chemist .
Ideally, yes, good point, but I am also not an alarmist. Since I see no unique or hidden risk involved with the discussion HERE IN THIS THREAD, I will not overreact.
 
#24 ·
Ha ha ha , so you never directly worked with these solvents but have the nerve to belittle my direct experience in a real chemical processing plant , where we worked every day with these products . Even supplying manufacturers like seafoam with these raw materials.
There are no set in written  reactions with these chemicals

You asked for details and doubt my experience , I state my background and you talk shit , you called me out on it so its not bragging
These products are not mixed in someones backyard or garage under strict conditions with safety in mind. With a specific formula. Not use this because it more available.
An your a safety manager for a big company?
So your a paper pusher who never worked directly with thes chemicals
Being if your position you should also know the proper safety gear involved in processing , yet no mention of it . 
Yet you condone this experiment?


Most of these chemicals are regulated for such reasons and with your background I would think you would know better. 

I have seen first hand the chemical burns from toluene

The skin reactions from naptha's .
Luckily I have yet to see someone burn from fire caused by a low flash point ignition.
Chemicals should not but screwed with by anyone without proper knowledge of both product and safety procedures for said product
But screw all osha safety regs go for it !
Go spill this shit on yourself , then talk to me about how its safe.
I'm done with this dicussion with you.
 
#25 ·
Oh brother... ::)

Furyschild said:
Ha ha ha , so you never directly worked with these solvents but have the nerve to belittle my direct experience in a real chemical processing plant , where we worked every day with these products . Even supplying manufacturers like seafoam with these raw materials.
Yes, I have and do work with these chemicals, didja notice where it says I run our waste treatment facility? Or where I handle the haz waste? Prior to my EHS life, I worked in the plate shop DIRECTLY USING THESE CHEMICALS. I also train our employees on their use.

Also, I did not belittle your experience, I am belittling your lack of facts. You are speaking as if you have this knowledge of the increased dangers of mixing these chemicals yet you can't explain what is any different than handling these chemicals by themselves.

There are no set in written reactions with these chemicals
You say there will be a reaction with these chemicals, well, lets here what kind of reaction would happen with these mostly-non-reactive-with-chemicals-from-the-same-or-related-chemical-family products and why.

You asked for details and doubt my experience
I did? When?

, I state my background and you talk shit , you called me out on it so its not bragging
You stated your background as if that was all we needed to hear in order to accept your statement. I'm saying you're wrong, and you haven't been able to back it up. It is obvious you do not know what kind of rearction will happen, it doesn't matter what experience you type up, you won't back it up with facts.

An your a safety manager for a big company?
Uhm, yeah, I think I already mentioned that. See previous post. ::)

So your a paper pusher who never worked directly with thes chemicals
Stupid assumption. See above for my chemical related duties both past and present.

Being if your position you should also know the proper safety gear involved in processing , yet no mention of it .
I'm not in charge of these guys' safety. It is not my duty to train them in chemical hygene. Apparantly you think it is your job however.

Yet you condone this experiment?
I see no reason not to, but you seem to, but the only facts you provide are generic warning label stuff. Do you disconnect the negative battery cable when inflating your tires?

I
have seen first hand the chemical burns from toluene
Another hint that you do not know what you are talking about. Toluene is not a corrosive, therefore it will not give a "chemical burn". It is considered an irritant with skin contact. Worse case would probably be dermititus.

The skin reactions from naptha's .
So, does this change when mixed with these chemicals?

Luckily I have yet to see someone burn from fire caused by a low flash point ignition.
Do these chemical have a lower flashpoint when mixed?

The last three comments I quoted of yours seem to be straying from the dangers of mixing, to just basic chemical hazards. Curious, would you be freaking out if someone talked about using naptha, or mineral spirits to clean their paint brushes? "cuz again, you are only talking about general chemical hazards, NOTHING specific to mixing the ones mentioned.

But screw all osha safety regs go for it !
OSHA regs do not apply when we are not in the workplace, so yeah, screw 'em!

Go spill this shit on yourself , then talk to me about how its safe.
Does one only spill these chemicals on themselves when they are mixing them? You make it sound like nobody should handle ANY chemicals that they can purchase from Wal-Mart or Home Depot without having gone through training. ::)

I'm done with this dicussion with you.
Good idea.
 
#26 ·
KThaxton said:
I'm not in charge of these guys' safety. It is not my duty to train them in chemical hygene. Apparantly you think it is your job however.

I see no reason not to, but you seem to, but the only facts you provide are generic warning label stuff. Do you disconnect the negative battery cable when inflating your tires?

Another hint that you do not know what you are talking about. Toluene is not a corrosive, therefore it will not give a "chemical burn". It is considered an irritant with skin contact. Worse case would probably be dermititus.

Do these chemical have a lower flashpoint when mixed?

The last three comments I quoted of yours seem to be straying from the dangers of mixing, to just basic chemical hazards. Curious, would you be freaking out if someone talked about using naptha, or mineral spirits to clean their paint brushes? "cuz again, you are only talking about general chemical hazards, NOTHING specific to mixing the ones mentioned.

OSHA regs do not apply when we are not in the workplace, so yeah, screw 'em!
OH now i think i will comment ,
First you'd rather lead someone on here to believe these chemicals aren't dangerous at all .

I also said there is a possiblity of a reaction if mixed improperly , with fact he was substituting chemicals such as ipa for toluene , not same chemical families one is a alcohol other a aliphatic hydrocarbon .
Or switching toluene for benzene all though a deriviative of benzene , toluene is far less of health risk ,
Also from your "probably only a case of dematitis " comment you have never seen what it can do if you come into contact with a quantity of Toluene above the exposure limit , I have seen what happens when a filter unit fails and sprays workers while drumming out of a bulk tanker , Just because it is not a corrosive doesnt mean you cannot recieve a chemical burn It can also be a base type chemical , It is a severe irritant with exposure limit of 100 parts per million , thats kinda small quantity for something as safe as you say it is , wouldn't you think .
A generalized guess kerosene was substitute for Naptha ( which is a vague generalization in its own description, because of the amount of different napthas available).

Low flashpoints on some of these chemical do come into play while mixing , they are a possible fire hazard if ignition occurs , there are vapors present .

Mixing chemicals without proper training can result is a very dangerous situation ,one mistake like this leveled a city block here in N J , and killed several workers.

TRy and buy toluene or benzene at walmart or home depot , Maybe in your area you can , but in this part of country its regulated and you need a epa id number to purchase it , xylene,kerosene,ipa, and mineral spirits can be purchased in small quantity but not toluene or benzene.
Just because they are sold to general public does not make them safe , read the warning labels on them !
Just as its not your job to train people , It's not mine to go into every detail of each chemicals dangers , thats what MSDS's are for.Checking infomation on reactivity of chemicals before attempting to mix is a smart move and to discount it is stupidity .

Chemical all are dangerous in the wrong hands ,
To stand by and watch your fellow man misuse them , knowing what they can possibly do is irresponsible and uncaring .
To say there is no chance of a reaction without researching every possible risk , again stupidity

Maybe some of the older members of this forum are too set in their ways to worry about this but to teach a younger generation bad habits on handling hazardous material is wrong .

Maybe I give a shit about people , a general warning is better than no fucking warning !

Funny how these specific chemical have no place in a plating facilty but you say they do ." I worked in the plate shop DIRECTLY USING THESE CHEMICALS"

These are used in plating ,

Acetic acid Clear
Acetone
Ammonium hydroxide
Cadmium salts
cadmium oxide Brown powder
cadmium cyanide
Chromic acid
Cyanide salts
Hydrochloric acid
Nickel salts
chloride, sulphate
Nitric acid
Sulphuric acid
Trichloroethylene

No mention of the chemicals in our discussion , so maybe you don't know your facts either .
 
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