Thread: Sea Foam vs Sta-Bil vs Marine Sta-Bil - What is the best for boats??

Crappie Anglers Magizine had a short spiff about a new product called Valvetech. It's suppose to do the same that the rest do.

Wal-Mart sells a product called Startron that is supposed to take care of all issues.

I use Seafoam in the last 3 boats I have owned, great results

So I came across this older thread while trying to determine which product to use SeaFoam or Sta-bil, also I came across this info from another site which seemed worthy of posting as well.

by TheFamousGrouse:

Sea Foam and Sta-bil are two completely different products for two different uses. What are you trying to accomplish?
There is so much misinformation and urban legends out there about ethanol and fuel additives it’s hard to know where to begin.
Sea Foam is a fuel system detergent. It loosens and dissolves varnish and other fuel system residues. It can open partially clogged injectors and remove varnish and residue that is causing a carb not to function properly. It can also help an engine more easily burn fuel with slight water contamination.
No engine needs Sea Foam in the fuel all the time. Brian is correct, Sea Foam can attract water. In addition, engines are not tested to run with high concentrations of detergents on a constant basis.
Sta-bil, on the other hand is a fuel stabilizer. It allegedly extends the storage life of gasoline and, again, allegedly helps prevent some kinds of ethanol-related fuel issues.
So a couple of things. First, if your goal is simply making sure the fuel in your tank will be ok to use next season and if you are using true Non Oxygenated fuel, then nothing is required as far as additives and nothing should be added. Non-Ox gas has a storage life that is greater than the winter months, so there is no reason why you need to add anything.
If you are having fuel-related engine problems, a treatment of Sea Foam might help. Or it might not. But constant use of Sea Foam may damage your engine.
If you have gasoline in your tank that has ethanol, you can use Sta-bil, but only in the recommended amount. Adding more, again, can cause problems.
The bottom line is that all this gunk, goo, and snake oil should never be used on an “every tank” basis. There are a couple of myths that are driving guys to do this, however.
First, understand that NO, repeat NO chemical treatment can “remove” or “eat” water that has contaminated fuel. It is chemically impossible. Water can ONLY be removed from fuel through mechanical separation. This is a fact of physics.
Secondly, no chemical can reverse phase separation if it occurs. Weather or not any additive can prevent phase separation and to what degree and under what conditions is highly debatable at best.
The bottom line is that the best way to prevent fuel contamination is to buy Non-Ox fuel, run a good fuel filter AND a good water separator (they are NOT the same thing), and use fuel within a few months of buying it.
Grouse

I was told not to put sea foam in an older motor that had never been treated . To much gunk created over past years . Was told it was ok if motor was using it from the start . I was told that 90 % of problems would not happen in the spring If you would crank your motor every two weeks during the winter . Some manuals say run the gas out before storing, some just the opposite. Easier to let my duck hunting friend use it .

You can read something different on this all the time. I am going to keep on doing what I have been doing for years....Its working good.

But yeh....this 7 year old thread is about two different things. Sea Foam is fuel system cleaner. Marine Stabil is a fuel stabilizer. Both are good products.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Seafoam actually works as a stabilizer as well.