Using Sea Foam in a Hyster forklift with a Continental F227 engine [SOLVED]
We own a Hyster forklift with a Continental F227 engine, running on LPG.
According to Hyster, these engines are notorious for making condensation that gets into the oil if the machine is not used hard enough or long enough to thoroughly heat up the engine sufficiently to drive off the moist vapor.
We are guilty of rarely running the engine long enough to heat it up. We now have moisture in the oil, but yet there is good compression in all cylinders and the cooling system holds 12psi overnight. So there are no obvious indications a failed head gasket or cracked head and/or block is the culprit for the contamination.
Our plan is to modify the operating instructions for the machine in the future and always get it thoroughly heated up each time it is used.
Next step is to replace current contaminated engine oil with new. The factory manual specifies “flushing oil” whenever performing repairs that produced engine oil contamination. Hyster says ‘Sea Foam’ is the recommended product, used “according to instructions on the can.” That is fine as far as it goes, but we are writing to receive more specific details from Sea Foam:
1. We will change the oil and put in fresh; for flushing purposes, which Sea Foam product should we use, and at what ratio (capacity is 6 qts)?
2. How long should the engine be run once treated with Sea Foam to thoroughly “launder” the inside of the engine?
3. We will then drain the “flushing oil” and replace with mfr specification (30W SAE). Should we add some Sea Foam product to the fresh engine oil (which Sea Foam product, and how much?) before returning to service?
Thank you for your expert advice!
Jim T
Thanks for the questions Jim. See my responses in order: 1) The best Sea Foam products for adding to oil are Sea Foam Motor Treatment or High Mileage. And yes, either will work great for your application. All you do is add 1.5 ounces per quart of oil in the crankcase. 2) I’d run the engine 20 to 60 minutes. As it circulates, Sea Foam liquefies heavier oil residues and deposits back into the fluid phase so everything can drain away when ready to drop the old oil. 3) Yes, but keep in mind that you can only add Sea Foam once per oil interval. Hope this is helpful!
Jim D.TECH
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