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Which Fuel/engine Additive Brand Wins?
2018 test3 productsFuel & Additives

Which Fuel/engine Additive Brand Wins?

This head-to-head test of 3 fuel/engine additive options has the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.

The verdict
Ranked first

Techron

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The measured results

Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.

All measurements (5 more)+

Initial single-product test (dirty carburetor/badly worn engine, one tank per label directions)

  • 1Techron

    some cleaning was visible but a lot more cleaning was left to be done; narrator believes it probably takes more than the one tank the product claims is sufficient

  • 2Seafoam
    not tested
  • 3Marvel Mystery Oil
    not tested

Three-way carbon-prevention comparison, cylinder head area

  • 1Techron

    narrator says Techron seemed to excel in this location of the engine

  • 2Seafoam
    not tested
  • 3Marvel Mystery Oil
    not tested

Compression test

  • 1Techron
    101 PSI

    (figure from meta chapter title only, not spoken anywhere in the transcript)

  • 2Seafoam
    not tested
  • 3Marvel Mystery Oil
    not tested

Three-way carbon-prevention comparison, piston and valve area

  • 2Seafoam

    when asked which of the three products did the best overall, narrator says Seafoam did the best in this area

  • 1Techron
    not tested
  • 3Marvel Mystery Oil
    not tested

Three-way carbon-prevention comparison, overall

  • 3Marvel Mystery Oil

    narrator says it seemed to finish somewhere in the middle of the other two

  • 1Techron
    not tested
  • 2Seafoam
    not tested

How it was tested

  • single-product cleaning test: Techron run through a badly worn, dirty engine and carburetor for one tank per label directions
  • three-way carbon buildup prevention comparison: Techron, Seafoam, and Marvel Mystery Oil each run individually through the same cleaned engine for one tank, then torn down and visually inspected for carbon buildup by engine region
  • compression test in PSI (chapter-only data, not narrated)

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