Seafoam

[Guest]

My supplier will have a new supply in next week.

What is the rule of thumb for using it in the tank.....should it be added at every fill?

[DimitriT]

My rule of thumb is not to use it.

I've never found it helps with anything.

If your carbs are dirty such that running regular pump gas won't clean
them then I doubt you will have much success with Seafoam or any
other fuel system cleaner.

I've learned this from experience.

Carbs that are really dirty (usually from rust in the tank) need to be
cleaned OFF the bike.

Carbs that a lightly gummed up (after sitting over the winter) will clean
themselves just fine by just running a couple of tanks of gas.

Having said that I never found it to do any harm.

When I've tried it I dumped half the can into a full tank (abot 3.5 gallons),
ran it through, refilled and the used the rest of the can.

In my case I saw no difference and my problem went away only after I
removed the carbs and cleaned out the idle jet tip with a thin wire. That is
the weak point in these tiny carbs and the likely source of the problem you
are seeing.

[hikermikem]

My supplier will have a new supply in next week.

What is the rule of thumb for using it in the tank.....should it be added at every fill?

Lots of members here use it in small amounts in every tank to stabilize the fuel, due to the nondesirable alcohol in the fuel...

I personally only use it occasionaly to "clean" out the system (seems to help smooth the idle IMO).

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I use about a half a can (4 oz. or so) in a tank a few times a year, just because it gives me that "fresh all over" feeling.

I use it just for maintenance, but nothing beats a real carb cleaning with disassembly and soaking in carb dip. I never put my bike up for the winter and ride almost every day so I don't worry too much about gummy carbs.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[lucabond]

I havent used it in the gas, but did add a can to the engine oil and ran it for a few hundred miles then changed the oil. I noticed a big improvement in the clutch and shifting after that. As for gas treatment i don't know how good a job they do but I did notice the inside of my gas tank is much cleaner now then before I used carb cleaner. So if it will clean the inside of a 25 year old gas tank I would think it might do some good in the carbs.
Good luck

[spyug]

I use it every tank full as a stabilizer. Two or three caps full each full tank.

Contrary to DimitriT's experience, I have used it on gummy carbs and it did seem to help a lot getting rid of a stumble and allowing the carbs to run smoothly at idle.

In addition to using it in the tank, you can use it also in the transmission. I verified this with the manufacturer. It is great for cleaning out clogged oil passages.

When I got the GS it had been sitting for 7 years. I drained and replaced the oil and filter, put in a half can of SF and ran the bike for about 500 miles. You should have seen the crap that came out.

I don't run it in the oil all the time but once every 3 or 4 oil changes.

Its good stuff. In addition to PartsSource (Saw your GTA post) you can get it at Napa and Carquest.

Cheers,
Spyug

[pontiacstogo]

Contrary to DimitriT's experience, I have used it on gummy carbs and it did seem to help a lot getting rid of a stumble and allowing the carbs to run smoothly at idle.

Second this opinion - obviously if the carbs are completely gummed up, then a tear down and rebuild is required. However, I've had a couple of old bikes where repeated Seafoam treatments have bought the carbs back to life without the need to remove and clean them.

Most 'fixes in a can' are crap, but Seafoam is good stuff.

[lucabond]

I havent used it in the gas, but did add a can to the engine oil and ran it for a few hundred miles then changed the oil. I noticed a big improvement in the clutch and shifting after that. As for gas treatment i don't know how good a job they do but I did notice the inside of my gas tank is much cleaner now then before I used carb cleaner. So if it will clean the inside of a 25 year old gas tank I would think it might do some good in the carbs.
Good luck

[Nessism]

Second this opinion - obviously if the carbs are completely gummed up, then a tear down and rebuild is required. However, I've had a couple of old bikes where repeated Seafoam treatments have bought the carbs back to life without the need to remove and clean them.

Most 'fixes in a can' are crap, but Seafoam is good stuff.

Using Seafoam to clean old carbs is a stop gap measure at best; even if Seafoam makes the bike run better, all the old O-rings are hard and brittle and will not continue to seal properly for very much longer. Doing a proper rebuild by changing out the O-rings is the proper solution for restoring old carbs.

I do think using Seafoam is a good idea if the bike is sitting a lot; it helps stabilize the fuel and will break up minor obstructions created by varnish that forms when fuel evaporates out of the floatbowls. I don't see any value in using it on a regular basis on a bike in daily service though.

Regarding using it in the crankcase, I'd rather not. If your engine is sludged up, put the bike on a 1000 mile oil change schedule for a few thousand miles to clean it up. Using a high detergent oil like diesel engine oil will remove the sludge without risking particulate overload which can happen when dumping solvent in the crankcase - which thins the oil out and reduces lubricity.

[GQROD]

Since mine is not a daily driver i run seafoam and stabil every fill up.

I just don't want to take any chances that the starter tube orifice which is smaller than the pilot jets will get clogged up from lack of use.

It's cheap insurance and peace of mind knowing that i do everything i can to keep the jets clean even if i only ride every weekend.

[pontiacstogo]

Using Seafoam to clean old carbs is a stop gap measure at best; even if Seafoam makes the bike run better, all the old O-rings are hard and brittle and will not continue to seal properly for very much longer. Doing a proper rebuild by changing out the O-rings is the proper solution for restoring old carbs.

Like I said - it's not a cure all for all ills. One of my bikes had been sitting for several years when I bought it in 1998. Several treatments of Seafoam and fresh gas shortly after I bought it and that bike is still running strong today. When the carbs start leaking, I'll rebuild them .

Your results may vary.

[Nessism]

Like I said - it's not a cure all for all ills. One of my bikes had been sitting for several years when I bought it in 1998. Several treatments of Seafoam and fresh gas shortly after I bought it and that bike is still running strong today. When the carbs start leaking, I'll rebuild them .

Your results may vary.

Do what you want as long as you understand the consequences.

There are lots of newbies around here, particularly in the spring, and I want anyone reading this to understand that there is no substitute for proper maintenance. There are two choices: do a proper repair, or do a short cut repair and risk getting stuck on the road somewhere "when the carbs start leaking...". Again, my main concern is with bikes that have those original O-rings in the carbs. If the carbs have had a complete rebuild in the last few years, but gunked up again due to lack of use, the Seafoam trick may be worth a try.

[willie]

I think this topic has been covered at length before but I'll add my .02 worth based on my experience with SF 2 weeks ago. I made the mistake of leaving gas in the carbs over the Winter. The bike would start and run with the choke on but nothing more. I thought I'd try leaving a strong mix of techron and gas in the bowls over night. It didn't have any effect. I did the same thing using SF because: I'm lazy and can procrastinate with the best of them. In my defense though, I was resigned to the fact that I'd have to rebuild the carbs. Anyway, when I started the bike the next day I was amazed at how much cr*p came out with the exhaust. The performance cleared up and I've put about 200 miles on it since. Its running fantastic.
I'm a strong believer in proper maintenance but feel this experience is worth mentioning.
Willie in TN

[pontiacstogo]

If the carbs have had a complete rebuild in the last few years, but gunked up again due to lack of use, the Seafoam trick may be worth a try.

Glad we agree .

[850 Combat]

How does Seafoam work on valve adjustments and stator repair?



It really doesn't take that long to drop a bank of carbs off the bike, turn them upside down, and have your way with ths pilots, float valves, and mains though.

I am going to try some, on my carbs just for grins one of these days. Maybe soon. 3 of the bikes I'm planning to take accross country in June have not been run since August.

In my personal experience, if its rideable without the choke, and it hits on all four at idle, a couple of tanks of gas will go along way toward making it run OK. If one or more cylinders will pull on top but not idle, I have never had any product fix that. Same with if it won't run without the choke.

That said, I have made many a bike run just fine without spending a penny on parts or unbolting the carbs from the rack, just by cleaning what you can access with the bowls off.