Sea Foam ???

zeroth · March 10th, 2009, 09:18 AM

Ok this is gonna be a newbie question...

I've been reading in a lot of these "dewinterizing my bike, it's not starting or not running well" kinda posts, and many people are recommending using sea foam. Is that the product found here? Is it the "Deep Creep"?

I'm not sure I understand the application of it. Would I just dump it into the gas tank, or spray it into the carb (like carb cleaner), or what? Would I use it along with carb cleaner, or instead of it?

Thanks!

g21-30 · March 10th, 2009, 09:44 AM

http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpTechGas.htm

Most of the gas used nowadays has alcohol (10%) in it. Over time (pretty short), if not used, the gas (alcohol) causes a gummy buildup. This in turn causes the engine to be hard to start or run poorly, if it does start.

Seafoam and other cleaners helps remove the gummy buildup. For more info, check the DIY section under Carb cleaning (external link) and it will detail what to do.

Nemy · March 10th, 2009, 10:30 AM

Great stuff. Really potent.

I doubt it will ever replace fully taking apart and cleaning your carbs but it sure is a helluva lot easier.

When I picked up my 06 the carbs were in pretty bad shape cause the previous owner never plated/insured it for months. So I had to keep a high choke to get her on (~3000 rpm) and there were hesitations in the low revs. After a can of seafoam it ran as good as new.

Taken from my other forums here's how I use it to clean up:

Run the bike down to reserve and dump half the bottle in.
Run the bike until white smoke comes out of the tail (shows it working), reving it up a couple times.
Leave the bike overnight
Fill her up in the morning and dump the other half of the can in on the next fillup.

Mind you, the bike's gonna run like crap after the overnighter cause your bike's gonna find it hard to run on just Seafoam. So others drain out the bowls before filling it up with fresh fuel.

Syphen · March 10th, 2009, 10:31 AM

I use seafoam as a fuel stabilizer. I put it in my fuel tank PRIOR to winterizing. I've never had a problem firing a bike up in the spring from a 5-6 month sleep.

Nemy · March 10th, 2009, 10:32 AM

I'll be doing this as well. Stabil has lost my vote of confidence

Alot of mixed reviews about stabil

Purspeed · March 10th, 2009, 06:53 PM

SeaFoam is incredible. Use it.

kkim · March 11th, 2009, 04:54 PM

I've used Seafoam on older cars/trucks and it seemed to make them run and idle smoother after the "smoke bomb" treatment.

I've used it by the "in the gas method" and by having an intake vacuum source suck up about a third of the can. I did not use the "directly into the crankcase method" and would be very leery of dumping it into a wet clutch engine like we have.

Sailariel · March 11th, 2009, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

I've used Seafoam on older cars/trucks and it seemed to make them run and idle smoother after the "smoke bomb" treatment.

I've used it by the "in the gas method" and by having an intake vacuum source suck up about a third of the can. I did not use the "directly into the crankcase method" and would be very leery of dumping it into a wet clutch engine like we have.

Kelly, Mobil/Exxon pulled out of Maine and was replaced by Shell. Shell is not an E-10 fuel. They use some sort of Nitrogen derivitive. They have no plans to change to E-10, This move makes me very happy. My ancient Ford Escort with a 130,000 miles likes the Shell gas much more. I will have to dispose of my Green Escort because the frame has rusted to a degree where the car is no longer safe. Am currently shopping for a used car--like a Ford Focus.

Syphen · March 11th, 2009, 06:00 PM

Maybe I should add a disclaimer? lol

In all earnestly, seafoam is a great product for a motorcycles fuel system.

P1NDLESK1N · March 12th, 2009, 12:08 PM

I was actually looking to pick this stuff up sometime soon and throw it in the gas tank for the hell of it, since I always read good things about it.

Would the white smoke become annoying or troublesome while out riding? Or is it best to do it out on the driveway?

kkim · March 12th, 2009, 12:59 PM

read the instructions on how to use it (oz/gal). Using it as a gas treatment should not produce any white smoke.

Using it sucked up through one of the vacuum lines will cause a smoke bomb after the bike is restarted a half hour later.

It will smoke a great deal in the garage. When you take it out on the road, it will smoke until all the residue has been burned off... usually in the first 5 minutes or so.

HKr1 · March 12th, 2009, 01:10 PM

Dont think I would put that stuff in any of our motors

Hell, I never even seen a can of it around before......

kkim · March 12th, 2009, 01:17 PM

I was a skeptic long ago before I tried it, too. I've since used it in old cars/trucks that if something screwed up, I wouldn't care. Also, the effects are more dramatic on a vehicle that has a lot of miles on it to clean out the carbon that has built up over the years.

That being said, I've never used it on a bike, but if you are having fuel or problems related to high miles, this is a great product to try before "getting in there". I've had instances where it has helped and at no time did it cause any harm.

ARc · March 12th, 2009, 04:16 PM

I have a funny story thats kinda related to Sea Foam.

Once upon a time when I was stupid (Still am but not so much), I almost killed myself going on the freeway 2x. I was happily cruising along until my bike decided to go "put put put" and just die on me. I had NO CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON and had to dodge traffic to get onto the shoulder lane. I read a lot online and was sure that my problem was a clogged / dirty carburetor, and that the problem could be fixed by putting Sea Foam in the gas tank. So I did and then went to my friend who helped me clean the carbs.

When we took it apart, we saw a few tiny floaters here and there, but nothing that should have been causing any significant problems. I was thinking about it for a long time, and decided that I was a dumbass. The problem wasn't with the carbs, but because the gas tank was running low on fuel.

That being said, I've read on a bunch of forums that Sea Foam is the cure for almost anything regarding the problems you may be having. I'm not sure how to do the smoke bomb treatment, but I just followed instructions and added an ounce to every gallon of fuel I used. I'll keep adding it every 500 miles and cleaning my chain to keep my bike happy

P1NDLESK1N · March 12th, 2009, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

read the instructions on how to use it (oz/gal). Using it as a gas treatment should not produce any white smoke.

Using it sucked up through one of the vacuum lines will cause a smoke bomb after the bike is restarted a half hour later.

It will smoke a great deal in the garage. When you take it out on the road, it will smoke until all the residue has been burned off... usually in the first 5 minutes or so.

Thanks for the clarification sir!

March 10th, 2009, 09:18 AM	#1
zeroth weekend rider Name: JC Location: Central IL Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '05 Ninja 250 Posts: 87	Sea Foam ??? Ok this is gonna be a newbie question... I've been reading in a lot of these "dewinterizing my bike, it's not starting or not running well" kinda posts, and many people are recommending using sea foam. Is that the product found here? Is it the "Deep Creep"? I'm not sure I understand the application of it. Would I just dump it into the gas tank, or spray it into the carb (like carb cleaner), or what? Would I use it along with carb cleaner, or instead of it? Thanks!

March 10th, 2009, 06:53 PM	#6
Purspeed ninjette.org guru Name: Purspeed Location: Los Angeles, CA Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: 469	SeaFoam is incredible. Use it. __________________________________________________ "This is my Ninja. There are many like it, but this one is mine..." ~ Purspeed (ca. Nov, 2008)

March 12th, 2009, 04:16 PM	#14
ARc Revolver Wario Name: Jeffrey Location: La Palma, CA Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2003 Ninja 250 Posts: 198 Logo Dude	I have a funny story thats kinda related to Sea Foam. Once upon a time when I was stupid (Still am but not so much), I almost killed myself going on the freeway 2x. I was happily cruising along until my bike decided to go "put put put" and just die on me. I had NO CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON and had to dodge traffic to get onto the shoulder lane. I read a lot online and was sure that my problem was a clogged / dirty carburetor, and that the problem could be fixed by putting Sea Foam in the gas tank. So I did and then went to my friend who helped me clean the carbs. When we took it apart, we saw a few tiny floaters here and there, but nothing that should have been causing any significant problems. I was thinking about it for a long time, and decided that I was a dumbass. The problem wasn't with the carbs, but because the gas tank was running low on fuel. That being said, I've read on a bunch of forums that Sea Foam is the cure for almost anything regarding the problems you may be having. I'm not sure how to do the smoke bomb treatment, but I just followed instructions and added an ounce to every gallon of fuel I used. I'll keep adding it every 500 miles and cleaning my chain to keep my bike happy __________________________________________________

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March 10th, 2009, 09:44 AM	#2
g21-30 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Sam Location: Northern Virginia Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R 2009 Posts: A lot.	http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpTechGas.htm Most of the gas used nowadays has alcohol (10%) in it. Over time (pretty short), if not used, the gas (alcohol) causes a gummy buildup. This in turn causes the engine to be hard to start or run poorly, if it does start. Seafoam and other cleaners helps remove the gummy buildup. For more info, check the DIY section under Carb cleaning (external link) and it will detail what to do.

March 10th, 2009, 10:30 AM	#3
Nemy ninjette.org sage Name: Tim Location: Portland, OR Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2009 SE Ninja 250R Posts: 796	Great stuff. Really potent. I doubt it will ever replace fully taking apart and cleaning your carbs but it sure is a helluva lot easier. When I picked up my 06 the carbs were in pretty bad shape cause the previous owner never plated/insured it for months. So I had to keep a high choke to get her on (~3000 rpm) and there were hesitations in the low revs. After a can of seafoam it ran as good as new. Taken from my other forums here's how I use it to clean up: Run the bike down to reserve and dump half the bottle in. Run the bike until white smoke comes out of the tail (shows it working), reving it up a couple times. Leave the bike overnight Fill her up in the morning and dump the other half of the can in on the next fillup. Mind you, the bike's gonna run like crap after the overnighter cause your bike's gonna find it hard to run on just Seafoam. So others drain out the bowls before filling it up with fresh fuel.

March 10th, 2009, 10:31 AM	#4
Syphen Some weird Canuck! Name: Greg Location: Ontario - Canada Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '92 CBR250RR "Babyblade", 2008 Ninja 250R, 2001 CBR600F4i Posts: 209	I use seafoam as a fuel stabilizer. I put it in my fuel tank PRIOR to winterizing. I've never had a problem firing a bike up in the spring from a 5-6 month sleep.

March 10th, 2009, 10:32 AM	#5
Nemy ninjette.org sage Name: Tim Location: Portland, OR Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2009 SE Ninja 250R Posts: 796	I'll be doing this as well. Stabil has lost my vote of confidence Alot of mixed reviews about stabil

March 11th, 2009, 04:54 PM	#7
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	I've used Seafoam on older cars/trucks and it seemed to make them run and idle smoother after the "smoke bomb" treatment. I've used it by the "in the gas method" and by having an intake vacuum source suck up about a third of the can. I did not use the "directly into the crankcase method" and would be very leery of dumping it into a wet clutch engine like we have.

March 11th, 2009, 06:00 PM	#9
Syphen Some weird Canuck! Name: Greg Location: Ontario - Canada Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '92 CBR250RR "Babyblade", 2008 Ninja 250R, 2001 CBR600F4i Posts: 209	Maybe I should add a disclaimer? lol In all earnestly, seafoam is a great product for a motorcycles fuel system.

March 12th, 2009, 12:08 PM	#10
P1NDLESK1N ninjette.org member Name: Dario Location: Suffolk County, NY Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2015 Ninja 300 (Sold), 2016 Z1000 Posts: 239	I was actually looking to pick this stuff up sometime soon and throw it in the gas tank for the hell of it, since I always read good things about it. Would the white smoke become annoying or troublesome while out riding? Or is it best to do it out on the driveway?

March 12th, 2009, 12:59 PM	#11
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	read the instructions on how to use it (oz/gal). Using it as a gas treatment should not produce any white smoke. Using it sucked up through one of the vacuum lines will cause a smoke bomb after the bike is restarted a half hour later. It will smoke a great deal in the garage. When you take it out on the road, it will smoke until all the residue has been burned off... usually in the first 5 minutes or so.

March 12th, 2009, 01:10 PM	#12
HKr1 IC2(SW) Name: Kerry Location: Pensacola Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: A lot.	Dont think I would put that stuff in any of our motors Hell, I never even seen a can of it around before......

March 12th, 2009, 01:17 PM	#13
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	I was a skeptic long ago before I tried it, too. I've since used it in old cars/trucks that if something screwed up, I wouldn't care. Also, the effects are more dramatic on a vehicle that has a lot of miles on it to clean out the carbon that has built up over the years. That being said, I've never used it on a bike, but if you are having fuel or problems related to high miles, this is a great product to try before "getting in there". I've had instances where it has helped and at no time did it cause any harm.