Seafoam?

Zx Damien

Zx Damien

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Curious if any of you guys run seafoam just to clean the system after winter storage, my 250 was running fine right out of storage yesterday (minus needing a new battery) but im sure the carbs arent totally clean as i never drained them, just stabilized the fuel.

Your experiences? snake oil or good product?
 
Great product, but if everything is running fine, you don't need it. It's also a stabilizer, so you could have added it in the fall and let it run thru the system in the spring "just in case"...2 birds, 1 stone kinda thing.
 
Just ride the bike and don't go worrying about things when everything is running fine. Ninja 250's are a prehistoric beast and it takes a lot to upset them...

As an example in nearly 100k km I've used Seafoam once when I thought I had clogged carbs turned out the valves needed adjusting. I've never used stabilizer or "winterized" my bike, battery has never been removed, I'm still on the original (long live Yuasa!!) and she starts up and purrs like a kitten every time. I'm of the mindset that rather than expecting hocus pocus **** from these products just ride the damn bike and she'll be at her best.

The one mod you should do if you haven't is shim the carb needles, that'll be the one greatest improvement you can make towards not having start up issues. Google it and contact Frekeyguy if you need help.
 
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I used it on my 250 when I had one, on my car, and Ill definitely use it on the new fuel-injected bike too. I havent gotten around to doing the directly into the vacuum hose thing, just put it in the fuel.

I honestly don't know how effective it is, Ive never checked the before and after, but I just kind of like thinking my bike is getting cleaned.

By the way, I was under the impression that putting it into the fuel won't clean the carbs and thats what the directly into the vacuum line trick was for. I think it says on the bottle what parts of the system will be cleaned when its used in fuel and the carbs arent one of them.
 
catzo said:
I used it on my 250 when I had one, on my car, and Ill definitely use it on the new fuel-injected bike too. I havent gotten around to doing the directly into the vacuum hose thing, just put it in the fuel.

I honestly don't know how effective it is, Ive never checked the before and after, but I just kind of like thinking my bike is getting cleaned.

By the way, I was under the impression that putting it into the fuel won't clean the carbs and thats what the directly into the vacuum line trick was for. I think it says on the bottle what parts of the system will be cleaned when its used in fuel and the carbs arent one of them.
Click to expand...

and this is exactly what I meant by expecting hocus pocus **** without really knowing what's going on underneath...


The treated fuel is going from the tank through the fuel lines and into the carbs, if it was in fact working as advertised what makes you think it wouldn't clean the carbs?? Yea, its not going to be as concentrated as a direct injection but unless your carbs are gunked up after years of crappy storage that's really not necessary.
 
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LoneRonin said:
and this is exactly what I meant by expecting hocus pocus ****...
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I know, I'm aware that its stupid :p

But Ill be riding around with a big smile on my face while I imagine my bike is being cleaned

Either way I probably buy 1 can of seafoam a year and split it up between my bike and car. It makes me happy, what else do you want haha

.
 
LoneRonin said:
The treated fuel is going from the tank through the fuel lines and into the carbs, if it was in fact working as advertised what makes you think it wouldn't clean the carbs??
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I don't know, thats what I was asking. But the reason I asked is because, like I said, it states on the bottle the list of things that it cleans when added to fuel, and the carbs isnt one of them. Thats why I asked. geez
 
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=59567&d=1266852265

Seafoam is made of ONLY 3 components.
10%-20% Isopropyl Alcohol,
25%-35% Naphtha
40%-60% Pale Oil.

Isopropyl Alcohol, Rubbing alcohol you can buy at your local pharmacy.
Naphtha, Camp stove fuel available at your local hardware store.
Pale oil IE Machine oil, good for lubricating drill bits.

Somehow burning in a motor these three dirt common substances mixed together has magical performance properties nobody has ever objectively quantified. But; if you suffer from Icantleaveshitaloneitis feel free to dumb gallons of it in you motor.

LOL

Putting my industrial strength flame suit on...

cheers
ken
 
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kml said:
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=59567&d=1266852265

Seafoam is made of ONLY 3 components.
10%-20% Isopropyl Alcohol,
25%-35% Naphtha
40%-60% Pale Oil.

Isopropyl Alcohol, Rubbing alcohol you can buy at your local pharmacy.
Naphtha, Camp stove fuel available at your local hardware store.
Pale oil IE Machine oil, good for lubricating drill bits.

Somehow burning in a motor these three dirt common substances mixed together has magical performance properties nobody has ever objectively quantified. But; if you suffer from Icantleaveshitaloneitis feel free to dumb gallons of it in you motor.

LOL

Putting my industrial strength flame suit on...

cheers
ken
Click to expand...

4 oz does the trick actually
 
Haven't seen miraculous results using it on a small engine, but I did use it on my wifes car a few years ago. There was a horrible knock in the engine, either it was throwing a rod...or it had a crapload of carbon on top of the cylinders presumably causing detonation. I used a full can of seafoam introduced via the vacuum line method, drowned the engine at the tail end of the bottle..and then let it sit for about an hour.

When I started it up, well, it looked like a cold start on a locomotive, an incredible amount of smoke. Drove around for about 5-10 minutes until it all cleared up, and bam - noise gone. Actually, the engine purred like a kitten, quieter than I'd ever heard it.

At that point, I can't admit I wasn't a bit of a convert. It worked.
 
kml said:
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=59567&d=1266852265

Seafoam is made of ONLY 3 components.
10%-20% Isopropyl Alcohol,
25%-35% Naphtha
40%-60% Pale Oil.

Isopropyl Alcohol, Rubbing alcohol you can buy at your local pharmacy.
Naphtha, Camp stove fuel available at your local hardware store.
Pale oil IE Machine oil, good for lubricating drill bits.

Somehow burning in a motor these three dirt common substances mixed together has magical performance properties nobody has ever objectively quantified. But; if you suffer from Icantleaveshitaloneitis feel free to dumb gallons of it in you motor.

LOL

Putting my industrial strength flame suit on...

cheers
ken
Click to expand...

Thanks for ruining the magic! I feel like I just found out how McDonalds is made.
 
kml said:
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=59567&d=1266852265

Seafoam is made of ONLY 3 components.
10%-20% Isopropyl Alcohol,
25%-35% Naphtha
40%-60% Pale Oil.

Isopropyl Alcohol, Rubbing alcohol you can buy at your local pharmacy.
Naphtha, Camp stove fuel available at your local hardware store.
Pale oil IE Machine oil, good for lubricating drill bits.

Somehow burning in a motor these three dirt common substances mixed together has magical performance properties nobody has ever objectively quantified. But; if you suffer from Icantleaveshitaloneitis feel free to dumb gallons of it in you motor.

LOL

Putting my industrial strength flame suit on...

cheers
ken
Click to expand...

running those three ingredients can and does clean up moisture, stabilize fuel, help remove carbon and as a result make some stuff better. It wont rebuild a carb or fix transmission leaks but it has its place.
 
I run vpower in my vehicles so I don't really need this but I've used it before, simply dumping a can into the tank and going on a high RPM drive on the freeway, and on cars that use regular.
 
What's the point in having a motorcycle if you can't waste money on stuff and waste time discussing said monetary waste?

I stabilize in the fall and run off the first tank as found. Seafoam goes into the next tank, then straight gas the rest of the year. It makes me feel better than giving the money to the guy at the bottom of the Jarvis Street ramp.
 
crankcall said:
running those three ingredients can and does clean up moisture, stabilize fuel, help remove carbon and as a result make some stuff better. It wont rebuild a carb or fix transmission leaks but it has its place.
Click to expand...

+1. Just because you (not crankcall, just a general "you") can't understand the chemistry or engineering doesn't make it "magic". It means more learning is necessary.
 
Seafoam has been very very good to me!
 
I've never used sea form.
I always have cleaned the carbs manually, shimmed valves etc.
But I have wondered about this product for use as a "preventative" measure and might try it.
I'm curious, wouldn't it make sense to run it through the system right before doing the oil change in case these is any un-burnt residual that gets passed the rings and ends up in the oil? (or am I over thinking this)?
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