Seafoam

[sze5003]

Anyone use this? I'm gonna put some in my bike as last spring I had to rip out the carburators by myself what a pita. My Ninja is a cold blooded beast even with the choke not even half on for a mile or two the bike still will stall when taking the choke off if its not warmed up.

Hoping this stuff works cuz I don't have time to take out the carburetors again. First time I took them out they were looking brand new, you could see through all the orifices and jets.

Or do you think it's more dangerous to use this stuff ?

 

[Rifter]

Ive used it in the past mostly on old carbed engines. It works ok but is not as effective as taking the carb apart and cleaning it.

 

[WT]

Use it in my ATV a few times a year and over the winter when its not being ridden as much. With an EFI ride, you can damage the injectors by trying to start it when empty, so even over winter I keep a small amount of gas in the tank. Seafom and Sta-bil come in handy for those winter months.

 

[Meghan54]

We've used Seafoam in our outboards a lot, esp. effective decarbonizing the motors using the spray...hella smoke during treatment.

 

[sze5003]

Yeah I'm trying to avoid ripping the carbs out again as I live in an apartment and have little time to do it. I'll put about a quarter of the bottle in and go fill it with gas as my rank is close to empty. Hopefully this will help as its been running fine mostly just randomly acts up every couple of days that its not ridden.

 

[z1ggy]

Use it every yr in my bike. Works good as far as I can tell.

Also says you can add it oil to clean the crank case, too. Has anybody done this?? I get nervous about putting anything into my engine other than 10w-40 synthetic motorcycle oil...

 

[JCH13]

I use Seafoam on a regular basis (1-2 times a year) on all of my cars. It is especially useful on DI engines for cleaning out the intake.

 

[sze5003]

I just don't understand how in other countries this bike I have is fuel injected yet here in the US they just recently decided to make it fuel injected in 2013!

 

[mvbighead]

Use it every yr in my bike. Works good as far as I can tell.

Also says you can add it oil to clean the crank case, too. Has anybody done this?? I get nervous about putting anything into my engine other than 10w-40 synthetic motorcycle oil...

I've added some before. I believe what I've read is it works its way through and when the engine gets hot enough, it evaporates. By then, it has done most of what it was intended to do.

I've used it in all sorts of things. I don't believe it to be a miracle cure for anything, but I do think engines tend to run a little better after a run of seafoam. Placebo thing, I dunno. But I keep some in the garage in case. Usually find it the cheapest at Tractor Supply/Bomgaars and such.

 

[tortoise]

Consider adding a few ounces of 91% isopropyl alcohol in the gas tank to solubilize the water.

 

[sze5003]

Consider adding a few ounces of 91% isopropyl alcohol in the gas tank to solubilize the water.

Never heard of that but if I have some lying around I'll try. I wish I could drain the tank but my apartment forbids working on your vehicles in the parking lot and I have cranky neighbors that will call the office at the movement of a leaf on the ground.

 

[merlion]

Seafoam worked pretty good for me on lawn tractor that had been parked for about six years. The fuel had been drained for all of that time. I changed the fuel filter and filled it up, but it would die after just a few seconds. After a few rounds of that, it would run longer until you tried to shut the choke all the way off. After adding the Seafoam, it cleared up shortly thereafter.

 

[jupiter57]

I swear by Seafoam!
I keep at least one can on hand at all times, it's a minor miracle in a can, IMO.

I especially like the cleaning treatment, trickle 1/3 can into a vacuum line, shut off for 15 - 20 minutes, start up & blow out all the built up carbon.

I once had to tear down a 4 Cyl. Ford engine I had used it in, (just in the gas, never had done the cleaning thing on it) and I was amazed how clean the pistons & valves were!
That was where I first discovered Seafoam, this Ford Ranger had developed a spark knock & someone told me to use 1/4 can of Seafoam in it each tankful. The spark knock stopped after ~3 tanks, but I continued the next 1/4 can, then ran another can through it.

To this day, I use it exclusively as my only form of gas treatment, 1/2 can a couple times a year.

 

[sze5003]

That's why the first time I took out the carburetor last year it looked shiny and clean for the most part. I had ran seafoam in the tank. Still I cleaned them out and removed the jets, soaked them in cleaner and after that grueling process it seemed ok.

At least this spring it started and ran as opposed to when I first bought the bike it would not stay on without choke. Hope this time it will work with just the seafoam.

Too bad I dont ride enough to empty the tank that often and cleanse it out but I've constantly had it 3 notches or more from empty since I started this spring just so I can use up the older gas.

 

[ProchargeMe]

I've noticed seafoam is more effective on motorcycles and ATV's than it is on cars and bigger engines. I use it on my dirt bikes and ATVs annually.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Make sure you add some of this to your next tank of gas too for max performance!

Disclaimer: if you actually do this, you're a moron.

 

[olds]

Make sure you add some of this to your next tank of gas too for max performance!

Thanks, gonna give it a try.
I think I'll wind my bike up to about 120 MPH then dump some in the tank. It should be like hitting the button for the injector

 

[sze5003]

If you are gonna go that route might as well throw in some 5 hour energy shots.

 

[pauldun170]

Anyone use this? I'm gonna put some in my bike as last spring I had to rip out the carburators by myself what a pita. My Ninja is a cold blooded beast even with the choke not even half on for a mile or two the bike still will stall when taking the choke off if its not warmed up.

Hoping this stuff works cuz I don't have time to take out the carburetors again. First time I took them out they were looking brand new, you could see through all the orifices and jets.

Or do you think it's more dangerous to use this stuff ?

Just because they "look" clean doesn't matter. If you have it all apart, break out the carb cleaner, guitar string and canned air.

Have you balanced the carbs?
http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/How_do_I_synchronize_the_carburetors?

Best way to avoid carb gunk is to ride the bike as much as possible.

I've used Seafoam in the past. In my opinion, its over rated.
I would rather clean out the carbs properly and balance the carbs than half ass it with Seafoam.

Having said that, Seafoam doesn't hurt the bike and some have found it effective.

 

[sze5003]

Yeah I did all that last time. This time I don't have the place or time to do it. I might as well take it to a shop. I have one friend who could help but he's not so reliable so well see. There was grime or anything being clogged up. But doesnt mean it's the same this time.

 

[WilliamM2]

Are you hoping that cleaning the carbs will make the bike warm up faster? That doesn't sound like dirty carbs to me.

In over 30 years of riding, I have never had to clean carbs on a bike, and the last one was 19 years old when I sold it, with well over 35K miles. Just used Stabil every winter, and made sure the tank was full to stop corrosion.

Also, did you sync the carbs after pulling them off last time? Can make a huge difference.

 

[sze5003]

Wish I had known to sync the carbs last spring.

My hope is that the bike won't stall a couple of minutes after I've been using the choke and turn it off.

My example: use half choke start the bike, wait until rpm starts to climb, it does so I close choke slowly but it's not completely off , to get the rpm around 2000.

Get my helmet on and put in my glasses and I take off with choke below half, not completely off but close. I ride out the neighborhood and down the street keeping the rpm below 6000.

Say 2 minutes have passed and I come to a light. I turn off the choke and bike idle goes from 2000 to normal which is around 1300-1500 for this bike.

Light turns green, I'm in gear release clutch slowly add gas, bike goes then stalls a second later. Go to start again and it didn't start until I added small choke and rpm shot up very high.

If I ride with the choke for longer than 2 stop lights or more, then turn it off, bike is fine. Does not stall. Same thing if I get off for 2 hours then start it up and try to go again, it does this. It's very random.

 

[pauldun170]

Wish I had known to sync the carbs last spring.

My hope is that the bike won't stall a couple of minutes after I've been using the choke and turn it off.

My example: use half choke start the bike, wait until rpm starts to climb, it does so I close choke slowly but it's not completely off , to get the rpm around 2000.

Get my helmet on and put in my glasses and I take off with choke below half, not completely off but close. I ride out the neighborhood and down the street keeping the rpm below 6000.

Say 2 minutes have passed and I come to a light. I turn off the choke and bike idle goes from 2000 to normal which is around 1300-1500 for this bike.

Light turns green, I'm in gear release clutch slowly add gas, bike goes then stalls a second later. Go to start again and it didn't start until I added small choke and rpm shot up very high.

If I ride with the choke for longer than 2 stop lights or more, then turn it off, bike is fine. Does not stall. Same thing if I get off for 2 hours then start it up and try to go again, it does this. It's very random.

It may not be an issue with dirty carbs.

Fully warmed up, whats your idle speed and is it steady?
Is the bike modded at all (jets\pipe?)

 

[pauldun170]

If everything is stock...

Sometimes, its something as simple as raising the idles speed just a smidge. Turn the knob just a eensie bit and test it out.
Also keep in mind that Ninja 250 likes to be warmed up with at least 5 minutes of riding before turning the choke all the way off.

When was the last valve check\adjustment? If they are out of spec that might cause the issues.

 

[sze5003]

Well I bought the bike with 1100 miles on it. Everything pretty much new. I am now at 1394 miles on it.

No nodding at all. The idle I think is around 2 or 2.5 notches above the 1 on the rpm scale. I could turn it up a bit but not sure how much as I don't want to get it too high. It is very random when this happens. Also 5 minutes riding with choke it could be but I don't have a watch on me all geared up to check how long the choke has been on.