Yamaha Starbike Forum banner

Seafoam in gas

16K views 46 replies 15 participants last post by  KCW 
#1 ·
How well does seafoam work in gas on the V engines? Anyone notice any difference in the way it runs or is this stuff not recommended?
 
#2 ·
Some folks swear by it. Me personally I see no difference running with or without it. I do however make sure there is plenty in the fuel before winter storage. I think it's more of an occasional cleaner than an everyday use kind of thing.
 
#3 ·
I put one ounce per gallon in my VS650 when I know it will not be ridden for a month or more, usually this is only during the winter.

I also use it like carb/injector clearer on any motor vehicle or the lawn mower when they seem to be not running right. Since it has a shelf life of about one year, and the Vstar only needs 4 ounces out of the 16 ounce bottle, it gets used up in one vehicle or the other within a year.

I get the sense my bike in the spring seems a bit off on that tank of gas with the seafoam from last december. It does keep the gas from degrading, but Im not sure if it also throws the engine or ECM off just a bit when you use it. Even with a fuel stabilizer old gas is still old gas.

I have also put it in the crankcase about 500 miles before an oil change a few times, once on my Vstar, and once in a car that burns a lot of oil. Dont know if that accomplished anything.

I have never heard of seafoam harming anything.
 
#5 ·
The problem with seafoam is it will phase separate. You noticed an issue after it sat up. What I recommend is "stirring the tank" when it is going to sit up. How ever you want to do that is up to you. I am lucky enough that my stuff does not sit long so I only have to use a FI cleaner as a cleaner not as a fuel stabilizer. What I do recommend since it does not separate when mixed properly is BG Products. I use it in every vehicle I own. The local rep has proven to me it does not phase separate and sea foam will. We mixed both per recommendation in my shop in glass jars and I set them on my counter and did not touch them for 2 months. The sea foam started to separate within a day (hours actually) and the BG did not over 2 months. Sea foam is a GREAT product and I have used it. I am not slamming it. I am just giving my experience.
 
#6 ·
NGM - that brings back memories

when I was a kid my father put antifreeze in his car, and then put a bit of the mixture in a little glass Bayer Childrens aspirin bottle, and hung it from the hook on the garage for the clothes line.

Not sure exactly what he was thinking, maybe if it got cold enough at night the bottle would break, and he would then know his engine block was cracked?!

Since aspirin bottles did not have child proof caps in the '60s, and antifreeze is deadly poisonous, it was probably not a good idea....
 
  • Like
Reactions: Elk and NGM
#7 ·
I probably won't use it in my oil but not knowing the history of this bike, I am sure nothing has been done cleaning wise.
I added 5 ounces to a full tank of ethanol free gasoline and rode to work today being it was in the 40s today.(35 this morning)
Was not having any issues but figured could not hurt giving jets and venturis a cleaning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NGM
#8 ·
Well after running 2 gallons of the treated fuel that I can definitely confirm that the foam of the sea smoothed out my idle. Before it was a little jinky going up and down at certain times.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KCW
#9 · (Edited)
One thing all good fuel cleaning products do is to dissipate water in the fuel. Here in Houston we have extremely high humidity which condensates in the underground tanks. Then it finds it way into our gas tanks. The water forms rust in your tank and engine will miss trying to fire on gas mixed with water. I average at least 1250 miles a month, about 8 tanks every month, so the odds are I'm getting a lot of moisture in my tank. Since I've started using a fuel treatment about twice a month it keeps everything in great shape. I used to fight poor runnability issue all the time until I stated regularly using fuel treatment. No I don't run cheap gas, major brand from busy stations. Any way, that's my 2 cents.
 
#10 ·
I run a seafoam-laced tank through mid-season every year.

Don't really see a difference, but feel it's a big reason why my bike runs like a top year in and out with only basic maintenance.

For winter-storage I used sta-bil, but also think the key effect is the same (i.e. kill off moisture)

Casey

PS - Your bike is not as nice as you think and you're asking too much for it... Sorry, just had to throw that in since it seems to have become my 'rep' of late...
 
#11 ·
We have Phillips 66, Exxon and Chevron here for top tier gas. The one 66 station is ethanol free but you usually pay a little more. Worth it imo.
In my car, I filled up at a chevron. Ran pretty good. Smooth idle. I filled up at Wal-Mart once because it was cheaper, and could totally difference. Was much more sluggish and do not have the detergents you need to keep engine clean.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arby
#15 ·
I throw a couple oz's every fill up. I did notice improved performance in my carburated bike, I suppose with FI, the ECU adjusts for it.
 
#16 ·
Make sure to use any fuel cleaner, stabalizer, whatever according to directions. Too little and it does not do much. Too much and you can actually poison your gas. If you pull out your plug(s) and they have an orange tint you have too much additive in your fuel.
 
#17 ·
I used to have to put in seafoam or other injector/carb cleaning additives once a month to keep my FZ1 running well (Carburated).

Then a guy at work suggested I try higher quality gas from Chevron instead of using Costco.

After 2 tanks (I commute and generally fill up twice a week) I no longer had cold start or idle issues. Now I only fill up at Chevron, Shell or 76, I don't trust Costco or Arco or any of the other cheap options.

I am now a firm believer in higher quality gas for all my vehicles. It has been 2 years since I swapped to Chevron and have not needed to use a injector/carb cleaning additive in that time frame.
 
#18 · (Edited)
FWIW...

My youngest uncle - he's only 12 years older than me - spent his entire career as a petrochemical engineer. Worked 40-some years in refineries in Texas for Amoco, Texaco, Shell, Arco (AKA BP) and Valero. For the last 20 years or so he's been the 'head dude' in charge of gas quality & blending for Shell, though he's retiring imminently.

What he said, consistently, is that it's all about the same for 87 and 89 octane stuff. The only real difference is in the 'premium' 91+ levels where the additives really are different and the care taken is also different. THERE you will see a difference between name-brand and generic gas. FWIW, he'd also tell you to buy non-ethanol if at all possible, and that IF you want to buy premium gas, Texaco is the best blend and Shell a close 2nd. He once explained to me what "techron" is, but lost me about 30 seconds in... something about 'covalent polymerized' something or other... He never worked for Chevron but seemed to feel they were top quality. He did not have much respect for ARCO/BP quality: best I ever got out of him there was between the Brits being cheap and the Californians obsessing over meeting emissions, they never did do it just right.

Places like Costco, Giant, Turkey Hill, Sheetz, etc. that don't own their own refineries are buying from the big boys anyway... You may be getting amoco one week, shell the next, valero the following, getty the next, or a blend of them through a middle-man distributor. Certainly you're getting a 'blend' of them in the station's tanks quite often. But note that the big boys do NOT sell their own premium blend to the distributors/generics, they sell a different 91-93 to them that meets octane, but without as many additives, detergents and such.

He didn't regularly buy premium gas for his everyday cars. He did buy it for the 'toy' cars he kept with high-compression engines that need it. He did recommend running a tank of premium through a regular car 3-4 times a year just for the detergents. I asked if that didn't foul up the 'computer' and he said 'not enough to matter.' Never thought to ask him about Sea-Foam. Maybe I'll ring him up and see what he's got to say.

He did also regularly say buy gas at a high-volume station. To him the key difference was how long the stuff sat in the tanks ESPECIALLY with hydrophilic ethanol involved.

Just saying.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Plus 10% ethanol is b.s.
It comes out to about 15% from the cheap places.
I try to get ethanol free for my car but the station is 17 miles away so when I am in town where the station is, I fill up.
If I can't get ethanol free, I will get top tier recommended octane fuels.
 
#22 ·
if you want to get technical, gravity will separate water from gas in your tank.

That is the problem, the water settles to the bottom of the tank and the carbs or injectors get hit with pure water and no gas.

with any form of alcohol in the tank the water is pulled into solution and distributed through the whole tank, where it gets burned off with no problems, and also where it wont freeze your fuel lines in the winter.

So if you want to pull the water out of your 100% petro gas, "add" gravity to your tank, then drain it from the bottom.

yes: its sunday morning, I cant ride my MC today, and I'm bored :^)
 
#23 ·
yes: its sunday morning, I cant ride my MC today, and I'm bored :^)
Sucks don't it? Weather been windy and cold here and real unpredictable if we are going to get some or not so yesterday I had to fill a gas can with non ethanol gas and top the tank off. Guess I will do other inside things.
 
#24 ·
Its suppose to be pushing 60F in upstate NY tues and wed this week, but it might rain part of the day as well.

BTW, another way to separate water from pure gas is to let the water settle out and freeze, like in a gas can.

Then pour off the pure gas. When my father was in Patton's 3rd army in 1944, one of the things he had to do in the morning was reach to the bottom of the fuel tanks on the Sherman tank he was assigned to, and pull the chunks of ice out with his bare hands.
 
#25 ·
The only gasoline I use that has ethanol is for my car. It is top tier and cheaper in price being it is a high volume station.
My mileage suffers too being I can get probably 5 mpg or more using ethanol gas.
The non ethanol station is kind of out of the way so that is why I don't fill car up there. It also cost a little more.
Ethanol gas is a total rip off.
I think If it is 10% ethanol, they should give you 10% off the price.
 
#28 ·
I think that might be how my father's model A burned to the ground... glass bowl broke and flooded the hot engine with gasoline.
 
#33 ·
the VS 650 runs on regular. Since getting nearly 60mpg is one of the benefits of having a midsize MC, it would be counter productive to spend more on fuel than necessary.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scrumdown
#34 ·
I agree 100%. The only thing is the 87 does not have as much good stuff in it. That is why it is so much cheaper. This is something I know from my time working in the industry. I remember when gas was a 10 cent difference between levels. Now it is 30 to 40 between regular and mid grade.
 
#37 · (Edited)
The last week or so my 650 seemed a little bit off. Cruises at speed and starts just fine, but one of the things I love about the 650, with no windshield or luggage on the bike, when you lightly apply pressure to twist the throttle, it almost feels like the throttle is attached to a spring / lever mechanism - as you are putting pressure on the throttle, you instantly feel the bike being pushed forward.

Its a very subjective sensation - but the last week or so it felt like it was stumbling, like that push was missing.

Had 5 ounces of Seafoam left over from last December - put it all in a full tank of gas - about five miles down the road that response feel was back. Instant smile on my face: There it is!

Seafoam should do commercials on TV - it really is great stuff.

BTW, the user manual for the VS650 says the same thing Scrumdown posted from his Roadstar: regular unleaded gasoline (R+M)/2 of 86 or higher. Ive never really paid attention to this when filling up the bike, if there is an economy grade on the pump lower than "regular". Will check this out next time - I usually stop at 2 stations: one is Sunoco near work, the other is Mobil near home.

Bike is just about to roll over 39,000 miles (time for an oil change) and Im still getting 58mpg commuting and 60mpg on longer 50 to 60mph road trips. Gotta love a fully stock VStar!
 
  • Like
Reactions: graybeard
#38 ·
After a big snow dump in early November my son got an old used snowblower from the grandfather of his friend.

Its pretty beat up and at least 40 years old, but I got it running when it was warm out, put Seafoam in with fresh gas, tightened up all the loose (and missing) bolts holding it together.

Its completely missing the air filter assembly and the heater box. I was going to get a replacement but my son assured me "it runs great, you dont have to mess with it".

Had six inches of snow in the driveway after work yesterday so I finally got a chance to use it. It was hard to start, it only runs with the choke half on. I was able to make 3 passes up and down the driveway, then it quit, it sorta starts but wont keep running.

I shoveled the other half of the driveway, and when my son came home I told him what happened, and that I plan to get a replacement air filter assembly and a new spark plug (may have fouled it out from running rich).

I explained that carbs create a fog at the intake, and without the air filter in place the fog is blown away between intake strokes, and you have to keep it choked for it to get enough gas.

He said it probably has bad gas... I told him, no I filled it up with fresh gas and used Seafoam to keep it stable and clean the carb out.

He told me: thats the problem, it wont run because you put SeaFoam in the gas...

I just laughed and laughed - he doesnt know who he's talking to :^)
 
#39 · (Edited)
Went to a local Ariens dealer, they had the same 45 year old snowblower, fully restored, on display in their loft (for sale $750). Between looking at that and the exploding diagram of the carb, we were able to figure out it does not have an air filter, it had an air box that pulls in the warm air coming off the head and cylinder.

So... new spark plug, turning the main needle valve screw on the float bowl more than half a turn out, and it runs - not great, but good enough for the once or twice a month snow that we get here when the wind comes out of the north across Lake Ontario.

Funny thing on this old snowblower, it has a clutch like a motorcycle. You pull the clutch IN to disengage the drive. When you let it out the snowblower runs forward.... all by itself.
 
#40 ·
For my 2 smoke weed eater and chainsaw(s) I actually buy the expensive as hell premix stuff at Home Despot. 1 gallon of it lasts me the whole season. My 2 smokes have never started and run so well as they do now. To me it is worth the extra cash.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top