Question on Sea Foam

[eddd]

 

I don't leave fuel in my generator, the one powered device that sits for long periods without use. My bikes, ATV, and lawn mower get used often enough that stale fuel hasn't been a concern. However...

 

I'm in the process of rebuilding a carb for a friend. The bike is 2006 with only 1145 miles so you see there is likely to be continuing stale fuel issues. I've emptied the tank, and once the carb is re-installed I'll add some fresh gas and the recommended amount of Sea Foam.

 

The friend says she is good about turning the petcock to off, and I'll show how how to empty the fuel bowl for those times when the bike will sit for longer periods of time, but since I don't use it myself I have no basis for judging how much extra time the Sea Foam will buy.

 

Sea Foam user...what advice do you have for me.

[dirtrider]

Afternoon eddd

 

Sea Foam will buy some extra time but how much DEPENDS ON:

 

How old the fuel was before storage, how much alcohol in the fuel, how well sealed the tank is, how much & how many temperature swings the tank goes through, how much humidity in the ambient air around tank vent & carb vent.

 

For long term storage I usually--

 

Fill with a alcohol free gasoline. (air port or marina is good place to get alcohol free gasoline)

 

Run some 2 cycle oil in the final gas fill before shout down (that coats & protects the inside of tank, inside of empty fuel bowels, prevents needle & seat oxidation & corrosion, coats piston, valves ,& rings, etc.

 

Plug off ALL external tank vents then use only one external vent line & that hooks to an old carbon evap canister.

 

Obviously turn off petcock & run out of fuel.

 

 

[Skywagon]

100LL at your local country airport is good for valves and long shelf life as per DR comments. Just be careful and not put it in a bike with a catalytic converter. My old airhead use to love the stuff...

[Lucky Dave]

Seafoam is useful to remove gooey deposits, it is not however, a fuel stabilizer.

None the less, a heavy dose of Seafoam along with an "Italian tuneup" will sometimes clean up the fuel system gunk enough to get away with not taking it apart. Works great on partially gummed up injectors.

[dirtrider]

Seafoam is useful to remove gooey deposits, it is not however, a fuel stabilizer.

None the less, a heavy dose of Seafoam along with an "Italian tuneup" will sometimes clean up the fuel system gunk enough to get away with not taking it apart. Works great on partially gummed up injectors.

 

Afternoon Dave

 

I wonder if Sea Foam knows it isn't fuel stabilizer?

 

Read the 4th line down on the can--

[eddd]

 

Special fuel and procedures are not in the picture. The owner isn't going to do anything along those lines.

 

I really only need to know your experience on how long the Sea Foam or Stabil will keep the fuel fresh enough so she can open the petcock, fire it up, and go riding to the point where she has used enough of the old fuel that she will be refilling the tank with some fresh.

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Eddd

 

What I posted above still holds for long term storage.

 

As far as how long a vehicle can sit & still start & be ridden away--

 

That depends on the vehicle's fuel system & ignition system & battery condition.

 

With a GOOD healthy battery & a good ignition system probably a year or better.

 

Problem is, the fuel's light ends go first (those are the easiest to ignite) so what is left is heavier harder to ignite fuel.

 

With a weak battery, or a weak ignition system all it takes is one pop & misfire for the plugs to soot up then no start as the plugs fuel foul.

 

This gets even worse if the oil runs off the piston rings & the dry rings don't seal very good without oil so little cranking compression.

 

 

[Daryl W]

I've had good luck with SeaFoam in the past by adding it to full tank when winterizing. Every few weeks, I'd start the bike up, get it warm enough to not need choke, then close petcock and let the engine die by fuel starvation. I've never let a bike sit more than a few months though, so can't really tell long term.

[Jake]

No comment, just links. YMMV.

 

MSDS on Sea Foam

 

One Website's View

 

OK, maybe a comment or two. I feel very fortunate that I have access to a non-ethanol gas station. I will run E10 during summer months, but will cease my use of it as I draw closer to the winter when we have Winter renters and the stuff in the lakehouse garage sits for 3 months (cars, bikes, boat, lawn tools). I've been through several seasons of this, and everything starts right up when Daddy turns the key come Fool's Day.

 

I no longer use Stabil, Sea Foam, or the like. I change my oil at 10K miles whether it needs it or not. Sometimes I let my tires get low. I don't cover my bike when on a trip. Lastly, I think Lady Gaga is a good singer. There, I said it.

[Tri750]

I find that leaded race gas with a splash of BMW fuel system cleaner genuinely will go a year without draining the float bowls on my Z1 Racebike.

Just fired it up a few weeks ago.

That's with sitting in a non insulated garage in over 100 degree temps in summer and outside temps in the high 20's from time to time.

The fuel in the bowls eventually evaporates.

I turned the petcock on and choked it, within 10 seconds with a MotoBatt battery she fired right up.

Battery Tender every once in a while.

You don't need much or the 110 stuff. A Kart shop will have the 92-96-100 stuff. Maybe a gallon for less than 10 bucks.

The BMW juice is a preservative along with the several other things it does well.

I wouldn't take Seafoam if it was free.

 

 

 

 

 

[elkroeger]

The Sta-bil website says: keeps gas fresh for up to 12 months.

 

I've been storing cars, bikes, chainsaws, generators and what not for years. I've never used the stuff, and never really had a problem, except for when something is stored for several years or more. At 12 months, my experience is that plain gas is fine, so I don't see the benefit of using sta-bil or similar. But then I'm not a chemist either.

 

I use one of two procedures: A. shut it off, disconnect the battery (if any) and walk away. or B. I run the equipment out of gas if I expect it to sit for more than a couple years.

[Tri750]

In all fairness, I have to say that that here in Cali, we have, what I beleive is the worst gas in the country. So we have a separate laundry list of problems storing vehicles.

We have a winter blend and a summer blend. They both go south after 5-6 weeks of storage depending on who you listen to. And, they deliver less fuel mileage to boot. It also costs more.

Our tailpipes run black year round.if you go to Nevada on vacation and get real gas, ones tailpipe turns a nice shade of dry tan and your mileage goes up 10-15 percent.

We also have to contend with gas cans that have emission friendly nozzles that spill and leak and don't really contain the vapors anyway.

That being said, 65 today, 68 tomorrow, so we can ride year round.

Everything had a trade off.

 

 

[Sweendog]

For storage, don't use SeaFoam, use Star Tron or Sta-bil.

[Guest Kakugo]

Honda Fuel Stabilizer. Available at your local Honda dealership (be it motorcycles or power equipment), stabilizes fuel for about four months.

Differently from other products, this is intended specifically for winter/long term storage.

Yamaha sells the same product under their Yamalube brand.

[greiffster]

The Sta-bil website says: keeps gas fresh for up to 12 months.

 

I try and ride the bike every week or two in the winter. Here in TN, it's possible so I don't put anything in the bike. But, I've used Sta-bil in my boat for years. I usually double the amount for longer storage (2 years). In the spring time, the gas seems fresh and the carbs are always gunk free. It fires right up. Not sure how much of that has to do with the stabilizer, but if it ain't broke.....

 

-mike

[markgoodrich]

Ed, I put Stabil in my daughter's scooter several years ago, filled the tank full, drained the carb, did the 2-stroke oil thing first, and let it sit for at least two years. She finally decided to sell it (she was in NYC, I had the scooter, so what she meant was I was to sell it, which I was happy to do). It started up almost immediately. Smoked for a minute as the 2-stroke burned out, but then ran fine.

 

I also never, ever used any kind of fuel stabilizer in my gas weedeater, which would sit for months at a time. It's probably 12-13 years old. I finally had to have it looked at (didn't realize it just needed a good cleaning and fresh gas) this year. The repair guy told me "that gas today is no damn good." I refrained from telling him it was the first service the thing had ever gotten.

 

So I dunno. Maybe the fuel thing is real.