Fuel Additives and cleaners??

[Fonzi]

85 BR , had it now for a couple months. Good running, just about to get into another tank gas. Thought it might be a good time to run a fuel system cleaner of some kind thru it. Thoughts or better left alone.

[cr480r]

my thoughts are that unlike a fuel injected auto, a carbureted atc is easy enough to clean by disassembly if it was truly in need of cleaning. If its running good now clean fresh fuel and regular use should be plenty.

[El Camexican]

my thoughts are that unlike a fuel injected auto, a carbureted atc is easy enough to clean by disassembly if it was truly in need of cleaning. If its running good now clean fresh fuel and regular use should be plenty.

Yep, what CR said about cleaners and I'll add that when it comes to additives I think they are a scam.

[DasUberKraut]

Seafoam is not a scam. It is a necessity for every engine's fuel system and crankcase.

[tri again]

Yep, what CR said about cleaners and I'll add that when it comes to additives I think they are a scam.


We used to call them 'car cocktails'.
Make the owners feel better but you can open the hood and pour
them directly on the ground and they'll have the same effect.

But seriously, I think we should all consider some fuel stabilizer
to combat tank rust and the fact that pump gas has an expiration date
just like milk now.

The 2 top contenders I've heard of are stibil and seafoam and start with ethanol free gas.
Then again, I have the worst collection of rotten tanks of anyone.
Might be time to stop taking my own advice for sure.

[El Camexican]

Seafoam is not a scam. It is a necessity for every engine's fuel system and crankcase.

Last I checked regular oil changes, regular use, leaving your tank full when not in use and then dumping that fuel after it gets 60 days old is a sure fire way to avoid a rusted tank, sludge and whateve else this sea stuff is supposed to cure. If you want to get technical you could say that a perfectly jetted engine would run lean if an additive was added to the tank.

Nothing I own has ever had a tank rust and if I ever let something sit more than 6 months I drop the float bowls and I NEVER run old fuel (my wife's car gets it all :) ) but if you are talking about something that is used to haul fire wood every fall and sits 11 months of the year I guess some sort of additive might help alleviate the effects of neglect.

[TatTooL23]

All the boosters and things of that nature I think r garbage and a complete waste.

If u can't get ethanol free gas the. I would say get the highest regular pump octane, like 91 or 93 and use StarTron. It's amazing stuff. I use it very often. U barely add much. It really helps with ethanol and how it spreader gas and water and all the other horrible effects ethanol has on fuel. And before winter I put stabil through everything.

[just ben]

its not an additive and more for cleaning the valves and combustion chamber. I cant remember the name but you would use a small auxillary tank with the solvent in it. the engine runs on the solvent alone without gasoline. you run the engine on it for 4-5 min. It will make intake ports, valves,piston and head dome shine like new. repair shops charge 80-100 buck to do it. the solvent is only 8- 10 bucks but you wont find it at the parts store. I get it from a friend of mine that works at a repair shop. I know first hand it works but it may be tough to find just the cleaner

[Jon Boy]

unless you've rebuilt the carb or know you have good gaskets i wouldn't run a cleaner through it just yet. i did this with my 125 a year after i got it and with-in a week or so my carb was leaking from every gasket. i'm figuring the gaskets were old enough they started breaking down when the cleaner got to them. rebuilt the carb then ran cleaner again and no problems now.

as for storing, the best i've found sofar is Sta-bil or Seafoam.

[swampthang]

The only real way to clean you fuel system out is going to be removing you carb and cleaning/rebuilding it. If your getting a new tank (asumming your talking about a NEW plastic tank) I'd get a new fuel line and run a small clear inline fuel filter that way you will be able to see whats getting into your carb. As for storing your vehicles for awhile just drain the carb and tank that way you don't have to worry about fuel going bad. I always run 93 octane in my wheelers mostly because it will stay fresh longer then 87 octane. Were I live is a racing community and my closest gas station has access to 120 octane but I think thats major overkill for my rides!:cool:

[Jon Boy]

same here, if you can get racing fuel and want a real octane booster then mix a LITTLE BIT of 110-120oct in with your regular gas, not one of those store bought kind in a bottle.

[RoscoW]

I mix fuel stabilizer (stabil) in all my small engine gas containers, as soon as I fill them. I do it because I never know when I will use up the container or if it goes in a machine it could sit for a couple days or a few months before getting used again, That way I know that it has been treated, in case of a long period of sitting.

Ross.

[dougspcs]

its not an additive and more for cleaning the valves and combustion chamber. I cant remember the name but you would use a small auxillary tank with the solvent in it. the engine runs on the solvent alone without gasoline. you run the engine on it for 4-5 min. It will make intake ports, valves,piston and head dome shine like new. repair shops charge 80-100 buck to do it. the solvent is only 8- 10 bucks but you wont find it at the parts store. I get it from a friend of mine that works at a repair shop. I know first hand it works but it may be tough to find just the cleaner

Ben, I know what you are speaking of..this is an expensive kit though. You can buy combustion chamber cleaner(tuneup cleaner) that you spray into the throttle of the carb while holding the engine at a high idle..then let it flood out and stall. Sit for 5 minutes then start it and run it..good for cleaning upper end carb buildup.

Same thing as the kit you are talking about..just low tech.

PS..not a good idea on 2 stroke engines!!

[Chazz of Blades]

Seafoam has worked miracles for me before. I've had engines that had the piston rusted stuck in the cylinder, and poured an ounce or two of the stuff down the plug hole, sprayed a bit of PB Blaster too, and let that sit for a good 10-20 minutes, and normally the piston will completely free up. Then crank it over a few times to push all the stuff out of the engines(With plug out of course), and you're good to go as long as you waited long enough for it to free it without busting anything, and the rust hadn't ate anything away too bad. I had a 200M that the plug was left loose, and it was left outside for a couple months and rusted, and within a day of getting it, I had it running and riding without it smoking any due to this trick, and a good carb cleaning.

And I don't remember what the stabilizer's name was, but I have a generator that's had the same gas in it for four years, and it still smells and runs good when I crank it every now and then.

[beets442]

I've used Seafoam in my boat(Mercury25hp) with good results. I had pink crystals in my fuel bowl from using Stabile thru the winter and the marine guy told me it happens alot cause the old Stabile didn't like the ethanol.The marine guy showed me how Seafoam melts those crystals.
Stabile has a new formula for ethanol, but now I mix with 110 octane to store my stuff and haven't had a problem since. I won't use Stabile again.
I think Gumout is the best carb cleaner there is.

[Mosh]

I have been a professional Auto tech of 20 years and I never believed in anything other than Top engine cleaner for cars.
We use that stuff through a pressurized machine to clean fuel injectors. Directly shot into the engine with a tool, will bake the carbon off the tops of pistons and valves.
We used to have 4.3 Vortec V-6's get sticking valves and cause a miss at idle from carbon buildup on the valve stems. We would run top engine cleaner through the pcv hose at high idle then stall the engine with it and let it sit for 20 minutes.
When we fired them up, we took them on the highway and flogged the crap out of them, and literally looked like a James Bond Smoke screen from the tailpipe and the miss was gone.
That stuff works.

But for small engines and bikes, Seafoam does work well. I have run it in ATC 70's that blowed the blues from gummed up rings and they stoped smoking after a while. I have run it in carbed street bikes and felt a difference in performance. I like to use stabil for storage, but only for 3-4 months max in a 2 stroke. I use it in my summer lawn equipment, store it all winter and they fire right up the next year.
Anything else I dont use.. Seafoam and stabil for small engines with carbs. Neither of these will not fix a badly gummed carb, but used every now and then prevents needless carb cleaning and oil gumming and varnish.

Top engine cleaner for Cars only. It is to volatile for a small engine.

[DasUberKraut]

Also... Every couple years it's a good idea to completely drain your engine oil and dump a couple cans of straight Seafoam into the crankcase and run it for a bit. Engine will be completely gum free. This is a very good idea if you use cheap motor oil. Cheap oil contains alot of parafin (spelling?) that builds up inside and creates the dreaded sludge. Regular oil changes won't take care of it.