"Seafoaming" your FJR?

[MrZappo]

Why not just run good quality detergent fuel from a top tier manufacturer ?

https://www.toptiergas.com/

Has anyone ever really had a measurable difference using this stuff ? I would love to see the results.

 

[lnewlf]

This....every other tank.....pricey but da shizzzle
https://www.partspak.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=239415&gclid=CNTQocjjj70CFS1eOgodDkoAaQ

How far does a bottle of that go? Do you use an entire bottle per tank-full?

EDIT: I think I answered my own question. Looks like the recommended amount is 1oz per 10 gallons or about 1/2oz per FJR fill-up (I usually put about 5 gallons in). So a 32oz bottle would do for 60-ish fill-ups. Not bad at all.

Ring Free can be used as a "shock treatment"- 2 oz/gal to remove carbon from the top end...oil must be changed after doing this...Never had a carbon problem with any bike,meebee 'cause I always see redline at least once per week..

 

[HotRodZilla]

DO NOT run diesel fuel in your FJR. ANY amount. Will you destroy the injection system. I don't know that I would run MMO in them either, just because it says "Oil" in the label. I know back in the day, running some diesel through engines to "clean" them and even store them was at least thought to be ok, but never do that to a fuel injected engine.

 

[ionbeam]

During the dark ages of automotive history, way back to the '80s where engineers were first trying (very unsuccessfully) to create both clean and efficient cars I had one of those atrocities. Every 15k miles it would start to knock.

It turned out that the knocking was due to carbon buildup in the combustion chamber. The dealer told me to run a can of GM Top Engine Cleaner through the engine and all would be good.

So, by working the carb linkage and pouring I ran half the can into a warmed up engine. Then I poured the second half of the can in, in such a way that the last drop from the can would stall the engine. Stalling from leanness, not hydraulic locking. Then I was to let the car sit for 15-30 minutes before starting it up again. As the first half of the can went in there was a lot of smoke, mostly white. Upon the second start, after the soak, there was an awesome black cloud of exhaust.

I'm sure I was killing mosquitoes and grass with that black fog. Then gradually the exhaust cleared and became invisible. Voilà, no more knocking for another 15k miles. Which is the very longest way to say that I'm sure some engine potions really do clear carbon from combustion chambers.

 

[Fred W]

I've read that it is actually possible to clean carbon deposits from a warm, running engine via water or methanol injection.

How much, at what rate, and how to administer it without harming anything would be the pivotal questions.

But... I read it on the intarwebs so it must be true!

 

[pista]

DO NOT run diesel fuel in your FJR. ANY amount. Will you destroy the injection system. I don't know that I would run MMO in them either, just because it says "Oil" in the label. I know back in the day, running some diesel through engines to "clean" them and even store them was at least thought to be ok, but never do that to a fuel injected engine.

HRZ, I would not run diesel in my FJR ever. But I'm not sure of the reasoning here. Every diesel engine is fuel injected.

 

[ionbeam]

DO NOT run diesel fuel in your FJR...but never do that to a fuel injected engine.

HRZ, I would not run diesel in my FJR ever. But I'm not sure of the reasoning here. Every diesel engine is fuel injected.

O-rings and seals in the injectors are selected for the operating environment. O-rings can swell and distort if presented with chemicals that they are not designed for. Diesel fuel will not ignite properly in a spark ignition system and leave fouled plugs, barfed O2 sensors and poisoned cats.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Back in the good old days, another technique was to spray water into the carb to loosen carbon deposits to get rid of "knocking". I've done it, seemed to work. Carbon flakes off by steam action. I don't know of any chemical that will 'dissolve' carbon. Seems to me it has to be a mechanical removal or steam cleaning with water spray into the carb/intake ports in our case. Never tried it on a bike.........

I don't think mild naptha (Seafoam) will do much for carbon. RingFree is just harsher solvents for cleaning other deposits, but I don't think it will touch carbon. Will there be preventative type of cleaner combustion? Questionable in my mind.... but good for other concerns excluding carbon. Only an opinion, I'm not a chemical scientist......

 

[Fred W]

Understand the concern about removing actual carbon deposits. My guess would be that some of the combustion deposits around the rings and valves are coked up oil, and the solvents would obviously help dissolve those.

There sure is a lot of anecdotal evidence that it is doing something. Exactly what, I suppose we do not know.

 

[TomInPA]

I have actually seen people say they use Seafoam in the crankcase and run the engine a while before changing the oil to clean out all the "gunk". I'm not that brave either. Using a solvent in your oil is clearly a lot riskier than anything being suggested here.

 

[Denver_FJR]

I'm not convinced Seafoam or any other elixir does anything significant to injectors when applied to fuel. I've been fighting an FI stumbling issue on my '07 for a while and have tried many courses of Seafoam as well as "shock" concentration of Ringfree and a bit of Techron with no apparent improvement. Finally sent injectors in for ultrasonic cleaning and all showed various amounts of clog before cleaning. My plan going forward is to put the $$$ for Seafom towards periodic injector cleaning.

 

[roger dodger]

The best part of the Seafoam (or Techron or B12 or Ring free) as a preventive maintenance is the part where you take the throttle to WOT!!! I was told to stop 'babying' the bike by a few mechanics, and 'ring her neck' every once in a while to prevent the carbon build-up. So I follow their directions happily. YMMV

 

[RaYzerman19]

I have actually seen people say they use Seafoam in the crankcase and run the engine a while before changing the oil to clean out all the "gunk". I'm not that brave either. Using a solvent in your oil is clearly a lot riskier than anything being suggested here.

Seafoam actually recommends it..... and I'd say stick to the recommended dose. You could use ATF also, high detergent, but again, keep it to 20% max.....

BUT, who the heck needs it. Your good engine oil is plenty good at the factory change intervals. I've never seen a real dirty insides of a bike engine, and even on real old ones, any sludge in the bottom of the pan is pretty harmless.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I always see ATF recommended for stuff. Penetrating oil, and now for use to clean crank cases. ATF is in "Automatic Transmission Fluid" or something entirely different?

 

[ionbeam]

I always see ATF recommended for stuff. Penetrating oil, and now for use to clean crank cases. ATF is in "Automatic Transmission Fluid" or something entirely different?

ATF and Automatic Transmission Fluid are one and the same. ATF is not an oil, it is actually a hydraulic fluid with more chemicals in it than a can of Mountain Dew. It can also be used for power steering fluid and sometimes as a lubricant in 4WD transfer cases. In AFT's main role it has to work as a lubricant, maintain seals, O-rings, take high heat and high pressure. It has detergents, surfactants, anti-foaming agents, anti-oxidizing, rust and corrosion inhibitors, seal and gasket conditioners, friction modifiers plus a bunch of other stuff. Unlike oil, it doesn't have sturdy long polymer chains to help it hold viscosity in uses like plane bearings (crank main bearings, rod bearings, cam bearings).

Adding ATF to engine oil will drop the oil's viscosity so someone would be adding only small amounts to engine oil. Engine oils average viscosity when mixed; adding 2 qts of 40W oil to 2 qts of 20W oil will result in a 30W oil. Adding near 0W ATF to a 50W engine oil will cut viscosity at the same ratio.

 

[RaYzerman19]

In the old days one would dump in some ATF in your car engine oil to clean out hydraulic lifters and sludge... it works, but I wouldn't go racing with it in there......... mostly you'd only use it to help a specific problem, like clutch plates sticking..... but keep the right wrist from going to the red line..... very mostly, you don't need it. Engine oil will keep stuff plenty clean enough.

 

[Fred W]

And then, don't forget that if you do opt to dilute your FJR engine oil with ATF or anything else for that matter, the next oil change will also be diluted (to a lesser extent) by the quart of (now diluted) oil left behind. That is a rather unique feature of the FJR engine that it can't be fully drained

 

[ionbeam]

In the old days one would dump in some ATF in your car engine oil to clean out hydraulic lifters and sludge...very mostly, you don't need it. Engine oil will keep stuff plenty clean enough.

Back in your Old Days you had to chase down the dinosaurs and squeeze the oil out of them yourself

(I know, 'cause I watched.) Modern engine oil has detergency built in along with a lot of other stuff including a synthetic base that your Nash Rambler never got. There are a lot of things we used to do to try to extend vehicle life all the way up to 50k miles. Some of the things like adding ATF live on long after the need is gone.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Ok...I was just making sure. I had forgotten that back in the day, we used to use ATF for power steering fluid. We had an old truck that had a leaking powersteering pump. ATF was cheaper than PSF, so we used ATF. I never used it to clean anything though. Good to know.

AND I won't be pouring ATF into my crankcase. I have a strong feeling all this BS about additives that clean stuff up are full of it. I don't remember where I read it or heard it, but it seemed like a reliable source that said all engine additives are snake oil. They don't do ****, but no one can prove they do or don't, so the claim is the claim. I'm betting my engine is clean enough.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I love these threads.

I always learn a ton!