"Seafoaming" your FJR?

[GeorgiaRoller]

I have a question about Seafoam since I've never used it before. I'm having no issues with the bike but for preventative maintenance I wanted to run some sort of FI cleaner through the bike. I found this video on Youtube with a guy seamfoaming a 2006 Gixxer 1000 FI bike. Is this the correct way to do it for our bikes? Put some in the tank, then pour a little through the air intake tube as shown in the video? Which air intake tube on the FJR do you use? (Location?)

Or should I just use some regular FI injector cleaner that you run through a full gas tank only?

 

[Richouse]

I use Seafoam occasionally just to try to keep things clean. I just pour some in the tank when I fill up. I've never heard of pouring some into a vacuum hose. I'm not sure what this would accomplish except making a bunch of smoke.

 

[SLK50]

I never believe anything I read on the Internet.

All kidding aside, I run some fuel injector cleaner through

once or twice a year but only when I'm certain to run

completely through that tank once treated. I don't let it sit.

Fuel injection, being pressurized, requires little in the way

of maintenance. Just an occaissional cleaning now and then.

Like when you change or clean your air filter.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

I've never heard of pouring some into a vacuum hose. I'm not sure what this would accomplish except making a bunch of smoke.

That's partly my question as well. Perhaps it does a more direct clean to the injectors? Was curious if that step is necessary or not.

 

[Fred W]

It depends on what you want to accomplish. If your goal is to clean the fuel distribution system including the injectors then you would just use it per directions in the fuel itself.

Introducing the Seafoam through the 4 vacuum ports (ones that you use for a TBS) as in the video will help de-carbonize the valves and combustion chamber. That may be a useful before checking your valve clearances, especially on a higher mileage bike, to ensure that you are measuring the actual valve clearances not skewed by carbon buildup on the valve faces. Carbon buildup will cause the exhaust clearances to appear to get larger over time.

Edit - When you do the latter it will not clean the injectors at all because you are essentially bypassing them.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

It depends on what you want to accomplish. If your goal is to clean the fuel distribution system including the injectors then you would just use it per directions in the fuel itself.
Introducing the Seafoam through the 4 vacuum ports (ones that you use for a TBS) as in the video will help de-carbonize the valves and combustion chamber. That may be a useful before checking your valve clearances, especially on a higher mileage bike, to ensure that you are measuring the actual valve clearances not skewed by carbon buildup on the valve faces. Carbon buildup will cause the exhaust clearances to appear to get larger over time.

Edit - When you do the latter it will not clean the injectors at all because you are essentially bypassing them.

Ok thanks for that explanation.

Soooo if I want to go ahead and clean both area's then I would put the correct amount in the tank to clean the injectors, then since I have removed the pair valve system, I would remove my (4) intake caps and pour a little amount into each port while the bike is running?

 

[TomInPA]

I have seen no proof that directly introducing Seafoam to the vacuum ports actually does anything. It does cause smoke, but does this really loosen carbon deposits on valves? Anyone ever measured or oberved this. IMO this is a complete waste to time and money.

 

[Fred W]

It depends on what you want to accomplish. If your goal is to clean the fuel distribution system including the injectors then you would just use it per directions in the fuel itself.
Introducing the Seafoam through the 4 vacuum ports (ones that you use for a TBS) as in the video will help de-carbonize the valves and combustion chamber. That may be a useful before checking your valve clearances, especially on a higher mileage bike, to ensure that you are measuring the actual valve clearances not skewed by carbon buildup on the valve faces. Carbon buildup will cause the exhaust clearances to appear to get larger over time.

Edit - When you do the latter it will not clean the injectors at all because you are essentially bypassing them.

Ok thanks for that explanation.

Soooo if I want to go ahead and clean both area's then I would put the correct amount in the tank to clean the injectors, then since I have removed the pair valve system, I would remove my (4) intake caps and pour a little amount into each port while the bike is running?

Yeah, that's the idea, but rather than pouring the liquid in the intake you can use the spray stuff and just stick the nozzle in the vacuum port and shoot some in there at idle. The idea is to get a bunch of the solvent in there and then shut the engine down and let it sit for a while. I did this just before my last valve check and I do think it does have some decarbonizing effect as the exhaust when you restart the engine is very sooty black. If you repeat it a second or third time the exhaust doesn't get as sooty, which tells me there is less carbon being dissolved and expelled. When just the seafoam is burning it does create a lot of smoke, but it isn't as black.

Whether this actually affects the valve clearance measurements or not I can not testify, as I have never done a scientific before and after valve measurement. That would just be far too labor intensive for my liking. I can tell you that my exhaust valve clearances aren't growing as some other owners have reported.

Is it a waste of time and money? That's up to you to decide.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

Ok thanks for the feedback.

I guess based on this information I certainly don't see why it would hurt doing it in both area's if one is so inclined. Of course at least running it through a full tank of gas is a must at minimum.

I'm satisfied.

 

[lnewlf]

This....every other tank.....pricey but da shizzzle

https://www.partspak.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=239415&gclid=CNTQocjjj70CFS1eOgodDkoAaQ

 

[RossKean]

Has anyone tried Marvel Mystery Oil in an FJR. I used to have a Yamaha Roadstar that loved the stuff. A couple of ounces every tank or two made a huge difference in top-end noise. Carbureted bike so I can't say how it would affect the FI system in the FJR. I use Seafoam in the fuel a few times per year but haven't really tried anything else.

 

[bhendron]

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.

 

[C&C]

One caution (though you'll probably be all right); if you decide to pour raw Seafoan in an open vacuum line (directly to your intake valves) be careful not to hydro-lock the cylinders. As you saw on the video the engine stalled (with prejudice IMO); probably no damage due to the low rpm at the time but you should be aware of bending parts if you get a little aggressive on rpm and pouring raw liquid to the intake.

 

[ahchiu]

I did it once, warmed up the bike, I had tubes hooked up the all vacuum ports and about 4 oz of Seafoam in a cup, with engine running I stuck all 4 tube in the cup till it sucked up all the Seafoam, shut it down and let it sit overnight, re started the next day and it smoked a lot, ran it till smoke cleared out.

 

[Aasland]

I had the head off and lapped the valves - and in doing so I was removing carbon mechanically. B12 wasn't making a dent, nor was soaking the valves in a can of carb cleaner (the old school stuff that works) overnight. I drizzled marvel mystery oil into the open cylinders to let the rings soak a little, but no carbon appears to be removed from the piston heads.

As far as I can tell, removing carbon deposits is a mechanical process. I've been on the Audi forums and they have problems with carbon buildup on their FSM engines, and for them it's also a mechnical removal process.

Who knows what the "black soot" coming out of your exhaust is - could be burning oil or something else. I'm not (yet) convinced that it is carbon deposits .. maybe just the stuff that is on the way to becoming a deposit? On my Prelude I mechnically removed carbon in the EGR system and it did run smoother afterwards, but again ... it was mechanical removal, carb cleaner/seafoam/etc wasn't touching it.

I suspect the best thing is to occasionally treat the fuel system with seafoam/startron/techron to avoid the deposits in the first place.

 

[BigOgre]

Whatever I grab, Ring Free, Seafoam, etc., I also try to time it around an oil change in case it does happen to wash anything loose. Probably no biggie but just part of the routine and it makes me feel better.

 

[bigjohnsd]

When introduced through the vacuum ports, Marvel Mystery Oil or Seafoam, I wonder what the effect of so much unburned hydrocarbon, think really rich mixture, is on both O2 Sensor and Catalyst's in Converters?

Although it may be beneficial to the engine by loosening combustion chamber carbon deposits, I would be more concerned about O2 sensor damage.

In the days of you or yore we used to achieve the same results, decarbonization, by adding a gallon of diesel fuel to a nearly full gas tank. The vehicle would smoke white for awhile but there did appear to be some reduction in carbon based upon a pretty and post Spark Plug inspection. As our engines are much more refined than the flat head era engines we were performing this on I'd hesitate to do any more than add a little Seafoam or MMO to the gas tank periodically and if the goal is to clean injectors I would purchase a specific product just for that purpose or just run a few tanks of Chevron or Shell hi-detergent 87 Octane gasoline.

 

[Fly Bye]

I use Seafoam in my cars and motorcycles once or twice a year. For me it is a little insurance policy in a can.

It's purpose is to clean injectors or jets from varnish and other deposits and control moisture in fuel ect.

I have a can of Seafoam in hand and no where does it say anything about carbon. I went on the Seafoam website and the word "carbon" is not mentioned, just says it cleans deposits. It does not say it will clean carbon deposits.

If you have a mid to high millage car/motorcycle or whatever you are going to have some carbon build up. You will not know to what extent unless you do a tear down. At that point carbon should be removed mechanically IMHO.

Seafoam will help prevent carbon build up and that is another reason I use it

It is not a snake oil product it has been around since the the 1930's.

If Seafoam does not make mention of cleaning carbon deposits, why would we use it for that purpose?

 

[Fly Bye]

I forgot to mention, printed on the can of Seafoam are the words "oxygen sensor safe" in big red letters.