# Sea Foam in Honda Rancher advice?



## GAdeerhunter78 (Jan 12, 2011)

Anyone had experience using SeaFoam? I have heard it can eat away your rubber fuel Lines. Do you add it to the gas tank? anywhere else? Im putting it in an 07 Honda rancher 400 to clean out the carb from ethonal gum. 

Thanks


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## 270 guy (Jan 12, 2011)

Use it all the time and never had any troubles. It is great stuff.


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## rjcruiser (Jan 12, 2011)

Ethanol eats rubber hoses.  Seafoam will help offset this.

Do a search in here on seafoam...never heard a bad thing about it.  I use it on my Recon as a stabilizer and cleaner.  Worth every penny.


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## Woodscrew (Jan 12, 2011)

I have tried seafoam and never could tell a differance. Seems like a waste of money to me. No to many things clean better than gas anyways. But everyone has there own opinion.


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Jan 12, 2011)

Seafoam works pretty decent but you can also try Marvel Mystery Oil from your local auto parts place.  It comes in a red plastic bottle and it is less expensive than seafoam.  You can mix in your gasoline or in your oil too.  I have used it for the past year now and it works great.  Do a google search on Marvel Mystery Oil and check out the results.  There was also another thread on GON several months ago about seafoam and Marvel Mystery Oil too.  MMO was invented back around World War I and has been used in aircraft for both military and civilian since that time.  It is some good stuff.


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## contender* (Jan 12, 2011)

I have fixed three ATV'S and two chainsaws with seafoam. On the ATV'S drain the tank but leave just enough gas to crank it and get it to normal operating temp, then dump the whole can of seafoam in the tank. You'll have to play with the throttle to keep it running. Run it till it quits, fill the tank full of fuel and add 1/2 can of seafoam and ride the crap out of it. Stuff works miracles!!!!


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## GoldDot40 (Jan 12, 2011)

The majority of small engine mechanics I've ever talked to swear by it. You can use it as a decarbonizer, fuel stabilizer, or complete fuel system additive. Like contender, I've cured a lot of ailing small engines with it. Do a search on the internet to find out the mixing ratios in regards to exactly what you're using it for.


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## fireman401 (Jan 14, 2011)

Hate to go against the grain here, but I used seafoam in my ATV and goofed up the fuel shutoff valve and a few other parts in the fuel system. Yeah, it got it back running when I first pored it in but ultimately costs me some $$.  ATV repair shop said not to use it because the problems with the plastic parts.


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## Slug-Gunner (Jan 14, 2011)

fireman402 said:


> Hate to go against the grain here, but I used seafoam in my ATV and goofed up the fuel shutoff valve and a few other parts in the fuel system. Yeah, it got it back running when I first pored it in but ultimately costs me some $$.  ATV repair shop said not to use it because the problems with the plastic parts.



Fireman,
I'm betting that the 'damage' to the plastic parts was done by 'ethanol' in the fuel system BEFORE you ever added the 'SeaFoam' to the engine.  I've been using it for over 6 years now and only wish I'd known about all of its BENEFITS earlier than that.  It SHOULD BE USED in accordance with the directions on the container it comes in.... if used FULL STRENGTH, it may possibly affect some types of plastic or rubber materials.... even carburetor cleaner is known to do that too.   

Remember, SeaFoam is NOT going to repair any damage that has already been done by 'ethanol' based gasoline - it may only 'free-up' some of the sediment that the 'ethanol' created and allow it to enter the fuel system.

Did your ATV repair shop happen to say anything about what 'ethanol' can do to your fuel system components?  Especially to plastic (hardens it and makes it brittle) and rubber (makes it soft and spongy), or fiberglass (dissolves the resins in it).  
If they didn't, they are only looking at the profits they can make by NOT DOING SO.

BTW:
Have you ever tried putting regular gas into a Styrofoam cup or container to transfer it?  
I'm betting you won't get too far with it before the bottom of the container DISAPPEARS.


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## fireman401 (Jan 14, 2011)

Slug-Gunner said:


> Fireman,
> I'm betting that the 'damage' to the plastic parts was done by 'ethanol' in the fuel system BEFORE you ever added the 'SeaFoam' to the engine.  I've been using it for over 6 years now and only wish I'd known about all of its BENEFITS earlier than that.  It SHOULD BE USED in accordance with the directions on the container it comes in.... if used FULL STRENGTH, it may possibly affect some types of plastic or rubber materials.... even carburetor cleaner is known to do that too.
> 
> Remember, SeaFoam is NOT going to repair any damage that has already been done by 'ethanol' based gasoline - it may only 'free-up' some of the sediment that the 'ethanol' created and allow it to enter the fuel system.
> ...




Slug.....Don't think ethanol was the problem.  The gas that I was using did not contain any (Distributor does not deliver ethanol gas to our farm tanks.).  While I will admit to the "if a little is good, more is better" application, it was far from full strength.  Less than a half bottle in a full tank of gas.  My best take on it was a combination of the seafoam and lack of running the ATV, with blame equal on both.  They did tell me about the problems from ethanol and gave me some additive that they said would counter the ethanol.  Live and learn, but I won't use any more in anything I own.


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## Johnny Reb (Jan 15, 2011)

fireman402 said:


> Hate to go against the grain here, but I used seafoam in my ATV and goofed up the fuel shutoff valve and a few other parts in the fuel system. Yeah, it got it back running when I first pored it in but ultimately costs me some $$.  ATV repair shop said not to use it because the problems with the plastic parts.




Same thing happened here....ran good when I first added it to the tank. Ran it for about 20-30 mins for 3 days after work but now when I cut "On" the fuel at the shutoff valve it pours out of the line coming out of the bottom of the carb right onto the driveway...I can start it and run it but gas still just pours out. Any ideas?  I plan on draining the tank again and taking the carb apart for the 3rd time to investigate this weekend....


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## fireman401 (Jan 15, 2011)

That is what mine did.  Had to have some parts in the carb replaced.  Don't remember what exactly.  Also had to replace fuel valve assembly.


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## rjcruiser (Jan 17, 2011)

Johnny Reb said:


> Same thing happened here....ran good when I first added it to the tank. Ran it for about 20-30 mins for 3 days after work but now when I cut "On" the fuel at the shutoff valve it pours out of the line coming out of the bottom of the carb right onto the driveway...I can start it and run it but gas still just pours out. Any ideas?  I plan on draining the tank again and taking the carb apart for the 3rd time to investigate this weekend....



Sounds like the seal is bad on the drain plug.  Right next to that line, there should be a screw.  Try tightening it....or taking it completely out and see what that little o-ring looks like.

Personally, never heard of seafoam eating through rubber o-rings.  Always seems to have worked well in my atcs/atvs


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## Wild Turkey (Jan 17, 2011)

For decarbing use 8 oz per gallon. run to it kills itself drain tank and run gas thru to clean it out.
As a general cleaner 4 oz per gallon.
Problem being some people put too much in and leave it. At high concentration it will eat thru some plastic carb parts. Especially in 2 cycle motors. Beware on newer Briggs carbs, they have a lot of cheap plastic parts.


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## Johnny Reb (Jan 23, 2011)

rjcruiser said:


> Sounds like the seal is bad on the drain plug.  Right next to that line, there should be a screw.  Try tightening it....or taking it completely out and see what that little o-ring looks like.
> 
> Personally, never heard of seafoam eating through rubber o-rings.  Always seems to have worked well in my atcs/atvs




Finally figured mine out...took carb out and broke it down entirely examining all o-rings and cleaning everything up. I had a bent Float pin keeping the float from "floating" properly...this was causing excess gas to enter/exit carb. From what I could tell....no problems from Seafoam eating up any o-rings or lines.

Now off to find a float pin online...


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## Cypress94 (Feb 4, 2011)

Seafoam always works great on the engines that I've repaired.  I've used a combination of Seafom/Powertune in my marine engines, and have let it sit as long as 2 weeks in the carbs, without an issue.


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