just curious is it ok to use sea foam in the gas in small engines or will that cause problems.. It seems that all my B&s engines need something sprayed into the carb to start them..Usually carb or air intake cleaner works to get it started. What do you guys and gals use?
Is It ok To Use Sea Foam In Small B&S Engines
- Thread starter crazyoildude
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Is the choke working? Is it a vacu jet or pulsa jet carburetor?
I don't add any additives to gas for small flathead B&S or OHC Hondas and the likes (other than fuel stabiliser such as sta-bil or equivalent). Esp. flatheads B&S or tecumseh.
It would be beneficial if your B&S is the pulsa-jet or vacu-jet type to pull off the head every 100hrs and decarbon it manually (get a head gasket for the job, don't reuse it) instead, citing that carbs like these are known to run rich, too rich to my liking (as a matter of fact).
For sidedraft walbro types of B&S which runs fairly lean, it's desirable to run the freshest gasoline whenever possible.
Q.
It would be beneficial if your B&S is the pulsa-jet or vacu-jet type to pull off the head every 100hrs and decarbon it manually (get a head gasket for the job, don't reuse it) instead, citing that carbs like these are known to run rich, too rich to my liking (as a matter of fact).
For sidedraft walbro types of B&S which runs fairly lean, it's desirable to run the freshest gasoline whenever possible.
Q.
they are all just gummed up from old gas i did not maintain them except to change oil.. I dont cut my own grass usually and the one that does just starts the engine with gummout and after he is done he puts the mower away and thats it.. old gas in all the machines.
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
they are all just gummed up from old gas i did not maintain them except to change oil.. I dont cut my own grass usually and the one that does just starts the engine with gummout and after he is done he puts the mower away and thats it.. old gas in all the machines.
You have a problem I've never seen on properly maintained B&S engines. I've left my mower sit, for four years once at my parents house while I moved, without any sort of preparation or maintenance and it started fine (with a bit of extra pumps on the primer bulb at first albeit).
Pour whatever you want in the engine if it makes you feel good but you're not fixing the problem. My B&S engine at least would happily run on stale gas, beer, gravel and a cup of water; it doesn't fuss. Even if it does get gummy, the gasoline itself running through the motor washes it out after its been started.
they are all just gummed up from old gas i did not maintain them except to change oil.. I dont cut my own grass usually and the one that does just starts the engine with gummout and after he is done he puts the mower away and thats it.. old gas in all the machines.
You have a problem I've never seen on properly maintained B&S engines. I've left my mower sit, for four years once at my parents house while I moved, without any sort of preparation or maintenance and it started fine (with a bit of extra pumps on the primer bulb at first albeit).
Pour whatever you want in the engine if it makes you feel good but you're not fixing the problem. My B&S engine at least would happily run on stale gas, beer, gravel and a cup of water; it doesn't fuss. Even if it does get gummy, the gasoline itself running through the motor washes it out after its been started.
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Originally Posted By: Quest
I don't add any additives to gas for small flathead B&S or OHC Hondas and the likes (other than fuel stabiliser such as sta-bil or equivalent). Esp. flatheads B&S or tecumseh.
It would be beneficial if your B&S is the pulsa-jet or vacu-jet type to pull off the head every 100hrs and decarbon it manually (get a head gasket for the job, don't reuse it) instead, citing that carbs like these are known to run rich, too rich to my liking (as a matter of fact).
For sidedraft walbro types of B&S which runs fairly lean, it's desirable to run the freshest gasoline whenever possible.
Q.
Interesting.
I'm in the opposite camp. I add acetone or toluene or xylene with some tc-w3 in every Jerry can at work for the now 5 generators and 12 Honda 5.5hp v-twin/inline twin air compressors.
I've got compressors that came back from Ontario with me a decade ago,easily with 10000 hours on a couple of them and with my backyard chemistry experiment I have not had a single carb rebuilt,nor is there any carbon build up in my combustion chambers.
In fact a few months ago my brother broke off the plug in my oldest compressors head. So I asked my service guy to fix it. He removed the head to prevent any metal entering the cylinder because he needed to drill it out.
He called me later that day and asked if I used some kind of unicorn urine for oil because there was no ridge whatsoever worn into the cylinder and apparently the soft rubber parts that have fuel contact were still supple and new looking and feeling.
He was also perplexed because there was what he considered a dusting of carbon on the top of the piston and valves,when he was expecting to be cleaning it with a wire brush.
He even stated that I he didn't know that this compressor was my oldest and had the most hours on it he wouldn't have believed me if I told him.
He said he reused all the rubber in the carb when he put it back together.
So my 10000 hour Honda engine,which gets run outside in -40 and 40c,in the dirty,dusty job site conditions,looks to him as though it could have been basically new.
And I've used cheap hdeo for summer and usually cheap 5w-30 in winter however I add 1/4 of mos2 every second oil change and I mix up my fankenbrew to add into the fuel.
My service guy states that this is not the norm at all. Due to ethanol in the fuel he usually has to rebuild these same carbs every 2 years or so for other crews,and the rings tend to be shot at around 5000 hours.
And all 12 of my compressors are like this. Not one has ever needed anything replaced and only once did we have an engine failure,because my men unhooked the oil alert switch and the engine ran without oil,for half a day.
That machine that seized is still in service on site,it burns no oil and I guarantee you could never tell there was a failure.
Mos2 costs pennies to use and has proven to me its worth. My fankenbrew gas treatment has saved me countless hours of potential servicing.
Just my personal experiences in my day to day life on site.
I don't add any additives to gas for small flathead B&S or OHC Hondas and the likes (other than fuel stabiliser such as sta-bil or equivalent). Esp. flatheads B&S or tecumseh.
It would be beneficial if your B&S is the pulsa-jet or vacu-jet type to pull off the head every 100hrs and decarbon it manually (get a head gasket for the job, don't reuse it) instead, citing that carbs like these are known to run rich, too rich to my liking (as a matter of fact).
For sidedraft walbro types of B&S which runs fairly lean, it's desirable to run the freshest gasoline whenever possible.
Q.
Interesting.
I'm in the opposite camp. I add acetone or toluene or xylene with some tc-w3 in every Jerry can at work for the now 5 generators and 12 Honda 5.5hp v-twin/inline twin air compressors.
I've got compressors that came back from Ontario with me a decade ago,easily with 10000 hours on a couple of them and with my backyard chemistry experiment I have not had a single carb rebuilt,nor is there any carbon build up in my combustion chambers.
In fact a few months ago my brother broke off the plug in my oldest compressors head. So I asked my service guy to fix it. He removed the head to prevent any metal entering the cylinder because he needed to drill it out.
He called me later that day and asked if I used some kind of unicorn urine for oil because there was no ridge whatsoever worn into the cylinder and apparently the soft rubber parts that have fuel contact were still supple and new looking and feeling.
He was also perplexed because there was what he considered a dusting of carbon on the top of the piston and valves,when he was expecting to be cleaning it with a wire brush.
He even stated that I he didn't know that this compressor was my oldest and had the most hours on it he wouldn't have believed me if I told him.
He said he reused all the rubber in the carb when he put it back together.
So my 10000 hour Honda engine,which gets run outside in -40 and 40c,in the dirty,dusty job site conditions,looks to him as though it could have been basically new.
And I've used cheap hdeo for summer and usually cheap 5w-30 in winter however I add 1/4 of mos2 every second oil change and I mix up my fankenbrew to add into the fuel.
My service guy states that this is not the norm at all. Due to ethanol in the fuel he usually has to rebuild these same carbs every 2 years or so for other crews,and the rings tend to be shot at around 5000 hours.
And all 12 of my compressors are like this. Not one has ever needed anything replaced and only once did we have an engine failure,because my men unhooked the oil alert switch and the engine ran without oil,for half a day.
That machine that seized is still in service on site,it burns no oil and I guarantee you could never tell there was a failure.
Mos2 costs pennies to use and has proven to me its worth. My fankenbrew gas treatment has saved me countless hours of potential servicing.
Just my personal experiences in my day to day life on site.
Seafoam was originally created for small engines - outboard motors. Over the decades its been marketed for everything including the common cold. Its the intended purpose so pour away. No cat to worry about fouling with pale oil (Seafoam is mostly lube). Has IPA which may be beneficial as a stabilizer. I've been using MMO in small engines for decades.
Local commercial repair shop has one wall dedicated to Seafoam. Every time I get a gallon of gas I add an once for mower, backpack, trimmer, etc. The trimmer would not idle properly. Now it is fine after using seafoam. It may not solve your problem, but I do not see it hurting if you add recommended amount.
Am pasting a post I made in another thread a week or so ago:
"I went in to my small engine guy's shop a few years ago and asked for blue Stabil - and he wanted to know what I wanted it for. When I told him it was for my OPE, he frowned and said he didn't know why anyone would use anything but Seafoam.
Been using it ever since and have been very pleased with easy start-ups for mowers and snow blower."
"I went in to my small engine guy's shop a few years ago and asked for blue Stabil - and he wanted to know what I wanted it for. When I told him it was for my OPE, he frowned and said he didn't know why anyone would use anything but Seafoam.
Been using it ever since and have been very pleased with easy start-ups for mowers and snow blower."
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