I previously from a other post was going to seal my new (used) fuel tank but decided to clean it and reinstall instead. The used fuel tank turned out to be in much better condition than the original tank, and without a lot of rust and better yet no holes.
Now I cleaned it while off the bike with apple cider vinegar for 3 days and did the same with the reserve tank while installed on the bike (1982 vf45). I will tell you that the vinegar trick worked out supper and did a wonderful job on the cleaning both. With that said I filled the main tank while off with auto gas and the reserve tank also to flush both of what vinegar was left in the tanks. I found that it takes more than one flush to do this that vinegar sticks to the insides. The main tanks was three times and the reserve was the same but being that the reserve tank was still on the bike and was not shaken around as was the main tank, I found that some vinegar made its way to the fuel filter with a load of sediment when first fired up. History-The fuel filter when I got the bike was almost completely clogged with rust and sediment from both the tanks but the bike ran well.
After the cleaning I have gone through two new filters and have a third just incase. So the filter on the bike now seems to be looking clean and the system flushed, but when I ran the motor and took a ride it seems to bog down at around 3,000-4,000 rpm at around 30 mph. I ran it a bit then drained the carb bowls (all four) and it seemed to help and on the towel that was used to catch the fuel showed a small amount of red/rusty fuel stain from the cider.
Now at this time the bike is a bit harder to start around ten seconds or so until it fires up and feels a bit sluggish were before it fired right up. I now believe that some of the fuel may of carried a small amount of the cider crap into the carbs. I have been debating on if I should just buy some spray carb cleaner and spray directly into the carbs while running or add some carb cleaner to the gas tank.
I heard a lot about Sea foam but also heard good about other carb cleaning agents. I am not a big fan of some of the ad this and your troubles are gone fixes, but knowing that the carbs were cleaned a couple of years ago I am willing to give something a try to clean out what small amount of crud is left in the carb(s) before pulling the carb bank out. Any suggestions on additives or cleaning or a good step to take are welcome.
Oh wanted to ad that the choke when used seems to be without any helping affect in helping with the starting when cold or hot problem. Thanks
Big Fan of SeaFoam, you can buy it cheapest at Walmart (close to 1/2 the price of auto parts stores). Don't be afraid to double or even triple dose the 1st couple of times until things get better.. I've never had any ill effects from use of SeaFoam.. Have I wasted some money using more often, probably, just like people who change there synthetic oil every 3K miles.. We all have our vices!!!
If you have the carbs out and are looking for a cleaner to manually clean, I hear good things about Mercury Engine Tune for that purpose. You should be able to get it from a Mercury Marine Dealer. Pick up some "Extreme Grease" in the tube while you are there, a million uses for that stuff! and it resists water.. I use on Cables and the chain and the shift linkage, etc. etc.
Thanks for that bit of information, I am not really focused on the SeaFoam product but since I have some time off I will go grab a can at the local Walmart and give it a try.
Thanks again.
If you really want to get into the weeds you can look on YouTube for the guy who tests Sea Foam and other additives by running them in lawn mower and car engines and then using a camera to examine the cylinder. That will burn some time. There's even some guy on the Internet who claims to have submitted a lot of these cleaners to labs for a chemical analyses and that most of them (Seafoam included) are just alcohol and mineral oil... or something like that. You know how the Internet is.
I'll be the Devil's advocate. I am no longer a fan of Sea Foam and I have had better results using Techron or Berryman's B12 as an additive.
Try using a cleaner for a tank or two, but don't be upset if you do have to end up pulling the carbs to give them a thorough cleaning.
I do like the Berryman's B12 as I have witnessed that working and from way back BMW recommends Techron for their fuel injected cars. Overall, cleaners do not work for me and I seldom recommend them as a total fix to what ails the bike, worth a try though.
Not sure of the active ingredient in Seafoam or Techron, but they smell the same to me. There may be different concentrations, but they are both detergents, IMO.
Well okay - I just finished a small test using some SeaFoam additive into my fuel tank. I will say again that I am not a snake oil fan of try this and it's fixed, I believe in the clean or rebuild or replace methods more than anything else. So I will give a short and hopefully neutral posting of the findings for my bike with the SeaFoam additive.
Warmed up the bike to operating temp and took it around the block a several times and then on a high speed one mile run (55) for about a minute, total time around 10 minutes .
when returned - cooling fan was running - Bike was running okay but has a slight lobe or drop in idle (not steady) that can be hear in the pipes, and still has a small bit of a hesitation around 3-4,000 RPM when opening up, choke still does nothing but cable moves the arm, shut down and tried a restart and still takes a bit to start around 5-8 seconds..
Had about 2.5 gallons in the tank system after the run and added around 1.5 oz. of seafoam to the gas tank. Waited 45 minutes for cool down then I took the same drive as stated above keeping the speeds around the same as close as possible.
When I returned the bike now is much smoother in its Idle, no missing sound pretty steady, the hesitation is gone, rolls right into power without any problems, choke still the same, and still takes a bit to start.
So if anything the hesitation is gone and I will mention that I have had it up to high speeds before this test and nothing changed from that as in blowing out the carb jets and passages so ???
The idle is much better sounding????
The starting has not changed so it could be a weak battery or ??? I did check the timing the other day and it is right on the mark, and as for the choke it's most likely a part that needs to be pulled and or replaced.
So - I am not saying that the SeaFoam did something as I really cannot prove anything if it did or not but I will say the for the $7 for a can and the two areas that now seem to be functioning in the norm are okay, I will have to say that maybe it helped a bit and maybe latter will help more but I am still on the skeptical side. As for the Techron, Berryman's B12 they may be the same just with a different name. I am going to run the bike with a bit more added and see how it works out in time. But I am glad I have the full throttle response back that part I love. :D
When I need something cleaned out and try a cleaner, I don't follow directions and put cap fulls in, I more like pour in half a can or what I think.
I completely wrecked a small two-stroke engine in lawn equipment by over use of Seafoam. Enough detergent will defeat the oil mixed in the gas.
Since then I have been a bit more conservative in using the stuff. Will use at twice or three times the recommended rate, but not at all in two strokes...
It's best to be a bit causes with a cleaning agent's and yes especially in a 2 stroke. I remember a gent years ago put some Marvel Mystery oil into his aircraft fuel tanks for whatever purpose he was thinking (not FAA approved) and barely made it back to the airport, cleaned the aluminum tanks of what crud was in there, and filled the fuel filter and carb bowl with it.
I did put about one ounce of Marvel Mystery in the VF45's crankcase last night, a friend came by with, again snake oil who knows but that much should not hurt anything, hopefully clean a bit.
I glad to see this old bike coming back to life, but I do not want to push my luck so small steps.
Quote from: Breezy on October 12, 2016, 10:17:41 AM
It's best to be a bit causes with a cleaning agent's and yes especially in a 2 stroke. I remember a gent years ago put some Marvel Mystery oil into his aircraft fuel tanks for whatever purpose he was thinking (not FAA approved) and barely made it back to the airport, cleaned the aluminum tanks of what crud was in there, and filled the fuel filter and carb bowl with it.
I did put about one ounce of Marvel Mystery in the VF45's crankcase last night, a friend came by with, again snake oil who knows but that much should not hurt anything, hopefully clean a bit.
I glad to see this old bike coming back to life, but I do not want to push my luck so small steps.
Id be even more cautious on additives to the crankcase... Not concerned one way or another for the engine, but unsure what it might do the the clutch material
That is a very good question the good is that I am pulling the clutch for overhaul but I like that question. Needs an answer, will research that.
Thanks