Gas Additive to help clean carbs

Discussion in '3rd & 4th Generation 1990-1997' started by Hingley, Apr 18, 2017.

  1. Hingley

    Hingley New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2016
    Messages:
    177
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    28
    With all the talk about ethanol being so bad for carbs has anyone had any luck with a fuel additive that will break down ethanol and other carb clogging deposits
     
  2. RVFR

    RVFR Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2006
    Messages:
    8,006
    Likes Received:
    265
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Location:
    Olympia Wa.
    Map
    The only fuel additive I found good was Chevrons techron.
     
  3. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2007
    Messages:
    15,047
    Likes Received:
    52
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Chevron's Techron is good stuff. Adding a whole small bottle dose to a bike tank of gas may be overkill. Whether or not it "breaks down" ethanol, would be a question for Chevron.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techron
     
  4. Mind_Surfer

    Mind_Surfer New Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2011
    Messages:
    456
    Likes Received:
    49
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Location:
    VA
    StarTron.
     
  5. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2009
    Messages:
    4,019
    Likes Received:
    137
    Trophy Points:
    78
    Location:
    South FL
    Map
    what about using ethanol free gas? http://www.pure-gas.org/

    Had some good luck with BG products, disconnected fuel line, introduced product into bowls, and let sit over night. Yamaha has a decent one in a big black bottle too. This technique was used for a bike that had a neglected
     
  6. Y2Kviffer

    Y2Kviffer Insider

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    May 12, 2008
    Messages:
    1,204
    Likes Received:
    31
    Trophy Points:
    78
    Location:
    RALEIGH, NC
    Map
    I just went thru this with my old Nighthawk I brought back from the brink. I ran Seafoam in it and it helped. When I refilled the tank I used K100-G and it made a BIG difference. http://k-100.com/
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2017
  7. slovcan

    slovcan New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2013
    Messages:
    231
    Likes Received:
    22
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Annapolis Valley, NS, Canada - IBA #63720
    I used to use BG44K which was mostly Techron until they changed the formula. Then I used Techron Concentrate. Then Chevron (don't think Chevron is in NS) stopped bringing Techron Concentrate (or any other Techron additive) into Canada. Then I couldn't find Startron although it might be found at marinas. Now I use Seafoam a couple of times a year. It is also good as a fuel stabilizer for the winter months. I buy nothing but Premium grade gas which is ethanol free (everywhere except Husky and Mohawk out west) for the bikes and small engines.

    Cheers,
    Glenn
     
  8. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2007
    Messages:
    15,047
    Likes Received:
    52
    Trophy Points:
    48
    I'm sticking to my Techron story. I may buy some today at Wal*Mart.
     
  9. slovcan

    slovcan New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2013
    Messages:
    231
    Likes Received:
    22
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Annapolis Valley, NS, Canada - IBA #63720
    Buy some extra and send up here to us. We're depraived - errr, deprived!
     
  10. CatHerder

    CatHerder New Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2015
    Messages:
    119
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Michigan
    Map
    Always have good results with BG44K
     
  11. Hingley

    Hingley New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2016
    Messages:
    177
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    28
    As noted up here in Canuck land it can be hard to find the products you can find in Wally World down south
    I did find a seafoam product and I have heard some good things about so I will give it a try
    I did find on the net a product made by STP designed for the problems of Ethanol but I have had no luck finding it so far
     
  12. Sniper

    Sniper New Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    May 7, 2016
    Messages:
    320
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    18
    You don't have Amazon.com in Canada?

    There are probably a lot of additives that will help. I have had good luch with Lucas Oil Fuel Injector Cleaner. A friend convinced me to try Redline. Haven't used enough Redline, long enough to know if it is better than Lucas. But my friend is smarter than l......

    Ethanol free gas, and any additive will help. Good luck. Report back, please.
     
  13. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2007
    Messages:
    15,047
    Likes Received:
    52
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Amazon can provide for a price. The stuff is flammable. Wall*Mart has some new things going with delivery and in store pick up. Second hand info so far. I get consumer stuff via radio and the net from a straight shooter named Clark Howard. Podcasts and streaming probably available to you demented sorts who live in the Frozen North. ;)

    My bikes have carbs. The 1991 VFR gets regular carb synchs. That and an occasional slosh of Techron ; no problems in 26 years. For similar products maybe a look at the MSDS sheets on 3-4 to compare general characteristics.
     
  14. revguy

    revguy New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    212
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Location:
    North Bay Ontario
    Map
    OMC makes a product called 2+4 they use it marine applications. This stuff works great at keeping carbs clean, is made for fuel with ethanol and also a fuel stabilizer. I have used it for years in everything from my snow blower and lawn mower and use it in my bike as well. You have to buy it a marina.
    I don't buy Premium fuel anymore after figuring out this........ when you go to the fuel pump and make your selection for fuel type, if the person ahead of you has purchased regular fuel and you hit the premium button, I figure the gas pump hose holds a few gallons and buy the time it pumps all that fuel in my tank all I have in my fuel tank is regular fuel. The hose at the gas pump is now full of premium fuel for the customer behind me who pays for regular fuel.
    If I see someone buying premium fuel in front of me I will buy premium for my bike then.
     
  15. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2016
    Messages:
    1,384
    Likes Received:
    324
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Utah
    Map
    Who has ethanol free gas? We do not in Utah and have three refineries? That 10% makes them money. I will follow that link but the only gas in Utah has that fucking 10+ percent. I could go out to the airport and get something just as bad to the bike but will run like a son of a bitch until I have to replace all of the engine parts. I saw the list and only three stations in Utah within 80 miles of Salt Lake City have it with the required 91+ Octane. Nope this sucks.
     
  16. James Bond

    James Bond Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2006
    Messages:
    1,313
    Likes Received:
    155
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Dixie
    Map
    I use nothing but ethanol free gas. It's easy to find where I live and it makes a remarkable difference in power output in the VFR engine. With ethanol free gas, it takes away the want for a liter bike. The owners manual of a VFR only says use 86 or above octane. VFR's run best on 87 octane and, in fact, run like crap on premium gas. I can get premium ethanol free gas but it runs very poorly due to the high octane. That applies to the 5th, 6th, and 8th gens. at least. Sorry you can't get non-welfare fuel. "I'm from the govt. and I'm here to help you...."

    Back to the OP's concern, small engine shops carry ethanol treatments designed to prevent separation in the fuel. Techron will do nothing to address that.
     
  17. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2009
    Messages:
    4,019
    Likes Received:
    137
    Trophy Points:
    78
    Location:
    South FL
    Map
    I just started a small two stroke hedge trimmer that had not been started in at least 9 months, three pulls and it was ready for some action. I store these things with fuel in them, at work - If I use one of these tools, I will drain the gas oot and run it till it dies.

    Nothing but ethanol free 90 octane Recreation Fuel goes in my lawn mower, weed-eaters/etc and my beloved 91 VFR. This gas station that sells the stuff is quite the chit, big bike hang out and trucker station. Two turns down the street from me pretty much. Too bad Utah screws you like that :flip: Before I switched to ethanol free gas, I had all kinds of problems with my weed eaters, deteriorated primer bulbs, bad carburetors, etc. The stuff is a miracle for me. :peace:
     
  18. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2007
    Messages:
    15,047
    Likes Received:
    52
    Trophy Points:
    48
    It would be great if Drifting Along would start adding some links to these wonderful sites that he knows aboot. I'm aboot ready to dig into a box I have stashed somewhere and get some of that small engine stuff and see if it works in an old model airplane engine I have. I sure hope it still works and nobody snitches me out for running a two-stroke.
     
  19. Hingley

    Hingley New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2016
    Messages:
    177
    Likes Received:
    28
    Trophy Points:
    28
    This gas thing is getting interesting, just tonight there was a program on one of the main TV stations talking about
    How there is no difference between reg and high test gas. They found no performance difference between the two neither in miles per gallon or power created. I will still use high test simply because it does no have the ethanol that reg grade has.
     
  20. Laker

    Laker New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    May 18, 2009
    Messages:
    394
    Likes Received:
    96
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Location:
    Ontario
    Map
    On my 2Stroke RD350LC I won't use corn piss ethanol fuel. A couple years ago I had regular in it and it locked up on Hwy 401. I was so fortunate there was no damage to the motor as I pulled in the clutch the same time it locked up. The ethanol is heavier then fuel and separates, burns much hotter then gas and wreaks havoc on 2t motors. Non ethanol for me. Try seafoam?
     

    Attached Files:

Related Topics

Share This Page