Sea Foam for sticky rings??

[GS750GUY]

Would Sea Foam be a good procuct for freeing up sticky rings? I'm thinking of pulling my spark plugs, pouring a little in each plug hole, and work it in to the rings by putting the bike in first gear and moving the rear wheel back and forth slightly to work in the Sea Foam and then let it sit overnight. Any thoughts????? Has anyone tried this before???

GS750Guy

 

[Steve]

Seafoam might work. Marvel Mystery Oil works. WD 40 would probably work.

But use fifth gear, you will have more control when you use the back wheel to turn the engine.

.

 

[spyug]

I'd think a penetrating oil would work better as Steve says, either Marvel Mystery or WD40. Sea Foam does also make a version called Deep Creep that also might work.

A big word of caution. This stuff may not work quickly and indeed might not work at all.

In my recent experience, I poured just about everything down and let it sit for over a week with absolutely no give. I ended up having to pull the head and introduce a piece of 2"X4" to each piston top with my 10 Lb. "persuader". The sharp shot got them free.

As you know, if you force things you could easily bust a ring so go at it slowly. Let the juice have a good while to do its thing before attempting to turn it. If it doesn't spin after a moderate amount of effort then you might want to try the method I used. Time consuming but a bit easier on the rings.

Hope it works for you.

Cheers,
Spyug

 

[tejasmud]

A clearer definition of "sticky ring" in your mind is, what?

What makes you believe one of the rings are sticking?

 

[Billy Ricks]

It's nearly impossible to get now, but carbon tet would definitely work. Book restoration suppliers might still carry it. I have a can I'm hanging onto for special needs. Some of the gun solvents might work. Energine spot remover used to be very close to carbon tet but now it's just naptha.

 

[GS850Fan]

spray chain lube works great

spray chain lube works great

Spray chain lube works great.
It is better than WD40 because it won't run down the wall past the
rings so fast. It will hang onto the walls to lube when the piston starts
moving. Chain lube also has good rust inhibitors & penetrating oil as well.
Found it works better and helps elevate compression for crankin' it up from
a long sleep.

 

[GS750GUY]

A clearer definition of "sticky ring" in your mind is, what?

What makes you believe one of the rings are sticking?

Sorry, I can tell from some of the responses that I should have been more clear with my definition of sticky.
The bike runs fine but is burning (not leaking) more oil than normal. I ride like an old lady on her way to church and someone told me that the GS750 was made to run like a race horse. And that since I am just trotting the beast I could be carboning up the rings.

 

[tkent02]

Just give it an Italian tune up.

Run it to the red line, full throttle, treat it like a big dirt bike for a few hours.

Run the **** out of it.

 

[Steve]

Just give it an Italian tune up.

Run it to the red line, full throttle, treat it like a big dirt bike for a few hours.

Anybody else remember Bill Cosby's album "200 MPH"?

Carroll Shelby made a special car for Bill. A while later, he asked Bill how he liked it, he said something about it bucking and doing whatever and just not running right.

Carroll said "that's a high performance machine. You have to get it out, do about 100 in second gear, let it breathe."

Bill's reply, "Oh yeah? Where can I do that?"

"Any side street."

.

 

[tejasmud]

lol.

So, "sticking rings" is not as in the engine is siezed, which is a good thing.

Could take it out and run it hard, or at least run it through the full rpm range while riding it.

Seafoam in the gas might help clean it up a bit. I have never used it, but seems to have mixed reviews. Some swear by it.

I might also check the spark plugs to see what is going on inside/color/wet & oily, and maybe check the compression. Given the valves are adjusted to spec.

Suppose, depending on the year model 750 and mileage, and last service interval on the head, valve seals might need some 911.

Does it smoke out the exhaust?

 

[GS750GUY]

lol.

So, "sticking rings" is not as in the engine is siezed, which is a good thing.

Could take it out and run it hard, or at least run it through the full rpm range while riding it.

Seafoam in the gas might help clean it up a bit. I have never used it, but seems to have mixed reviews. Some swear by it.

I might also check the spark plugs to see what is going on inside/color/wet & oily, and maybe check the compression. Given the valves are adjusted to spec.

Suppose, depending on the year model 750 and mileage, and last service interval on the head, valve seals might need some 911.

Does it smoke out the exhaust?

The bike is a 1978 GS750EC, it just turned over 14,000 miles, has 3000 miles on its last tune up (new plugs, points, condensors, valve and shim adjustment, and carb sync.) For nearly all of two riding seasons since I restored the bike the bike performed flawlessly. Used no oil during the entire riding season and shown no signs of smoking at the exhausts, and the plugs were the right color. The bike starts and runs perfectly.
During the last month of last years riding season I began noticing some smoke from the right muffler and it suddenly began using oil. My riding buddy told me it could be just a sticky ring or two because he told me I ride like an old lady taking a race horse for a walk.
GS750GUY

 

[chuck hahn]

What do the masses say about a quarter cup or so in the oil..put it in and run it at highway speeds for about 50 miles. This will clean the inside of the engine, getting to the rings also, and clean the clutch so it hooks up much better.. change the oil then see what its like. ( Seafoam that is)

 

[GS750GUY]

Sticking rings are fixed!!!!! And Sea Foam did it.

Sticking rings are fixed!!!!! And Sea Foam did it.

Well guys, evidence pointed to sticking rings so I poured a little Sea Foam into each plug hole about three weeks ago and just let it sit and do its work. In the meantime I did a thorough tune up. Cleaned the air filter, cleaned the spark plugs, reset the timing, changed the oil, and only have a resync left to do.

I thought I would attack my sticky ring problem from both ends so I added Sea Foam to the new oil and a full tank of gas per the instuctions on the can.

Today was the first nearly 60 degree sunny day in Des Moines, Iowa so I thought I would see how the Sea Foam worked that had been sitting in the cylinders for nearly a month. I rolled the bike out of the garage and to my surprise the bike fired right up. But man did it smoke like crazy. Smoke just poured out of the exhaust pipes like crazy for about 5 solid minutes during the warm up period.

I hopped on the bike and like TKent02 suggested I headed for two lane country side blacktop to give the bike a good old "Italian Tune up". I really kicked the cobs out of that engine rapping up the RPM's through the gears for probably 50 miles or so. I stopped for a rest at a state park and noticed the bike idled smooth as silk and found absolutely not a trace or whiff of smoke what-so-ever coming from either pipe.

I let the engine cool clear down and when I restarted the bike...still no smoke. And man does the engine now have power. The bike is now incredibly fast. It was like like the engine had been resurrected from the dead. The bike and engine performed incredibly well.

I know that Sea Foam does its job at removing carbon and engine crud because I let my spark plugs soak in it for the last three weeks and found the bottom of the small bowl that contained the spark plugs was covered with black carbon residue from the plugs.

So the rings are free and I'm am sold on Sea Foam.

GS750GUY:dancing:

 

[don]

Yamaha makes a product called " ring-free" specificly for decarboning valves and cylinders as well as cleaning light carb residue. I have used all of the remedies mentioned here, (wd-40, marvel, etc.), and prefer the ring free. It's a little thicker than all of the others but still pennetrates just as well. Simillar to your result, my experience with ring free always worked the first time. The only difference is I didn't let it soak for weeks.

All of the stuff mentioned here works. it's a matter of preferance. Just offering my two cents worth.

 

[chuck c]

Sea Foam fan

Sea Foam fan

I leaned about the stuff from Land Rover guys (I have an old Discovery- the Internet is my friend for without it I wouldn't be able to keep the old beast running). We tend to do only short around-town kind of driving so all our old vehicles get gunked up. It's gotten cars though PA emissions testing and restored gas mileage. Sea Foam works.

For the 4-wheelers, I pull a vacuum line and fast drip about a cup of SF in while a helper keeps the RPM up, then shut it down and let it sit for 5 minutes. Start it and rev it up and watch the smoke pour out! That smoke was carbon cruding up the engine. You will notice a difference in performance immediately. Put half a can in the full tank (of a car or truck) to finish the job. For MCs I add about an ounce to the tank.

Try this and tell me what happens.

PS I'm afraid to put it in my oil because it breaks down carbon. It might attack the oil. If I did, it would be a few minutes before an oil change.

 

[Nessism]

Glad to learn your bike is running well but please understand that Seafoam should not be used in your oil, except for maybe just before an oil change. Drain that stuff out before you damage the engine. It acts like a solvent and thins the oil out - your 10W-40 becomes 10W-30 or worse.

 

[GS750GUY]

Glad to learn your bike is running well but please understand that Seafoam should not be used in your oil, except for maybe just before an oil change. Drain that stuff out before you damage the engine. It acts like a solvent and thins the oil out - your 10W-40 becomes 10W-30 or worse.

Thanks Nessism! I have only put maybe 50 miles on the oil but will get it drained and replaced before my next ride.
The instructions on the Sea Foam can say to only use 1-1/2 ounces per quart of oil which equals only about 5.7 ounces per 3.8 quarts of oil. With the 20W-50W weight oil that my manual recommends it wouldn't seem that 5.7 ounces would thin almost 4 quarts of oil by very much. I notice the oil still looks clean and bright though the site glass.

GS750guy

 

[GS750GUY]

FYI Regarding Sea Foam

FYI Regarding Sea Foam

Below is a copy of one of the FAQ questions regarding Sea Foam and how to use it when adding it to the crank case. Info is taken from the Sea Foam website.

The most frequently asked question about using Sea Foam is as follows: ?After using Sea Foam in my oil, fuel, or through the vacuum line (to clean carbon from the combustion chamber) do I need to change my oil?? The short answer is: No you don?t have to change your oil after using Sea Foam in any application.
When using Sea Foam in your fuel or through the vacuum line for carbon cleaning your oil does not need to be changed. Using Sea Foam in your oil, at 1 ? ounces per quart, is a safe way to clean a crankcase, free up rings or free up sticky lifters as you drive. Sea Foam is not a chemical engine flush and therefore, it will not damage internal engine components or plug the oil pick up screen. Sea Foam is a pure petroleum blend with no chemical additives and is safe for long term cleaning or short term pre-service cleaning.
Sea Foam is a blend of highly refined additive oils and is compatible with all motor oils including synthetics. It is safe for all internal engine components and will not affect any seals, gaskets or o-rings. Sea Foam cleans oil deposits and varnish in your crankcase by safely/slowly re- liquefying the old oil residue so contaminants may flow and be filtered. The longer Sea Foam is in your oil the cleaner your crankcase will become. When adding Sea Foam to clean oil, for long term maintenance cleaning, you must check your oil periodically for color and clarity, when your oil looks dirty change it. Because you added cleaning oil (Sea Foam) to your oil you may have to change oil before the expected service interval.
When adding Sea Foam to dirty oil before an oil change, for best results use 1 ? ounces per quart of oil at least 100 miles before oil is changed.


I guess......in a nut shell this is saying. Use it per the cans instructions and when the oil looks dirty....change it.

GS750GUY

 

[chuck c]

Thanks for the info! It helps to go to the source for the facts. You did, I didn't, shame on me.

 

[Nessism]

Seafoam is a light viscosity petroleum product so it will thin the oil much like adding solvent to the oil. I suppose if you only added 1.5 oz. per quart the thinning effect won't be overly severe so no panic. Personally though I don't believe in oil additives and wouldn't use the stuff.