Chainsaw Fuel and Storage Opinions 2023 (sticky?)

[HansFranz]

Seafoam or MMO don't do anything as far as I can tell

I'm pretty sure Seafoam has saved my butt from carb rebuilding at least half a dozen times when I left 2mix in saws and string trimmers and a hedge clipper a little too long and (I think) started to gum up the carbs. I could get them to pop or start and run a short time on choke or half-choke but they wouldn't run normally. I put in Seafoam and choked the crap out of the motors to get the Seafoam into the carb and left them overnight, and the next day they were often back to normal. (Sometimes I got them to run right the same day I put in the Seafoam.)

I don't buy into most snake oils, but Seafoam I do. YMMV.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Funny you mentioned GDI. I had a GMC Acadia that had carboned up intake valves. Tried the Seafoam GDI cleaner and it didn't do anything. CRC GDI cleaner did work, but it took three cans and the results were not great by any means.
When added to fuel I've never seen seafoam do a damn thing and base that on actually viewing the cylinders with a borescope.

The you did it wrong.... You have to warm the engine up, then inject the Seafoam between the MAF sensor and the throttle body. I use their specific pressurized can with a curved nozzle. You keep the engine running above an idle so it don't shut down and empty the entire can which takes about 5 minutes. Once the can is empty, you shut the engine off and let it sit for about 1/2 hour and fire it back up. You'd be amazed what comes out the tailpipe. Never looked in the cylinders but I will say the spark plugs come out clean and I have almost 100K miles on my Focus RS Turbo GDI and it runs fine. I never add it to the fuel,. ever. Don't get it on the MAF sensor as it will destroy it. My RS averages 40 mpg so long as I keep my foot out of it.

The Focus RS Turbo makes 320 horses in a roller skate so it can go like hell With a 6 speed close ratio gearbox.

Least Fords realized about torque steer. The traction control comes on automatically when you firewall the pedal.

Couple weeks back, I sucked the paint off a Mustang GT on a local 2 lane. I don't think he realized what happened. It's a genuine sleeper that insures like an econo box Too bad Fords quit making them, it a fun car for this old man. Took all the badging off. Only give away is the 4 exhaust pipes under the rear valance. My second childhood.

Clock goes to 150 and I'm sure you can bury it if you have the guts.

 

[bwalker]

I'm pretty sure Seafoam has saved my butt from carb rebuilding at least half a dozen times when I left 2mix in saws and string trimmers and a hedge clipper a little too long and (I think) started to gum up the carbs. I could get them to pop or start and run a short time on choke or half-choke but they wouldn't run normally. I put in Seafoam and choked the crap out of the motors to get the Seafoam into the carb and left them overnight, and the next day they were often back to normal. (Sometimes I got them to run right the same day I put in the Seafoam.)

I don't buy into most snake oils, but Seafoam I do. YMMV.

I highly doubt it.

 

[bwalker]

The you did it wrong.... You have to warm the engine up, then inject the Seafoam between the MAF sensor and the throttle body. I use their specific pressurized can with a curved nozzle. You keep the engine running above an idle so it don't shut down and empty the entire can which takes about 5 minutes. Once the can is empty, you shut the engine off and let it sit for about 1/2 hour and fire it back up. You'd be amazed what comes out the tailpipe. Never looked in the cylinders but I will say the spark plugs come out clean and I have almost 100K miles on my Focus RS Turbo GDI and it runs fine. I never add it to the fuel,. ever. Don't get it on the MAF sensor as it will destroy it. My RS averages 40 mpg so long as I keep my foot out of it.

The Focus RS Turbo makes 320 horses in a roller skate so it can go like hell With a 6 speed close ratio gearbox.

Least Fords realized about torque steer. The traction control comes on automatically when you firewall the pedal.

Couple weeks back, I sucked the paint off a Mustang GT on a local 2 lane. I don't think he realized what happened. It's a genuine sleeper that insures like an econo box Too bad Fords quit making them, it a fun car for this old man. Took all the badging off. Only give away is the 4 exhaust pipes under the rear valance. My second childhood.

Clock goes to 150 and I'm sure you can bury it if you have the guts.

I did exactly that per the instructions....
The crap you see coming out the exhaust is just partially or uncombusted seafoam.
And again I snaked my bore scope through the manifold to take a peak after.
As I mentioned the CRC product did work to a small degree, but like I also said it took multiple cans.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Works for me jus fine. I'll leave it at that.

 

[HansFranz]

For removing carbon from piston crowns, etc., I've heard that pouring water into the intake of a hot engine (V8, not chainsaw) while it's running also works (like Seafoam).

 

[HansFranz]

I highly doubt it.

All I can tell you is what I've personally experienced. Have you ever tried Seafoam on a partially-gummed carb and had it fail?

 

[JRM]

Do keep in mind that the Federal EPA is allowing up to 15% corn alcohol in pump gas now and most 4 stroke air cooled engines don't do well (lawnmowers and such) on 15% E-gas, so check the pump for percentage before pumping into your gas can.

Unfortunately there are a handful of states that don't require stations to post the ethanol content. Ohio is one of them. I have noticed that most large chain stations post them regardless - probably just their policy across the board since most states require it.

 

[bwalker]

For removing carbon from piston crowns, etc., I've heard that pouring water into the intake of a hot engine (V8, not chainsaw) while it's running also works (like Seafoam).

I've heard of that from old timers. I suspect like seafoam that none of these guys looked inside the engine after.

 

[bwalker]

All I can tell you is what I've personally experienced. Have you ever tried Seafoam on a partially-gummed carb and had it fail?

I've tried all manner of stuff to ungunk carbs without tearing them apart. Haven't had any luck either.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Putting water in the intake of a hot engine will blast the carbon off piston crowns and heads but won't do squat for dry intakes on a GDI engine. In fact, GM sells a top end engine cleaner you can add to the intake of a hot engine, or at least they did.

 

[bwalker]

Putting water in the intake of a hot engine will blast the carbon off piston crowns and heads but won't do squat for dry intakes on a GDI engine. In fact, GM sells a top end engine cleaner you can add to the intake of a hot engine, or at least they did.

I used that product for removing carbon from rifle barrels. Last time I tried to buy some it was no longer stocked. I do believe they now sell a dedicated GDI cleaner.
I am of the opinion that the best way to deal with GDI deposits is to remove the heads and blast the associated parts clean. The assorted cleaners are at best a short term solution. My sister had her Volkswagen GDI cleaned by a shop using spray cleaner and it only lasted 7500 miles before needing to be cleaned again.
If I ever own another GDI engine, which I probably won't, I will rig up a catch can for the PCV valve and stop the problem before it starts.. you can thank the EPA for this particular issue.

 

[MacAttack]

No ethanol = no problems.

Even if the non-ethanol gas gets stale you just dump it out and fill with fresh and go.
Leave anything sitting with ethanol in it and you can plan on replacing fuel lines, carb diaphragms, and cleaning crusted junk out of every part of the carb.

 

[HansFranz]

I used that product for removing carbon from rifle barrels. Last time I tried to buy some it was no longer stocked.

I've tried scrubbing and I've tried soaking, but I've not found anything that will remove carbon from rifles except (abrasive) J-B Bore Cleaner. Sweets 7.62 removes copper pretty well, but not carbon...

 

[bwalker]

I've tried scrubbing and I've tried soaking, but I've not found anything that will remove carbon from rifles except (abrasive) J-B Bore Cleaner. Sweets 7.62 removes copper pretty well, but not carbon...

Carbon in rifle barrels is very hard to remove without resorting to abrasives like JB bore paste. GM top cylinder cleaner does work, but it still takes much elbow grease.
Which is why I will not run ball powders in my prarie dogs guns. That and I also treat the barrels when new with Dyna-Tek ceramic bore coating. I can and do go well over 500 shots through such barrels without cleaning by doing this. When I do clean them it's super easy.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I've tried scrubbing and I've tried soaking, but I've not found anything that will remove carbon from rifles except (abrasive) J-B Bore Cleaner. Sweets 7.62 removes copper pretty well, but not carbon...

sweets stinks (literally). I use Bore Tech eliminator and have for years. No stink, just does the job but you must use nylon bore brushes and plastic patch pushers. BTE will eat up anything brass or bronze.

 

[bwalker]

No ethanol = no problems.

Even if the non-ethanol gas gets stale you just dump it out and fill with fresh and go.
Leave anything sitting with ethanol in it and you can plan on replacing fuel lines, carb diaphragms, and cleaning crusted junk out of every part of the carb.

Even with non ethanol fuel modern gasoline will varnish. Especially in hot and humid climates.
Refineries actually add antioxidant and anti corrosion additives to unstable streams just prior to being sent to storage. Which is another reason products like Stabil don't work all that great. It's the law of diminishing returns.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I am of the opinion that the best way to deal with GDI deposits is to remove the heads and blast the associated parts clean. The assorted cleaners are at best a short term solution.

fair statement, which is why I do the Seafoam direct treatment every time the oil and filter gets changed, which in my case is every 5K miles. Over 100K miles on my Focus RS Turbo and no issues at all and I sure as heck don't want to remove the head and have the intakes blasted with walnut shells either.

 

[bwalker]

sweets stinks (literally). I use Bore Tech eliminator and have for years. No stink, just does the job but you must use nylon bore brushes and plastic patch pushers. BTE will eat up anything brass or bronze.

Sweets stinks becausenits ammonia based. When it comes to ammonia copper removers the stronger they smell the better they work.
Now days I use Whipe Out foaming bore cleaner and I let it sit overnight. Works really well as verified by bore scope. Although I am using mostly custom barrels and I treat them all as mentioned above.

 

[bwalker]

fair statement, which is why I do the Seafoam direct treatment every time the oil and filter gets changed, which in my case is every 5K miles. Over 100K miles on my Focus RS Turbo and no issues at all and I sure as heck don't want to remove the head and have the intakes blasted with walnut shells either.

I would not use walnut shell. Too aggressive. Soda or dry ice maybe.
GDI issues usually don't start to be problematic until you go over 100k miles. The kind of oilnyoubuse has an impact on this as cheap oil has higher NOACK volatility snd makes the problem worse.
If your concerned I would encourage you to actually bore scope your intake. I think you will be very suprised at how little cleaning is going on.