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To Sea Foam or Not


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My boat has been starting hard and running rough for the first minute or two when cold, but then runs just fine. I suspect plugged or partially plugged injectors. I bought a can of Sea Foam to clean the fuel system and injectors but am not sure if I should use it right now. It has ~ 10 gallons of gas in the tank and this Saturday may be my last of the season and I absolutely will not use all of that gas.

If I add the Sea Foam, run it for the last ski and then winterize, will there be any problems leaving that stuff in the remaining gas for the winter?

Edited by Baddog
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I highly recommend using a fuel treatment as a preventative measure, but they are not designed as a cure-all, and rarely fix a problem, once there is a fuel system related problem present. Most marine fuel treatments are for use during the season and for lay up. Does the brand you intend to use address Ethanol?

As to your problem, you may have a CTS thats out of limits and the fuel/air ratio is too rich upon startup, or one or two injectors are leaking down. This creates a flooded cylinder on the next start up and takes a minute to clear out.

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Is your flame arrestor clean? I had the same problem and it was because the flame arrestor was so dirty it couldn't get air.

If it was me I would add stabil now for the winter and next year with a fresh tank of gas do the seam foam treatment.

  • Like 2
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I use Sea Foam in everything on a frequent basis as well as storage.....my 99 Sportster was just stored with 3/4 of a tank and full can of Sea Foam.

Skidoo

Chain saw

ATV

Weed wacker

truck

diesel Jeep Liberty

20 hp Johnson O/B

Using it frequently helps keep the system clean

  • Like 2
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Just passing along what a mechanic told me... Seafoam is Ethanol based. Therefore while good for some cleaning purposes, it does not help with the ethanol problem. Use Sta-bil for storing and continued use.

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My boat has been starting hard and running rough for the first minute or two when cold, but then runs just fine. I suspect plugged or partially plugged injectors. I bought a can of Sea Foam to clean the fuel system and injectors but am not sure if I should use it right now. It has ~ 10 gallons of gas in the tank and this Saturday may be my last of the season and I absolutely will not use all of that gas.

If I add the Sea Foam, run it for the last ski and then winterize, will there be any problems leaving that stuff in the remaining gas for the winter?

Sea Foam is great - but it not going to fix your problem of hard start and sputter until warm.

In my experience fuel issues happen more prominately when the engine is under load. It does not take that much fuel to get your engine running and idleing. At 3500 rpm the amount fuel used is greater and that can seen with a fuel pressue guage test. I had fuel issues years back and instead of messing around with this part, test, that part and test...I went ahead and took care of everything. New fuel hoses, new fuel filters, injectors remove and sent off the be cleaned and test and new fuel pump. Also drained tank. Cost me about 600 bucks altogether.

Also the hard start could be due to the fuel pressure regualtor which keeps the fuel line primed until you start the engine again. Not an expensive part and you can test this with a fuel pressure guage.

When was the last time you gave the motor a tune up. Cap, Rotor, Plugs, Wires etc?

It would eat at me all of season to know that I put my boat up for the winter with a problem....Spring and Summer are not the times you want to be under the engine hatch

Edited by Murphy8166
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I highly recommend using a fuel treatment as a preventative measure, but they are not designed as a cure-all, and rarely fix a problem, once there is a fuel system related problem present. Most marine fuel treatments are for use during the season and for lay up. Does the brand you intend to use address Ethanol?

As to your problem, you may have a CTS thats out of limits and the fuel/air ratio is too rich upon startup, or one or two injectors are leaking down. This creates a flooded cylinder on the next start up and takes a minute to clear out.

"CTS" ?

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always store you boat for the winter with the fuel tank completely full. and with fuel stablizer. The reason you want to do this is because the more airspace you have inside the tank the more that water condensation can form..

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always store you boat for the winter with the fuel tank completely full. and with fuel stablizer. The reason you want to do this is because the more airspace you have inside the tank the more that water condensation can form..

Not true with plastic tanks. You do need to store them close to full with metal tanks.

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always store you boat for the winter with the fuel tank completely full. and with fuel stablizer. The reason you want to do this is because the more airspace you have inside the tank the more that water condensation can form..

There are arguments both ways on this. Frankly I just make sure to treat what gas I have left in the boat & then store it. I've never had an issue in the spring & have had anywhere from a few gallons to 3/4 of a tank.

There are a few ways to use SeaFoam. Using a vacuum hose on the intake to suck the entire can at once. Or as a fuel additive, you only use like 1 oz per gallon of gas. Or also as an oil additive. They have more details here. But the bottom line is it acts like a fuel stabilizer just like Stabil does. They talk about safely storing gas that has been stabilized with SeaFoam for up to 2 yrs.

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always store you boat for the winter with the fuel tank completely full. and with fuel stablizer. The reason you want to do this is because the more airspace you have inside the tank the more that water condensation can form..

This think was true back before ethanol. Now, the theory is to store with as little fuel. More fuel = more Ethanol = more moisture absorption = more chance of phase separation.

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This think was true back before ethanol. Now, the theory is to store with as little fuel. More fuel = more Ethanol = more moisture absorption = more chance of phase separation.

But with a full tank, and little air in the tank, wouldnt there be very little humid air to provide moisture that can be absorbed by the fuel? Or does moisture find its way into the tank during the winter somehow?
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But with a full tank, and little air in the tank, wouldnt there be very little humid air to provide moisture that can be absorbed by the fuel?

Exactly.

And if you only have a little gas in there & it does go south on you, at least your only disposing of a little bit of bad gas & not 40 gallons of it!

Like I said, there are arguments both ways on it. It's more important that the little bit of fuel in your EFI/carb, fuel pump & fuel lines is treated than anything else.

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But with a full tank, and little air in the tank, wouldnt there be very little humid air to provide moisture that can be absorbed by the fuel? Or does moisture find its way into the tank during the winter somehow?

Yep, thats why its a debate ;) A gallon of ethanol blended fuel can absorb X amount of water. The more fuel in the tank, the more water that can be absorbed

Edited by MLA
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This think was true back before ethanol. Now, the theory is to store with as little fuel. More fuel = more Ethanol = more moisture absorption = more chance of phase separation.

If you take a glass jar and fill with ethanol and seal it, then leave it on a shelf for a couple of months, phase separation will occur and it is UGLY to see.

Easy enough to do, and seeing is believing.

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I am a Lucas guy but my second choice is Sea Foam. I say yes I have done this many times with lucas. Never hurt anything when I've done it. Agree with the others don't think its going to help. I would Ohm the CTS.

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Is your flame arrestor clean? I had the same problem and it was because the flame arrestor was so dirty it couldn't get air.

If it was me I would add stabil now for the winter and next year with a fresh tank of gas do the seam foam treatment.

how do you clean the flame arrestor? Contact cleaner & blow it out with a compressor?

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Do not use compresses air it will and I mean Will damage filter element. I've benn using filters for many years I clean regularly with there products and it works great.

Go to there web site and look for how to clean filters and do it just like they say.

Low pressure water and make sure it's is very dry before reapplying oil.

I've stored my boats with the tanks totally empty and refill fresh every year.

And for my older IO 1997 I filed tank with 100 LL from my local airport it has much longer shelf

Life (2 years) without any stabilizers.

Don't use on boats with CAT converters lead will kill platinum in them.

Also cleans the fuel components like new no more

Sticking throttle bodies or fuel injectors. Use in in lawn mowers and other gas powered Equiptment

Mileage may vary

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I run Lucas Oil fuel treatment in every tank I fill and then store it with Stabil in the winter. Cheap insurance.

I don't store it full of fuel, that way I have fresh fuel in the spring or about a 50/50 mix of old and fresh.

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Coolant Temp Sensor. Gives the engine ECM the engine temp and is usually a different sensor then the temp sender that if for the helm gauge.

I had major issues a few years back with hard restarts when hot and eventually traced it back to the CTS. Easy fix. This is not that problem and I am hoping just some crappy gas and filters, which have been replaced. Will know for certain this weekend, weather willing.

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