Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

[btravlin2]

Is there anything I can put in my fuel tank to dissolve varnish buildup in my carbs? My engine has been sitting awhile, and even though it had stabyl in the gas, I still imagine there might be some gunk. I'm hoping to avoid a carb rebuild (6 carb rebuilds).

Thanks.....

 

[MoparMMatt]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

if you want to help yourself out a bit, when you dock or trailer your boat, unhook the fuel line and run(runs out faster in drive) it till is out of gas. Then try to restart it a few times. If you like you can hook the fuel line back up, but I never do. The day the old man told me about this was the last day I ever had carb, gum, varnish, or idling issues. Its simple, and it isn't a replacement for good maintenance or fuel treatment. But it really helps.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

Ethanol seems to be pretty good at that.

How long has the engine been sitting? I'd be kind of surprised if you have a problem.

unhook the fuel line and run...it till is out of gas

opcorn: This could get good.

 

[btravlin2]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

Sitting 2 years. 1995 Ocean Runner 225. I just had the tank drained from the motor down. Now I'll pressure up and pop the brass bowl screws and take a look. Even if the stuff coming out is clean, I'd still think the jets might have some buildup. Wondering if there is a lazy way to clean a carb that isn't too bad.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

I have heard running the carbs out of gas is a bad idea......because if one carb runs out before all the rest.....while the motor is still running that piston isn't getting any lubrication from the dried up carb!!! so....you put a little scour in here and there,...eventually you shorten the life of the motor wouldn't it be better to just drain the bowls......bob

 

[Javelin JD]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

sea foam

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

2nd Seafoam...it is some really good stuff.

 

[Daviet]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

Sea foam will work pretty good if the build up is not to severe.
Running a multi-carb engine out of fuel is not a good idea as stated above, in my opinion.

 

[kbait]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

Non-oxygenated fuel (no ethanol) w/stabil would be the way to go. Only run carb dry on single-carb outboards.. reasoned nicely by bob^

 

[npd4432]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

I have used BG 44k for a good cleaning of the system and BG cf5 for storage and stabilizer. It works well.

 

[MoparMMatt]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

The old man has had the same motor on his run about for 20 or 30 years. Its an old 45hp merc classic 50. never needed much more than a tune up, or incidentals like water impellers, and what not. Although two years ago he ran it out his normal route headed to his trout line run and ran into a mud/silt drift, bending the crap out of the prop, and breaking the shaft in the lower unit. Obama, USACE, and unusually low river conditions were to blame. He had to get out and walk it out of the muck, and bring it back in on the trolling motor.

 

[MaPaHa]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

I'm a big fan of Yamaha "Ring-Free" treatment and I’ve been using it now for a year or so. Although it's sold to de-carbon engines I feel it works on carbs as well. The mechanic that initially recommended it said he had a weed eater that had a gummed up carb so he put some in the tank and ran it and didn’t help it at first. He threw it under the bench and said forget it but picked it up a couple of weeks later and it fired up and ran great from then on.

When I had my heads off my '96 Johnson 175 a few weeks ago I used some straight on the top of the pistons to remove the carbon with a small brush and it worked good at breaking the carbon up. I also tried Sea-Foam and Power-Tune and felt the Ring-Free worked better. I would imagine gum in a carb would be no problem for it.

I would up the initial dose and run it all the time for the carbs and engine. After seeing the carbon buildup on the pistons, it was obvious to me that anything other than a continual treatment would not remove the carbon.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

So we blame the President for shoaling? Gee, some folks are real picky in their choice of politicians.

 

[nwcove]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

So we blame the President for shoaling? Gee, some folks are real picky in their choice of politicians.

lol Chris......pres obama must drink an awful lot of water????

 

[MoparMMatt]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

indeed it must have been a insane case of cotton mouth.

 

[MoparMMatt]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

Does anyone know a good way to add that Seafoam or is t just added to the tank?

 

[Daviet]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

You can add it to the tank, they also make it in spray can form that you can spray into the carb throat.

 

[boobie]

Re: Does anything dissolve carb varnish? Seafoam, etc?

You won't do any good by spraying it in the carb throat. Best thing to do is bite the bullet, take the carbs off and clean them.