Sta-Bil vs. Sea Foam

[Ozymandias]

I see that Kawasaki recommends Sta-Bil in the gas for relatively short term (30-60 day) storage. I also notice that many people on these forums use Sea Foam as an additive. Are there differences that make one preferred over the other or are they really intended for somewhat different purposes? I have used the Sta-Bil product in the past although I normally ride through the winter with only about 10 to 20 days as the longest idle stretch. If this winter shapes up to be a rough one I want to use whatever will be best for my Voyager (2010).

[voyager55]

Seafoam is a fuel system cleaner & fuel stabilizer. Use it during the riding season and for storage. 1 ounce per gallon.
It's good for a year when storing your bike etc.

Sta-bil is just for storage use.

[lockwoodjohn]

Hi Everyone,
Seafoam by far!!!! Will keep gas stable for up to a year. I use it in my lawn mowers,chainsaws, weedeaters, motorcycles. When my wife got her '99 Dodge ram it ran rough
Changed spark plugs, Ran better but not good enough. A friend of hers boyfriend ( a mechanic
? ) Listened to it and told my wire he would bring it to the dealership he works at because
it needs the fuel system cleaned (? ) I put 17 ounces of SF in a full tank of gas ran it half way through the tank truck runs a purrs like a kitten!!

SEA Foam All The Way!!!!
John

[SgtSlag]

Actually, SeaFoam will stabilize gasoline for up to 18 months.

In addition to dissolving varnish deposits within the fuel system, SeaFoam will also aborb water within the fuel system. It can also be used within the crankcase to dissolve carbon deposits within the engine, and the transmission -- only need to treat the engine once, with modern oils, and regular changes. Older API oil standards (SH and earlier) would break down into carbon sludge within the engine, due to temperatures at/above 250 F.

SeaFoam is a great product which I've been using in my bikes since 2006, to mothball them for the Winter months. Come Spring, they fire up like they were parked the day before. Cheers!

[debron]

Yes, yes, ......seafoam......but what does stabil do same or different from seafoam??? I think that was the original question.

[mikey]

i think voyager55 answered that question.

[voyager55]

Ron doesn't read what I post because I own a 2003 which he says is prone to breakdowns and might explode at any minute

[debron]

Ron doesn't read what I post because I own a 2003 which he says is prone to breakdowns and might explode at any minute

What, it's still running?


Actually I did read the post. Question: If Stabil is just for storage, that implies you have to drain and replace your gas when you take your bike out of storage, yes, no??

[trikebldr]

I read voyager's post as both will stabilize the fuel and [neither needs to be drained , but will burn through with the fuel] (blocked section added from my experiences). The big DIFFERENCE is that Seafoam will also clean the system as well.

[Tonyvdb]

Yup, thats correct. Seafoam also cleans as you drive where StaBil is only a stabliser.

[boscoe]

The new Gumout Multi-System Tune-Up stuff works very well for me.

http://www.gumoutproveit.com/

[HawkeSHR]

Did not have a good experience with Sea Foam, had to have the carb purged. I'm not sure what happened but my dealership recommended I stay away from Sea Foam. I use Sta-Bil in my mowers and Snow Blower. My bikes I have very positive experiences with Startron (as both fuel additive during the riding season and for storage.).

Interesting reading the various perspectives, good to have choices.

[SgtSlag]

Care to share more details about your misfortune with SeaFoam? Do you know what it allegedly did to the carbs to prompt the dealer to recommend avoiding it? Were the carbs full of varnish, or was it some other issue? I'm curious what SeaFoam might have done (badly) in your particular situation. Knowledge is power, and forewarned, is for-armed. Cheers!

[cushman eagle]

I have used both Sta-Bil,or Sea Foam in bikes,mowers ,and antique tractors.I have never had a negative experience with either one.

[Mr Jensee]

Did not have a good experience with Sea Foam, had to have the carb purged. I'm not sure what happened but my dealership recommended I stay away from Sea Foam.

I have often found that if someone, even a dealership has had a bad experience with a product often that product is not recommended. Example, say someone brought a bike in to have the carbs cleaned and the owner tells the dealer he used Seafoam and it didn't work, then the dealer has the mechanic tear down the carbs to find they are severely gummed up. It is is reasonable that he assumed the product the owner used was crap. Then everyone who came in and said they used Seafoam, he would tell them to avoid using it. In reality if one doesn't use a product according to the instructions, or expects results immediately from that product, they more than likely will not use it again. I have used Stabil and Seafoam and highly recommend using either if you store a bike longer than 20 days without use. The present formulations of gas deteriorate rapidly due to the inclusion of ethanol as a oxidizer. Neither will bring a batch of old gas back to life if it is left in a tank to the point the fuel no longer smells like gasoline. I cringe everytime I watch on Velocity these shows where they find an old car in a junk yard and dump a new battery in it and start it with gas that has been in the tank for a long time. The damage that fuel can do can be serious. Always, always drain off the gas in a vehicle that has been sitting a year or more and put in fresh before you even crank it.

[boscoe]

The more I use the new GumOut, the more I like it! This stuff kicks Seafoam's butt! My car and truck have never idled any smoother, and my Voyager is so smooth and quick-starting. Even my John Deere garden tractor seems to run better with more power.

Check it out!
http://gumoutproveit.com/compare" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[trikebldr]

Boscoe, this is not to refute what you say about Gumout, because I like Gumout products, too, but I really don't like how misleading their little video of using Seafoam in a new car is. Sure, any oil in an additive will cause the white smoke, but where they go wrong is showing simple STAINS on top of the piston, not buildup. The whole video seems to be taking everything out of context to discredit Seafoam.

I wish I had a lighted borescope like they used. I would do a video of using an engine with 200,000 miles with lots of buildup. Also, they didn't show the differences between injectors using Seafoam, and not. or, the insides of an old carburetor before and after using Seafoam.

I don't argue that Gumout isn't as good, but why did they simply attack Seafoam out of context and not do a direct comparison with their own product under equal, and significant, conditions?

[HawkeSHR]

Did not have a good experience with Sea Foam, had to have the carb purged. I'm not sure what happened but my dealership recommended I stay away from Sea Foam.

I have often found that if someone, even a dealership has had a bad experience with a product often that product is not recommended. Example, say someone brought a bike in to have the carbs cleaned and the owner tells the dealer he used Seafoam and it didn't work, then the dealer has the mechanic tear down the carbs to find they are severely gummed up. It is is reasonable that he assumed the product the owner used was crap. Then everyone who came in and said they used Seafoam, he would tell them to avoid using it. In reality if one doesn't use a product according to the instructions, or expects results immediately from that product, they more than likely will not use it again. I have used Stabil and Seafoam and highly recommend using either if you store a bike longer than 20 days without use. The present formulations of gas deteriorate rapidly due to the inclusion of ethanol as a oxidizer. Neither will bring a batch of old gas back to life if it is left in a tank to the point the fuel no longer smells like gasoline. I cringe everytime I watch on Velocity these shows where they find an old car in a junk yard and dump a new battery in it and start it with gas that has been in the tank for a long time. The damage that fuel can do can be serious. Always, always drain off the gas in a vehicle that has been sitting a year or more and put in fresh before you even crank it.

Maybe that was my problem. I did follow the directions but I was not using SF for storing my bike, I was still riding (I don't normally store my bike(s) because I ride all year when roads are clear (no snow ice, cold does not bother me with layers and heated gear). Thus, I used SF against its purpose; for storage and fuel preservation.

War Story alert...
To reply to Mr Jensee and SgtSlag: Points well taken but I will also add that the guys I had work on my bike at the time are guys I trust (they've never given me a reason not to - and I know dealerships can get a bad name, etc. but not these guys (years of great service and they never kill me on repair charges.) They've worked on thousands of bikes of all makes and models. At the time I did not have the time to delve into how SeaFoam was the culprit (or not) but they had no reason to take advantage. They picked me up, got me fixed quickly and did not even charge me for the tow and about $90 (no parts) for the service, they just recommended that I not use SF (they had seen problems with the product before) and recommended Startron, so I switched. I used SeaFoam because it was referred from another forum and used as directed on the container. Ended up having problems, carb clogged (this after using SF) and they purged it. I've been using Startron ever since (30+K miles) and not even a hint of a problem like I had then.

For those who use SeaFoam, I'm glad you did not have any problems.

Like I said previously - it is a good thing we have as many options as we have - great discussion!

[SgtSlag]

Thanks for the additional information. You are correct, mechanics see far more bikes than most of us ever will. Glad you found some decent mechanics to work with. That can be a challenge. I, too, found some very decent shop folks to work with. Building a good, working relationship with them has been a tremendous asset for me -- one that I value very highly.

Regarding Startron products, I've also heard great things about them. I've only used a couple of Startron products, thus far, and only on a few occasions. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Cheers!

[Mr Dion]

Seafoam in both of my bikes