Fuel treatment other than Seafoam?

[dbeardslee]

I just went through the heads on mine. The valve stems had rock-like carbon deposits creeping up toward the valve guides. It took a 24 hour soak in carb cleaner and three treatments each with paint stripper, and then I still had to scrape them to get that stuff off. I can't see seafoam or anything else touching that stuff. Sometimes the only lubricant that works is elbow grease

[Guy_b_g]

Speaking of the water method of removing carbon...

In WWII a lot of the fighter planes used water injection to counteract detonation... especially the supercharged ones...and a lot of those engines were air-cooled..basically just bigger versions of a bike engine. They weren't using the water to keep carbon deposits at bay, but if there were ill effects I haven't heard of them.

That being said, of course the amounts of water they used were small percentages in comparison to what you need to get the carbon off.

It's pretty cool to see the big black cloud of carbon blow out the exhaust when you use this method too!

[TopCatGr58]

Originally posted by earl G
fuel treatment--with unlead fuel an a older bike does anybody use a lead additive?

Hey Earl,

Even though our bikes are relatively old, they aren't as old as some HD's and other bikes that were made before Unleaded gas came along here in the states. Our bikes were made to run on unleaded, so I don't think you'll find anyone here using any lead additive for their XS!
T.C.

[Flatlander]

Originally posted by Guy_b_g
Speaking of the water method of removing carbon...

In WWII a lot of the fighter planes used water injection to counteract detonation... especially the supercharged ones...and a lot of those engines were air-cooled..basically just bigger versions of a bike engine. They weren't using the water to keep carbon deposits at bay, but if there were ill effects I haven't heard of them.

That being said, of course the amounts of water they used were small percentages in comparison to what you need to get the carbon off.

It's pretty cool to see the big black cloud of carbon blow out the exhaust when you use this method too!

I did a carb sync about 10 years ago with a 5 galllon bucket, one gallon of water, a 1 inch socket duct taped to the end of the tubes to keep the tubes in the water, threw four 3/16" tubes up over the 8 foot rafters, attached the other ends to the intakes and fired the old girl up.........Looked for the water level in the tubes to see how balanced they were and could not find the water level in the tubes.....reved her up a couple of times and still no water level......walked around back of the bike and noticed water spitting out the pipes......old 81' just ran like there was nothing going on! Just a fyi go over 10-12' if you try this method and 2 strokes take about 3' at idle with 3/16 tubing.