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Posted by ranxerox
- January 16, 2023, 14:58:53 PMAfter a recent experience - yesterday, I thought I'd post this here as a potential help to others.
I'm a skeptic. I believe half of what I see and nothing that I hear. About 2 years ago, I had to store my 2003 Drifter for an extended period; I added a fuel stabilizer and ran the bike dry, fogged the pistons, disconnected the battery and put a battery tender on it, and put the bike on a lift with the tires off the ground. From new, I have always used premium synthetic oil in it so I didn't think I needed to add anything to the crankcase.
Flash forward 19 months and I got it prepped to go for a run. I new oil, filter, fresh fuel with a bottle of Techron, tested the battery, and fired it up. The "Little Man With A Hammer" made his presence known. A heavy, pronounce lifter tic. I let it warm up - no change; I took it out for a run of an hour - no change. Researching various 1500 forums produced no tangible results; Liqui Moly & Rislone are no-go's for wet clutches, are all the other lifter treatments I found. I tried regular Seafoam and it did take out the hard metallic sounds, but not the ticking. I went to Napa (my go-to for my projects) and asked the guy I know the longest what he could recommend. He walked over to the additives and pulled out a bottle of Seafoam High-mileage treatment telling me this stuff was designed with really heavy deposits in mind. I buy my Amsoil from him and challenged him a bit. I told him I tried regular SeaFoam with minimal results and he told me that motorcycle engines have very small galleys and openings, so things that wouldn't bother a car, might clog the much smaller parts in a motorcycle, he said, to give it try.
3.5 ounces went into the cold crankcase. No change at startup, nor for the first 15-20 minutes; stop and go, highway. Stop to get lunch, more of the same for the rest of the afternoon.
The net-net is that when I pulled into my garage the noise was gone and running quite nicely. I went out this morning to see if it was true and no lifter noise at all. The Little SOB with the hammer had left the building. I sounded like my grandmother's old Singer - with straight pipes.
I was always skeptical of Seafoam in your crankcase, but hell, this could be a way for a lot of my fellow riders to get quieter motors.
It can't hurt. I hope this helps someone.