Hey Jim,

Thanks for the question! Here’s a response from a previous question, along with a few notes afterwards:

“If the snow blower isn’t starting due to a gummed up carburetor or other gum/varnish issues in the fuel system, Sea Foam will help clean it up and get it running again. Most small engine problems are caused by gum and varnish.

I’d get a can of Sea Foam High Mileage or Sea Foam Motor treatment and follow the instructions below:

1. remove the old fuel from the tank, then drain the fuel from the carburetor (usually a screw)
2. add a cleaning dosage of Sea Foam to an empty tank followed by a small amount of fresh fuel
3. with Sea Foam mixed in the tank fuel, rope pull/crank or press your primer bulb 3 or 4 times to draw the fresh fuel and Sea Foam into the carburetor
4. then let the engine sit overnight  to allow the Sea Foam to dissolve any fuel residues from the carburetor (older or excessive gum/varnish may need to soak two to three days)

Once the engine starts, the Sea Foam in the fuel will continue to clean and help restore lost engine performance.

Check out the how-to instruction sheet for details…

https://seafoamworks.com/uploads/public/resource-library/2022/07/HOW2_GummedUp-Carb.pdf

”

Draining the fuel allows you to 1) remove any old fuel from the tank (which isn’t a problem in your case if you just filled an empty tank with fresh fuel) and more importantly 2) create a high concentration of Sea Foam in the fuel that will work fast and well to clean up any fuel residue and varnish. Draining the fuel from carburetor is important as well as gum or varnish in there is likely causing the problem.

Give that a shot and keep me posted on what happens. Let me know if you have any other questions as well – happy to help!

Thanks for the question!

Yes, you can add Sea Foam to your generator. It’ll work to clean fuel residues and prevent them from forming. Go ahead and add the whole 16 oz can. While the minimum recommended dosage is 1 oz per gallon of fuel, creating a higher concentration of Sea Foam to fuel will increase the cleaning power and is the best way to get the most out of a can. If you won’t be running the generator for a while, run it for at least 15 minutes after adding the Sea Foam to draw the treated fuel through the system.

Thanks for the question, Ricky,

Add it to your fuel tank every 3,000 miles or so to clean (and prevent) fuel residues and deposits. That will work well to prevent fuel-related problems in your Duramax.

To get the most cleaning power out of a can of Sea Foam, wait until the tank is low (2-4 gallons) and add an entire 16 oz can. Then, drive until almost empty before refueling. (If you don’t want to run your tank that low, you can add two cans to a little more fuel…the idea is to create a strong concentration of Sea Foam in the fuel, and then run as much of the treated fuel as possible).

Hope that helps and let me know if there’s anything else!

Hey Nick,

Thanks for the question. Yes, you can use Sea Foam Motor Treatment in your 98 SR20DET. Just follow the instructions on the can.

Here’s a little more info on how to use it for specific purposes:

• Sea Foam Motor Treatment in fuel. The best way to use it is to create a high cleaning concentration of Sea Foam in fuel. I like to wait until the tank is low (1/4 -1/8 tank), add the whole 16 oz can, and then drive for at least 10-20 miles before refueling. It’s safe to add a high concentration like that and it works very well for cleaning fuel residues and deposits.
• Sea Foam Motor Treatment in oil. Add 1 ounce of Sea Foam per quart of oil in the crankcase. We recommend adding it 100-300 miles before your next oil change. That gives the Sea Foam enough time to circulate and clean, and it allows all the reliquefied oil residues to be drained away with the old oil.

You could also try High Mileage Motor Treatment. It’s made specifically for stubborn residues and deposits in higher-mileage vehicles. It’s a great cleaner!

Thanks for the question!

For routine/preventative maintenance (keeping an engine clean), add 1 ounce per gallon of fuel.

For a cleaning dosage, here’s what I’d do: wait until the tank is low (1/4 tank), add 2 cans of Sea Foam Motor Treatment, and then drive for at least 10-20 miles before refueling. It’s safe to add a higher concentration like that and it works very well for cleaning residues and deposits.