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Technical Old carb cleaner from yrs ago ?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by blazedogs, Oct 18, 2020.

  1. DirtyJoe
    Joined: Dec 1, 2011
    Posts: 268

    DirtyJoe
    Member

    I use Napa 6406 in the 5 gallon bucket
     
  2. I never thought of using a crock pot. I have an air operated basket for cleaning carbs and other parts, that is designed to fit in a 5 gallon bucket. I have tried using Simple Green in my small ultrasonic cleaner, and it works great. Right now, I am just using the regular Simple Green product, and limit the exposure to less than 2 hours. That way, there is no discolouration. After the cleaning with Simple Green, I am also thoroughly soaking the cleaned parts with light oil, to neutralize any remaining corrosive cleaner, and this has worked well for me.
    There is a Simple Green product, designed for aluminum and pot metal, available, but it is not on the shelves locally, and I am going to have to look online for a source.

    For some carbs, as well as other sensitive parts that are crusty and stuck , I have been putting the corroded parts in salvaged cooking pots, of various sizes, heated by an ancient pressurized oil fired Colman type burner. I have used a variety of chemicals, but for freeing up corroded sensitive parts, I have been using automatic transmission fluid as the bath. This does an excellent job of softening up the corrosion and also frees up most of the stuck parts.
    Bob
     
    Atwater Mike and Truck64 like this.
  3. I have been using a crock pot for years. Got the idea after using one to strip paint off old door hardware. Just heat and Dawn
     
  4. Well about 50 year's ago ZEP for Carb's & Engine's The Engine solution
    came in 55 gal. drums & the Carb. cleaner was in 5 Gal. buckets

    And if you Left the Carb to Long you didnot Have much of a Carn/ Left!

    Just my 3.5 cents

    Live Learn & Die a Fool
     
  5. I bought two gallons of Gunk Carb cleaner in gallon cans. They have the little baskets inside for soaking. The problem is that a four barrel body or throttle body won’t fit. I dumped both gallons into a plastic five gallon bucket, works great. When the parts are finished soaking, I use Simple Green and an old toothbrush in the sink to finish cleaning. Flush out passages with hot water and blow out with compressed air. Back in the olde days, I dropped a part in the bottom of a five gallon bucket of Safety Clean brand carb cleaner. Young and dumb, I just reached in and grabbed it, that shit burned the hair off of my arm!


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    egads, deathrowdave and VANDENPLAS like this.
  6. What was that old carb cleaner ???


    Only time I used it was the first shop I worked at we had a 5 gallon pail with the “ pasta strainer basket” in it.
    My boss was adamant about rubber gloves and a mask and parts straight in the hot parts washer for a spin for just a few minutes.

    said that carb cleaner was the best cleaner and murder out there.

    lots of stuff worked great back in the day when we didn’t know the environmental or physical ramifications.
     
  7. Bearing Burner
    Joined: Mar 2, 2009
    Posts: 1,107

    Bearing Burner
    Member
    from W. MA

    I stuck my bare hand in a bucket of carb cleanes and it didn"t stop burning for 10 minutes
     
    Truckdoctor Andy likes this.
  8. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    There was 'Berryman B-12', 'Gunk', 'Zapp', and a couple of others I can't recall.
    The 'best damn garage in Town', (Red Mayfield's in Santa Clara) used Berryman B-12 'Chemtool', exclusively, as Berryman Company was in San Jose, about 4 miles away.
    I apprenticed there from age 15 to age 20, used the Berryman's on many carb rebuilds.
    (also good fuel pumps, as they were rebuildable back then.)
    Learned early on why they had a dip basket!

    Oh, Berryman: I have a 5 gallon can of it that's 10+ years old, still volatile enough to clean dirty carbs in 30 minutes.
    Also have a sonic machine, must try the Dawn!
     
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  9. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,173

    Budget36
    Member

    I recall the old stuff looked like the old hot tanks, had that green liquid. Stink like heck.
     
  10. justpassinthru
    Joined: Jul 23, 2010
    Posts: 524

    justpassinthru
    Member

    Back in the day, before 1988, we had Zepresto. You could get it in 5 gal containers with a basket to use as carb cleaner.

    We got it in 55 gal drums to soak transmission components. It was the only thing that would easily clean varnished internals.

    The stuff is chlorinated flurocarbons. The EPA deemed it one of the most hazardous polution causing chemicals on the planet in and around 1988.

    When it came time to dispose of the old used stuff, it turned my small business into a large quantity generator for that one disposal.

    I was in the same category as General Motors. Tons of paper work, regulations, disposal costs etc and had to be registered as a Large Quantity Generator with the EPA. We stopped using it due to all the regulatory crap.

    Too bad, the EPA made it just about unusable for the small business guy.

    Nothing else cleaned like it and we did use it responsibly.

    There are similar but different chemical makup watered down versions of it available now, but does not work anywhere as well, but supposedly safer for the environment.

    Bill
     
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  11. X-Farmboy
    Joined: Aug 17, 2009
    Posts: 128

    X-Farmboy
    Member

    Great info guys, thanks!

    To clean fuel residue on the outside of my old Carter W-1's on the vehicle, I use Mag1 aerosol carb cleaner with a straw. Wrap a big rag around the base of the carb, spray it wet to soak for 30 seconds or so, and spray to rinse. Repeat with a toothbrush on thicker build-up spots. Not expensive and works great!
     
  12. I still have a 20 year old can of Berrymans in my garage. I haven't popped the lid in a long time. It cleaned great. No matter how well I gloved up it made my hands and what ever clothes I wore stink for a long time.
    I've often wondered what some of those chemicals can end up doing to you.
    [​IMG]
     
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  13. dan c
    Joined: Jan 30, 2012
    Posts: 2,520

    dan c
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    i used stanisol, which i bought at the corner standard gas station, but the epa didn't like that stuff!
     
  14. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Somebody told me it was (or contained) Methylene Chloride? That makes sense, it was commonly used as furniture stripper or varnish remover, and is also pretty much banned afaik.
     
  15. 67drake
    Joined: Aug 8, 2008
    Posts: 469

    67drake
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Muscoda WI

    My buddy still has an ancient 5 gallon bucket of Berrymanns at his shop. He’d let me borrow it when I was rebuilding a carb. I made the mistake of bringing it down to my shop in the basement one winter. My wife has a very sensitive nose I guess. She could smell it for a week after I took it out of the house. I didn’t spill any,I know it because I’m sure it would have taken the paint off the floor and eaten a hole in my work table!
     
    dirty old man likes this.
  16. Brake Cleaner, Acetone and Gasoline.
     
  17. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,709

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    Where are you guys finding gallons of Simple Green? I used to be able to get it a WalMart, but it’s gotten to be rare in there. I use it to wash my semi truck, it’s great for taking off bugs and grease spots.

    I’ve got a gallon of some brand cleaner with the basket to clean carbs with. I’ve had it probably 10 years or longer. Had a can of Berrymans before that, went to get it one day, it had ate a hole in the can and leaked out! Threw the can out in the bushes, it stank for two or three weeks, as did my storage room!
     
  18. Bryan G
    Joined: Mar 15, 2011
    Posts: 190

    Bryan G
    Member
    from Delmarva

    For an upgrade, look for an electric roaster, big enough for a turkey and good temperature control. I have an old brass light fixture that someone spray painted. I cooked it for a day & it cleaned up real nice. I don't think I even added anything to the water.
     
  19. nrgwizard
    Joined: Aug 18, 2006
    Posts: 2,516

    nrgwizard
    Member
    from Minn. uSA

    Was told by a Kawasaki-licenced bike shop to use toilet bowl cleaner, as that's what their techs now use, as it's safer for the techs, works almost as well as the 70's haz-mat shit - which ate thru the can it was in & soaked everything in the cabinet under it, but at least gagged me for 3 months w/the smell. ;( - & no bad side effects. Don't be stupid & avoid PPE. Only the thick blue stuff. So I tried it, used real small hypodermic devices w/the needles pulled out, to inject cleaner(s) thru hair-dia passageways, then soaked carbs n parts for a few min, watching carefully, then rinsed w/water real well, repeated w/rubbing alky to absorb the water, & use compressed air to dry. Stuff worked very well, watched the corrosion on brass literally bubble n float away, cleaned out the hard stuff in the bowls. I'm happy. :D .
    Dawn sounds good, too, but no ultrasonic cleaner - yet.
    Marcus...
     
  20. The old stuff ate through the can! I had 2 of those old cleaners in a can with the basket and both of them ate holes in the bottom of the can.
     

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