Went to get a carb cleaning kit today. Apparently no longer available. The fluid was $50.00! Is there anything else that would work? Laquer thinner, acetone, alcohol,? Searched and found a suggestion of vinegar. Ideas/suggestions?
I've cleaned a lot of carbs that weren't too bad with the name brand spray carb cleaners. Check other parts houses or pick some up when you make a run across the border. I bought a small (gallon size) can of it with a basket in it at Autozone a while back. Napa shows it http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=MCR6406_0006414466 5 gallon 1 gallon http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=MCR6402_0006414466 Autozone shows a five gallon CRC that is special order http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...yKeyWord=Carburetor+cleaner&fromString=search or a 1 gallon Berrymans like the one I picked up here in town http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...s-cleaner/_/N-25uv?itemIdentifier=139313_0_0_ you only get 2/3 of a can of cleaner though and big carb bodies won't fit in the can. I've put bigger pieces in an old thrift store baking pan and poured the cleaner in the pan and then poured it back in the can when I was done. O'Reilly options. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?keyword=carburetor+cleaner Find brands and parts numbers that match the brands you have in BC and check your sources for those numbers. Quite often the 5 gallon cans are kept in the back room even at the local NAPA here.
Thanks, I thought about running across the line on Monday. But are there any substitute fluids I could use. The carb isn't all that bad compare to some I've rebuilt but I do want to get it CLEAN inside as well as outside.
Hit up your Yamaha motorcycle dealer and get a bottle of carb soak, its 13 or so bucks for a quart, which can make a gallon.
PineSol, seriously. You can cut it 3:1 if you want. I put it in an old $2.50 crock pot an let it cook. Rinse thoroughly when done. Makes your garage smell nice, too.
Every time I smell PineSol it reminds me of the times I traveled through the Seattle Grayhound bus station when I was in my teens. That place reeked of it. Inexpensive and worth a try though.
Yeah, me too. I'd be pretty popular in some areas!! I've let them cook for 2-3 hours. It softens up the gunk. A good scrubbing and rinse after works well. The casting looks nice the bath. I got the idea from some motorcycle site.
Around here you can find them at yard sales or the Salvation Army thrift store with a broken handle for that or less. It doesn't have to be new to boil carbs or parts.
Henry is right. PineSol works as good as most carb cleaners i have used. Much cheaper. Scrub with toothbrush and rinse...jack
The Pinesol idea is interesting as is the Yamaha stuff. But do they clean the inside passages as well as carb cleaner?
Well... I have been using "Purple Power" straight and cold on carbs, Scrub with toothbrush and rinse, blow off with air to dry.
Mount a cheap orbital sander upside down in a bench vice. Strap a container of any cleaner (Pine sol, Purple Power, etc) and carb parts to the pad. Turn it on and run it for a few minutes. It works just like an ultra-sonic cleaner. I did this with model airplane parts and fasterners. It cleans the crap out of very small crevices. Works great for mixing small containers of paint too.
I use a Zep product called Formula 50. Its a commercial Biodegradeable cleaner, soak it over night in it, then, I use polmolive in hot water, then water, and blow it out. Simple greean works good, so does purple power. My first choice is Formula 50
Don't know if the Yamaha Motorcycle carb cleaner is the same as the Yamaha Outboard Motor cleaner if it is it cleans the passages fine. Mike
been doing this for yrs on bike carbs.but i dont use pine-sol.used regular carb cleaner. and also set it out of the shop when it was cookin.dont know if it would explode but i aint takin anymore chances..but when they come out damn they look good.not the smartest thing ive done but it does work and works good...
Ha ha ha Lots of two bit crackpots on the internet, not sure where you find the $2.50 ones ha ha ha ha ha I've cleaned carbs with lacquer thinner and blown out the passages with a spray can of carb cleaner when I had no air compressor or carb cleaner available. But some of your ideas sound better.
5 gal bucket of straight simple green, let it soak and wash in 5 gal bucket of clean water thoroughly, blow dry (all passages) with compressed air. I like the ultrasonic idea!
I don't know if they still make it but Dupont Gun and Equipment cleaner is the best I've ever tried. It doesn't leave a residue when blown dry and carb parts soaked overnight will look as good as when they were manufactured. I've got a small amount left of the last gallon I bought years ago and I'm going to check and see if it's still a current product. You should be able to get it at any place that sells Dupont paint products. Frank
I got this from an OT factory bike shop: BTW: before you use this stuff, common sense requires good eye coverage. Safety first. Use the thick, blue, toilet bowl cleaner as a quick soak. Less toxic & beats the hell outta Chem-Dip, various carb cleaners, etc. & works fast - almost too fast. Can watch the gunk, varnish, & corrosion just fall off the brass parts. I put small brass & steel pieces into a small sieve, whisk it around in blue cleaner in a glass bowl, 'till they're clean, then wash in a pail of water. Then a quick dry, & a light shot of chlorine-free brake cleaner to make sure the water is gone. LPS makes the cleanest one I've ever used. Hard to find. OReilly's carries some that are almost as good. For the carb body, same deal. You can dunk the whole thing, & brush the small spots that remain, or wash & toothbrush it. Either way works. To get the passage-ways clean, I use a small hypodermic needle (w/the actual needle removed) to force the blue stuff through. Wait a couple of minutes, at most, then another needle-less-hypo to force water thru 'till I think it's cleaned of the blue stuff, then use the brake cleaner w/a nozzle tube to make sure both blue stuff & water are gone. Note: This stuff is strong enough to remove the coating on the carb, & I'd guess dissolve the pot-metal/aluminum/brass eventually, so be careful. It takes awhile, but no over-night soaks. I wouldn't do anything much longer than a few minutes at a time. HTH. & I've gotta try fab32's idea. Marcus...
You can use vinegar as a carburetor cleaner fluid instead of spending money on carburetor cleaning fluid. If the cleaning is done regularly intervals for maintenance of the vehicle, vinegar does a great job. It will also work for occasional cleaning but it will requires more elbow grease with a wire scrub brush.
I've cooked carbs in CLR diluted from 8 to 10:1 with water. Clean out with carb cleaner first and cook for 5 to 10 minutes- checking frequently as it will also strip chromate coating. you will see the white oxidation floating to the top. I only do this to carbs that have been sitting in the elements.
Harbor Freight has a small ultraconic cleaner that'll work,....I put a few drops of dishwashing liquid in with the water, and let it run. I think the machine was about $25. 4TTRUK
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