Carb cleaner?

[Bruce Lancaster]

Carbs contain a lot of different things on the crud front...sometimes multiple approaches are needed. Thinner for first cleaning (saves damage to expensive solvents), then carb cleaner (the fiercer the better), then into the Evaporust or something like that to clean the iron. Sometimes detergent helps near end of process, to remove actual dirt that ignores the solvents, and sometimes acids to kill off lime and water deposits.
If glass beads have been anywhere near the thing, final cleaning with detergent is mandatory to remove beads hiding in there waiting to destroy your engine.

[cradlescyth]

Hi Guys

Thanks for tips.
Went to NAPA and got a Gal.

OK but no cigar!

Will try a couple of the other alternatives and let you know.

[Bruce Lancaster]

Example of multi-cleaning needs: I'm going through a distributor for a friend. Bought a good housing that had been cleaned with a wire wheel, leaving nooks and crannies of minor rust. Degreased with various solvents, dumped it into Evaporust and got it to downright beautiful. Looked into the oiler hole...!!! Inch-long total barrier of crud after all those soakings!!! Gouged it out with awl and .223 gun brushes: Simple DIRT, soil, sand. Any oil or grease in it was long gone from the solvents, but what was left was not soluble at all in the chemicals used. It MIGHT have flushed out with detergent, but probably would never have left without the attack with cold steel.
Now think about all those invisible passages below the carb floor, where water, mineral, and dirt have settled over the years into impromptu cement.
I also wonder how many decades that thing had lived with no oiler functioning...that dirt was well established and comfortable in there!

[Cool Hand Lurker]

Good point, Bruce! A lot of times I am tempted to just let the part dry instead of blowing out the passages with compressed air but your comments showed me the "light".... Thanks!

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by cradlescyth

Hi Guys

Thanks for tips.
Went to NAPA and got a Gal.

OK but no cigar!

Will try a couple of the other alternatives and let you know.

Yeah, I knew that that result was coming! That stuff is a waste of $..MO! In addition to the 'things' that you have to do to geter done correctly: buy the proper tools(read: not cheapest). And, learn how to use the tools properly, mainly meaning slow/patiently. For instance jet removal ,etc. Some of these jets will seem IMPOSSIBLE to remove. Slow steady/power and patient back/forth movement once you break them loose. Then as Bruce says...even after you think that you have a pretty/cleaned carb..wait till you see what has turned to solids at the bottom of those jet wells..OMG And, you were ready to put in back in service that way!