Carb cleaner?

[Fourdy]

Is anyone willing to share their recipe for a good working carb soaking solution. The new car cleaner tubs seem to contain a new formula that sure doesn't work as well.

How do you carb rebuilders make your carbs look so good?

Thanks in advance,

Fourdy

[jack orchard]

I am not an expert, but i get pretty good results.
(1)wash exterior with mineral spirits to remove grease, rinse w/water
(2)disassemble, soak in Pine-Sol overnite, scrub w/brush, rinse w/water
(3)bead blast exterior with the lowest pressure needed to get results
(4)blast interior with baking soda in hand-held blaster
(5)clean passages with pressurized carb cleaner spray
I don't like to bead blast interiors, as the beads are sometimes difficult to get out of some of the passages. Also, don't let the soda get wet and then dry - clean it off while still wet. When it drys, it gets hard like a rock. .
That's how i do it. i am sure others do it differently. I am open to new ideas and methods.
Best wishes, jack

[Ross6860]

I'm no carb expert, but I have had good luck cleaning aluminum with paint prep products.

The better paint stores carry a mild acid solution to clean aluminum, a neutralizer, and a corrosion barrier. Obviously don'e let it soak long enough to mess with your passages and ports.

I imagine that soda blasting method would work well, and it dissolves in water for cleanup.

[Pete]

I haven't done a carb for a couple years but Gunk and Tyme-1 pail cleaners used to work pretty good.

[ford38v8]

The internal passages should be verified with broom straw, NOT wire of any kind.

[Fourdy]

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I don't want to forget to thank you for the suggestions.

Fourdy

[1952henry]

I don't know if these look as good as others', but here's what I do.

If covered with old, dried oil or grease, I put the whole carb in an old crockpot with Pine-Sol/water and heat it up for a few hours whilst I do other things. After a rinse/ brushing, I dissemble the carb.

Next is an overnight or longer soak in lacquer thinner.

I chase all passages with a can of carb cleaner to verify flow.

When completely dry, I bead blast.

Then it's into an acid bath for a good scrubbing.

Finally a dip in chromate.

Steel pieces are blasted/plated. I use new zinc-plated screws for Holleys, but replate original screws if I do an odd-ball like the WO. After taking the WO linkages apart for cleaning and plating, I sometimes end up making new brass pins, etc. to re-assemble. Kind of a pain!

The first couple of pictures are of an off topic Carter WO. The next two pictures are before/after of a Chandler Groves LZ carburetor in usual form.

I have used soda blasting, right out of the Arm & Hammer box for the aluminum base of an original Holley carburetor I cosmetically restored from a Shelby GT500K. The body was treated as all others, but I didn't want to etch the base with the beads; I did lightly polish the base being careful not to remove casting numbers.

After a day of dragging 8000 volt cable (15lbs/foot) and wrestling 4" diameter drag and hoist ropes around, it's kind of nice tinkering with smaller stuff!

[Fourdy]

1952,
Thanks for the info but now have a couple ?s. What acid do you use? Something like white vinegar? Where would I find a chromate dip. The crockpot idea is great. Off to the goodwill I go.

Your work looks great.

Fourdy

[Drbrown]

I heard boil the body for 20 minutes in a pot of straight lemon juice and water. Then likewise in a rinse afterwards. Hvae not needed to try it yet.

[Kustom Leather]

Napa has gallon container of carb cleaner with nice little basket to put parts in. Soak long till clean.

[RMR&C]

Lacquer thinner. Keep it covered so it doesn't evaporate.