Interesting means of cleaning a carb

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I had a friend vapor blast a few carbs and my Holley Pro Dominator tunnel ram .
Came out like new ! The intake actually is NOS but had lost its luster just sitting around . The carbs were nasty though.
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BullyDodge said:
I watched this video about a week ago. I'll share my mistake. I boiled a 1406 Edlebrock in lemon juice (according to You-tubers) and it turned dark grey. I believe there was a chemical reaction with the coating they put on their carbs. Essentially turned it into garbage. I did try this gentleman's process to see if it would at least get the grey grime off and it help, but not to the point I would re-assemble and install. Not saying his process is not a good idea, mine did boil and was lots of action in the pail, however I think I did too much damage already. The grey material will rub off on your fingers but will not wash off, crazy. I believe the exterior make-up of the carb is key. Others might chime in on alloys or materials used in different carb manufacturers. I have another carb from a 48' Dodge I will be trying.
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Try oven cleaner. Start scrubbing immediately with a brass brush and be ready to wash it at any time. Too long and it's going dark. That's a form of zinc oxide you're battling.

barbee6043 said:
Diluted muratic acid is darn strong. BE careful. I would not use it....And I am fearless!
Yea right!!!
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Being strong just depends on how much you dilute it.....

RustyRatRod said:
Done it. Turns them dark grey or black. Simple green doesn't react well with aluminum.
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The reason they're going dark isn't the aluminum, it's the zinc. Zinc and water don't get along (picture anything galvanized) and using a water based cleaner is a bit of a fool's errand anyway. The blockages in the passages are petroleum based. The carburetor is designed to handle petroleum based liquids. So why are we using water for anything other than a cursory cleaning? I've yet to see water do ANYTHING to varnish, and that's what's plugging those holes. We use varnish to protect wood from water damage!

Carb cleaner is petroleum distillates, works great for me. I'm not sure if elbow grease is petroleum or water based but it works great in conjunction with carb cleaner. I have cleaned, literally, over a thousand carbs in my time, and I've never used water based cleaners, and never blackened a carb body.

Common sense, not internet laziness, is going to win this day.

Edit: and yes, you can thank the EPA for neutering Berryman B12. Smelled like a meth lab and cleaned carbs like nothing else. God help you if you got it on your skin!
 
RustyRatRod said:
I have a big ultrasonic cleaner. It'll fit a Dominator disassembled. Had it a few years now. So far, I've tried everything in it under the sun and it won't clean ****. Pisses me off even postin about it.
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George Jets said:
Yeah, know you have been wrestling with that one. Have taken a piece of tin foil folded into an "A" and put that into the Ultrasonic Cleaner as a test. If the cleaner is working correctly the tin foil will come out like it has been through a shotgun blast, full of small holes.QUOTE]
I've had 3 ultrasonics now. The 1st was a Xmas present, I wore that one out. #2 was a smaller one as I do alot of small engine (Briggs, Kohler) carbs so I got one "just big enough" for those. That one never worked from new. Then I got a bigger one that will do at least a car 2 barrel, that one works better than any so far. With my original one I had to put half of a BBD air horn in and have the rest hanging out, clean it, flip it and let the machine clean the rest. And 1 section at a time(throttle body, main body, air horn) so a BBD was a 6 step clean out.
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I work in a Chemistry Lab.
We use ultrasonic baths all the time. We use them when mixing a powder into a solution. All it does is "break" up the solids, it hits the particles with ultrasonic frequency.
If you have a strong enough cleaning agent in the bath and sonicate it, it should come out looking very clean. Its isn't going to put holes in anything.

I don't have a bath at home for cleaning. I use MEK from the hardware store and soak carbs and greasy parts in it. Just be careful and use MEK in a well ventilated area because its very volatile. MEK stands for Methyl Ethyl Ketone.
 
The last few Carbs I’ve went through I boiled them in vinegar. Seems to work pretty good. It does discolor the aluminum/zinc some, so if you are worried about appearance don’t do this. Seems to clean up all gunk and varnish. Stinks up the house too

soda blasting makes them look pretty and also seems to work well. I just put baking soda in my blast cabinet and go at it, then rinse parts in hot soapy water and dry.
 
RRR,
All good down south. Just finished building a 455 Pontiac engine. Maybe starting on a 429 Ford soon.
 
Bewy said:
RRR,
All good down south. Just finished building a 455 Pontiac engine. Maybe starting on a 429 Ford soon.
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Not a Poncho! Say it ain't so! Cooler than a Chevy anyway. lol
 
RustyRatRod said:
Well I'm really glad some folks have figured out the ultrasonic cleaner cause I sure as heck haven't.
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Do you have a parts basket in your ultrasonic cleaner. The part cannot just be setting on the bottom of the tank it needs to be suspended. Also ultrasonic is not for removing heavy crud. Use a wire brush and solvent for that. Ultrasonic cleaning is great for getting into the tiny small places and getting that last bit of grime off open areas.
Lastly are you sure that ultrasonic machine is functioning? If it is you should see a very slight shimmer in the water. I use a bit of dawn dish soap with warm water in mine and it really cleans. But it is not quick. The parts are in the solution for an hour or two.
 
my68barracuda said:
Do you have a parts basket in your ultrasonic cleaner. The part cannot just be setting on the bottom of the tank it needs to be suspended. Also ultrasonic is not for removing heavy crud. Use a wire brush and solvent for that. Ultrasonic cleaning is great for getting into the tiny small places and getting that last bit of grime off open areas.
Lastly are you sure that ultrasonic machine is functioning? If it is you should see a very slight shimmer in the water. I use a bit of dawn dish soap with warm water in mine and it really cleans. But it is not quick. The parts are in the solution for an hour or two.
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Yes sir. Affirmative on all that. ...and I've tried everything from plain water to a little Dawn, to purple stuff......you name it. Yes, it makes the solution shimmer, so, although I've not done the tin foil test, I am pretty sure it'll pass. Course I could be wrong. I may get it back out and try it.
 
jos51700 said:
Try oven cleaner. Start scrubbing immediately with a brass brush and be ready to wash it at any time. Too long and it's going dark. That's a form of zinc oxide you're battling.





Being strong just depends on how much you dilute it.....



The reason they're going dark isn't the aluminum, it's the zinc. Zinc and water don't get along (picture anything galvanized) and using a water based cleaner is a bit of a fool's errand anyway. The blockages in the passages are petroleum based. The carburetor is designed to handle petroleum based liquids. So why are we using water for anything other than a cursory cleaning? I've yet to see water do ANYTHING to varnish, and that's what's plugging those holes. We use varnish to protect wood from water damage!

Carb cleaner is petroleum distillates, works great for me. I'm not sure if elbow grease is petroleum or water based but it works great in conjunction with carb cleaner. I have cleaned, literally, over a thousand carbs in my time, and I've never used water based cleaners, and never blackened a carb body.

Common sense, not internet laziness, is going to win this day.

Edit: and yes, you can thank the EPA for neutering Berryman B12. Smelled like a meth lab and cleaned carbs like nothing else. God help you if you got it on your skin!
Click to expand...
Same with Berkebile 2+2, dissolved anything in there, gave Me a chemical burn on My left thigh when it came out of an airbleed & hit the polyester workpants. Chemical reaction anyone? I blotted the spot w/a paper towel & started to soldier on, then it hit, had My pants down before I made it to the back door of the house! Lol! Now, 3-4X the work & time to get the sh*t clean.
 
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I used pine sol last time. Worked great. Carburetor smells very fresh, also.
 
Killer6 said:
Same with Berkebile 2+2, dissolved anything in there, gave Me a chemical burn on My left thigh when it came out of an airbleed & hit the polyester workpants. Chemical reaction anyone? I blotted the spot w/a paper towel & started to soldier on, then it hit, had My pants down before I made it to the back door of the house! Lol! Now, 3-4X the work & time to get the sh*t clean.
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I did something similar once, but I was using spray carb cleaner and it came out of some unseen passage and touched me in my Special Place. I ran to the shop can; occupied.

I ran to use the showroom bathroom and as I opened the door to the showroom, there was the most beautiful brunette woman standing there.

I had a wet spot in my crotch, panic on my face, and a sense of shame that's now old enough to have grandkids.

Damn she was gorgeous. I only saw her for a fraction of a second, and I didn't even stick around long enough to hear the laughter.
 
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