Has anybody tried anything else. Evapor Rust maybe. Just trying to think out side the box. Don’t think I would want to soak a carb in Apple Cider Vinager. Thoughts. Kim
Alternatives to carb cleaner
- Thread starter oldkimmer
- Start date
-
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
I'll probably catch **** for this, but I have quick dipped them in muriatic acid.
Basically a 60 second dip and then flush well and it worked great.
Leave to long though, and you don't have a carb any more.
And if vinegar worries you don't use muriatic acid.
Basically a 60 second dip and then flush well and it worked great.
Leave to long though, and you don't have a carb any more.
And if vinegar worries you don't use muriatic acid.
Ultrasonic cleaner works well but pricey for one big enough to set a carb base in. I have one but fits about 2/3 of a carb base. Pain in the arse.
TB, muratic acid will make short work of a carb for survif left to long. 4spd. I could see getting the ultra sonic cleaner a few years ago, but now I do 1 or 3 carbs a year. Kim
Bought an ultrasonic cleaner for son’s jet ski carbs. Works really well with simple green. It was something less than $200 on Amazon. Not big enough for a car carb though.
I've used easy-off on stuff, (as long as it's not anodized!) then rinse with hot water.
Works good on lightly caked cyl heads too. follow up with a good pressure wash... but I'm always afraid a drone will fly over my fence with a ticket hanging from the bottom, when i do that...
Works good on lightly caked cyl heads too. follow up with a good pressure wash... but I'm always afraid a drone will fly over my fence with a ticket hanging from the bottom, when i do that...
Marine Clean is fantastic. You'll still need to do some scrubbin' but it's very good at de-gunking. Its water based and fairly low toxicity. Certainly when compared to carb spray.
Vinegar is highly corrosive to metals. At least ferrous ones.
Vinegar is highly corrosive to metals. At least ferrous ones.
Oops, they don't call it that anymore. Its POR-15 degreaser, now.
I used gunwash, from the body shop. i have soaked carbs in pine-sol 50/50 water.
dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
I was wondering the same thing the other day. I was wondering if brake cleaner would work? I had a carb on my lawn mowers gum up and go bad I left gas in the take all winter. Luckily I have a spare carb i bolted it on and got my yard mowed. But I was looking for some carb cleaner and all I could find was brake cleaner and I thought to myself how much difference could there be between the two?
dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
That's what I used to clean my heads before I ported them it works great
dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
What is muriatic acid? Where can you get it? Iv never heard of thatI'll probably catch **** for this, but I have quick dipped them in muriatic acid.
Basically a 60 second dip and then flush well and it worked great.
Leave to long though, and you don't have a carb any more.
And if vinegar worries you don't use muriatic acid.
Berrymen's is good to get the black carbon soot off a carb or other part... However the fumes are strong, so use in a well ventilated place...
famous bob
mopar misfit
B12 CHEMTOOL-
plymouth67
It be a lot cooler if you did...
You can get it at any hardware store....I believe Walmart has it also.
Plumbers supply. This stuff is dangerous best to get educated before you buy.
plymouth67
It be a lot cooler if you did...
Easy-Off even cleaned works awesome for gunky engines...somebody asked about using brake cleaner on the carb....dont do it. I tried it once and it left some funky film all over it and, I had a hell of a time getting off.
Baking soda in a cheap hand held sandblaster. Its dirty,need a mask and have to do it outside. but 2 $1/boxes will do a 4bbl carb. Cleans up the brass parts nicely.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Muriatic acid is a watered down version of Hydrochloric acid.
It is very strong and the vapors can be deadly and can cause whats called chemical pneumonia. (basically you drown in mucus)
That said, it can be very useful for certain things like cleaning concrete, bricks, block and certain other materials.
It will take super rusty parts down to completely clean steel, but really doesn't do much to grease other than float it to the surface.
Muriatic acid is what it is in CLR only way more watered down.
Some materials are not affected by it, like copper, brass, most plastics and glass.
Hard water deposits on glass shower doors is one I use it for, but you must take the door off and outside in open air.
It will also eat your skin if it gets on you.
You would feel it start burning almost immediately if it gets on you.
Muriatic really should not be used without a serious chemical mask like the ones made for chemical warfare.
On a carb for example it immediately and semi violently eats rust and deposits, but will also literally eat that type of porous metals. ( just slower)
My Son used it to clean up a plugged up radiator for his dirt bike, but walked away and left it soaking for too long (5 min maybe)
When he came back and took the radiator out the entire filler/cap neck was completely gone.
When I do a carb with it I don't let it soak more than about 30 seconds.
It won't eat away everything in that amount of time, but it breaks everything loose so it can easily be blown out with compressed air.
I get it at Ace Hardware, but it is available at pretty much every type of hardware store.
Last edited:
Muriatic acid is nasty stuff, for sure. It will eat aluminum.
In a lot of small engines, the crank rides on the aluminum block. When it gets damaged from low or no oil, etc., aluminum sticks to the crank. Muriatic acid is applied to the crank to remove the aluminum.
You can buy an ultrasonic cleaner from HF that's big enough for automotive carbs. I just did my Holley in one. An ultrasonic cleaner is better than dips that are available these days. Buy one on sale or with a coupon.
When I did small engine repair, I always used the ultrasonic cleaner. It works far better than dip.
For a cleaner, sometimes I used baking soda and vinegar, sometimes purple degreaser/cleaner, amongst other stuff. Lots of things will work, jewelry cleaner, too. I think I even used carb dip in it once! (be careful there!) If you don't want to discolor what you're cleaning, be careful what you use.
In a lot of small engines, the crank rides on the aluminum block. When it gets damaged from low or no oil, etc., aluminum sticks to the crank. Muriatic acid is applied to the crank to remove the aluminum.
You can buy an ultrasonic cleaner from HF that's big enough for automotive carbs. I just did my Holley in one. An ultrasonic cleaner is better than dips that are available these days. Buy one on sale or with a coupon.
When I did small engine repair, I always used the ultrasonic cleaner. It works far better than dip.
For a cleaner, sometimes I used baking soda and vinegar, sometimes purple degreaser/cleaner, amongst other stuff. Lots of things will work, jewelry cleaner, too. I think I even used carb dip in it once! (be careful there!) If you don't want to discolor what you're cleaning, be careful what you use.
Last edited:
I clean carbs in simple green and water, boil it overnight in a crock part.
The carb will come out super clean.
Don't leave it in for a long time, I forgot to remove a holley one time, the crock pot ran for about a week, when I pulled the carb, it had stripped all the anodize of the parts.
I bought a crock pot just for doing carbs, do not use it to cook in afterwards.
The carb will come out super clean.
Don't leave it in for a long time, I forgot to remove a holley one time, the crock pot ran for about a week, when I pulled the carb, it had stripped all the anodize of the parts.
I bought a crock pot just for doing carbs, do not use it to cook in afterwards.
dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Oh ok I know what your talking about we use to use that stuff when I worked for a cleaning company. That stuff is crazy. We had a bottle that leaked a little and it ate thru the wood shelf. There was a new girl that mixed it with bleach one time she almost died. She passed out and I had to drag her out of the bathroom and thru the plant to get her outside they had to evacuate the whole building needless to say they fired her and almost me because I was supposed to be training her.
I have an ultrasonic cleaner big enough to hold a Holley Dominator. Either it's a POS or I've not found the right combination of cleaner and or operating procedure.
That said, I've used a product called Formula 21. It's like Castrol Super Clean but stronger. It works pretty good.
That said, I've used a product called Formula 21. It's like Castrol Super Clean but stronger. It works pretty good.
Last edited:
-
