Ultrasonic cleaners for Carbs

Just sharing:

I get a lot on questions about carbs and cleaning. Since using ultrasonic cleaning my success ratio is pretty much 100% first time. I have a couple of larger and more expensive Ultrasonic cleaners in my home shop, but here is the cheap one I use in the store that's perfect for cleaning carbs. We've been using it for 6 months every day, and it still works fine.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Large-ULTRA...45390QQcategoryZ33917QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

You may be able to get them from others on ebay or retail. Others types may work but I haven't tried them.

Don't use "Carb Cleaner" in the ultrasonic unit - way too volatile and nasty... and attacks everything.

I Use White Spirit (naphtha) and just buy it as Colemen stove fuel for less than $4 a gallon. Keep the fluid clean - After the junk settles out, filter it through two heavy duty coffee filter and reuse. I always pre-wash the carb in a jar of the old fluid before disassembly and work "clean" at all stages.

Oderless mineral spirits/Varsol works well as well.

Could you clean a rifle bolt assy like that?

Thanks by the way.

Could you clean a rifle bolt assy like that?

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Yes. It also works great for cleaning automatic shotguns.

bugfart said:

Could you clean a rifle bolt assy like that?

Thanks by the way.

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Absolutely... The two major uses ouside Dental and Jewelry are 1) Guns, and 2) clock movements!. The first thing my neighbor wanted to do when he saw my big cleaner was bring over all his revolvers....


And, works great on Electric motor amatures... tools and zillions of other things.

bwalker said:

Oderless mineral spirits/Varsol works well as well.

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Useless. Kleen-flo makes a metal/carb cleaner (No doubt toxic as hell) that is brilliant. Once gas evaporates, the residue left behind has few solvents. This works but is terrible to get on your hands. It does not hurt or anything but takes days to get rid of the smell. (as the other half attacks your internal organs on the way out of your body)

Lakeside53 that is the same one I have.. I bought it a year ago off of ebay..It works great..I never thought about using it for a carb cleaner.. I think I am going to give it a try..

Allan

Simonizer said:

Useless. Kleen-flo makes a metal/carb cleaner (No doubt toxic as hell) that is brilliant. Once gas evaporates, the residue left behind has few solvents. This works but is terrible to get on your hands. I does not hurt or anything but takes days to get rid of the smell. (as the other half attacks your internal organs on the way out of your body)

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I use the naphtha/coleman stove gas beause it drys quickly, smells "nice" , evaporates very slowly from the cleaning unit, and has a very low surface tension - gets into very fine holes and vacates immediately with the gentlest blow of air (I'm sure this last statement will make Fish drool... )

But is the Coleman fuel aggresive enough to dissolve varnish from old stale gasoline?

I've always used Berryman's Carb Cleaner in an aerosol can and it instantly dissolves everything it comes in contact with. The challenge is getting it injected in all the small passageways in the carb.

I agree that this stuff should never be used in an ultrasonic cleaner or your shop could go "poof".

I occasionally pre-treat a really bad carb with aerosol can carb cleaner. You won't typically get varnish unless the gas has dried out, and 99% of the time the gas is still gooey, but liquid.


Ultrasonic cleaning provides the "scrubbing" action - cavitation of million of microbubbles. You won't need to dissolve away junk like with traditional "solvents" - you "break" it up.

I find the naptha gentle enough to not cause any problems with the outlet valve flappers (sealed unit in newer carbs), and a fine ultrasonic cleaning fluid. I also use Purple cleaner at 4:1 in my big unit. Make flywheels sparkle like new!

I've always used Berryman's Carb Cleaner in an aerosol can and it instantly dissolves everything it comes in contact with. The challenge is getting it injected in all the small passageways in the carb.

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B-12 is nasty stuff. it gave me dermatitius once. the crab dip is also good for cleaning really nasty carbs, but it also desolves rubber and plastic.

Useless. Kleen-flo makes a metal/carb cleaner (No doubt toxic as hell) that is brilliant. Once gas evaporates, the residue left behind has few solvents. This works but is terrible to get on your hands. It does not hurt or anything but takes days to get rid of the smell. (as the other half attacks your internal organs on the way out of your body)
Today 06:55 PM

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Varsol has a fairly high flashpoint so it doesnt evaporate very easily. I know purpose made solvents are better, but Varsol works fine for the average Joe that only uses a few gallons a year.

I had an opportunity to attend a training course on Honda outboards and I am most sure they used water in their ultrasonic cleaner. Made it sound like the ultrasonic waves did the actual cleaning, you just needed the water to transfer the waves and carry the crud away. They probably did not figure on having to deal with seriously tarred up carbs though. For really bad messes (stand a chainsaw file in a Zips fuel tank and not have it touch the sides) I have had good luck with muratic acid, swish it around and rinse with water, OUTSIDE.

I replied on the other thread about getting the saw going, and followed the link to here.

I just use warm water with dishwashing soap in my sonic cleaner and it works VERY well. Water and dish soap is even cheaper than Coleman white gas

I've cleaned up some VERY dirty carbs using this method, nothing against anything you guys are doing, just offering another method.

Cheers!

For ultrasonic cleaning you can pretty much use anything that is safe - You don't want it to foam or make nasty vapors.

The best solution is simply any solution that cavitates well, doesn't foam and preferably has a strong wetting action or contains surfactants. Ammonia, maybe some soap and water is a good choice except for carbs... Water has too high a surface tension and will stay in the fine carb passages and in the output valve even when GENTLY blown with air. White Spirit (Coleman) will not, and in any case, burns almost as good as gasoline! It allows for immediate reassembly and running, and no storage issues if the carb is not used immediately. Stay away from water... and anything corrosive in carbs.

You need a mild "solvent" to assist in the removal of softer material. Ultrasonic works best on harder deposits, and if that's all you have you can use just water (but don't use water in carbs). If you have softer deposits, a mild "dissolver" (I'm trying not to use the word "solvent") helps remove the surface to allow the cavitation to do its job.

The Purple Cleaner I use in my big unit is just water and sodium hydroxide with a proprietary surfactant. It works incredibly well to remove caked on resinous junk. I put rewind covers in for a few minutes and they come out ready for painting! (after a very good rinse wash and drying). Cylinders and flywheels also clean up well.

Lakeside53 I have a question for you .. If you have a real dirty carb how long do you let it run ?? Using your Coleman fuel ...


Thanks
Allan.K

first I prewash it in a separate bath so the ultrasonic solution is relatively clean... then I put it in for 480 seconds... Not sure how long you really need, but...

I then look at it with an OTTOSCOPE -the thing the doctor looks in your ears with.. Stihl makes one and sells it to dealers for about $15... Amazing what you can see with it - I can look all the way though all bores, inspect the H+L seats, and the needle valve seat. It's great for determining if a prior heavy handed %$#$% jambed the H+L screws into the seats.

Thanks Lakeside53..

Allan.K

Lakeside

I hear what you are saying about the corrosiveness of water, but I don't leave it in there for long, and I blow things out with compressed air and then parts cleaner, or what is called Brake Clean, here in Japan (A very tall aerosol can, with a clear nearly odorless stuff in it that has a very high flash point, and evaporates very quickly). The high tension of the water, is that not defeated by putting in the dish soap?

Just curious, as I've only seen the sonic cleaners, here in Japan, used with a water based cleaner, maybe they have some rules about using anything but water as it may be dangerous?

I'll try the Coleman stove fuel idea.

Cheers!

Thanks to DuPont you will notice that there aren't many really old buildings in Tokyo of the wooden variety. Might have something to do with what a DIYer is allowed to play with.

Marco said:

Thanks to DuPont you will notice that there aren't many really old buildings in Tokyo of the wooden variety. Might have something to do with what a DIYer is allowed to play with.

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OK, what am I missing here...?

Who is DuPont? ........Paint?

What would a DIYer have to do with old wooden buildings in Tokyo?

Define "old"

Ever here of the fire bombings in WWII...?

An earthquake or two..?

..............