The BEST Cleaning Method ?

[Ethan1]

 Purple Power is not as good as it used to be, I think at least. Don't know if it will harm carb parts though.

[omaha]

The purple power works decent. One thing I have found is that if you mix it with some water and then use some heat (about 175-180) it works much better. I use an old electric roasting pan that I found at a thrift shop. However you can buy them new at walmart and they are not too expensive. they are un the small appliance section and they can put out some serious heat if necessary. (like 350+ degrees) you don't need that much heat but you could use that heat to unwarp a main casting or top.  (I have done that with a special fixture that I made). Anyway, I also mix in a couple table spoons of moisturizing hair shampoo to act as a surfactant. the moisturizing shampoo has a more acidic ph. I like to experiment with common products. I tried also mixing in some lemon pine-sol and it seems to work good. so right now my mix is this: 1 1/2 gallons of water, 2 cups of purple power, one cup of pine-sol and 2 tblspns of the shampoo.
Mix it all up and get the temp up to 175 and "boil" the carb (sort of) for about 1 hr. remove the carb and rinse with water. repeat process til results are satisfactory. check every so often so you don't over do it. Good luck!!

[PMD1969]

The purple power works decent. One thing I have found is that if you mix it with some water and then use some heat (about 175-180) it works much better. I use an old electric roasting pan that I found at a thrift shop. However you can buy them new at walmart and they are not too expensive. they are un the small appliance section and they can put out some serious heat if necessary. (like 350+ degrees) you don't need that much heat but you could use that heat to unwarp a main casting or top.  (I have done that with a special fixture that I made). Anyway, I also mix in a couple table spoons of moisturizing hair shampoo to act as a surfactant. the moisturizing shampoo has a more acidic ph. I like to experiment with common products. I tried also mixing in some lemon pine-sol and it seems to work good. so right now my mix is this: 1 1/2 gallons of water, 2 cups of purple power, one cup of pine-sol and 2 tblspns of the shampoo.
Mix it all up and get the temp up to 175 and "boil" the carb (sort of) for about 1 hr. remove the carb and rinse with water. repeat process til results are satisfactory. check every so often so you don't over do it. Good luck!!

Are you talking about a Crock Pot?  The local Wally only had one double hot plate but a couple cheap 7 quart Crock Pots.  I couldn't find a temperature rating anywhere but the theory does seem sound.

[PMD1969]

The magic potion is brewing.  I found a 7qt Crock Pot at Wally and some Purple Power.  I mixed in the brew you suggested and placed in a sacrificial Rochester 1bbl.  The pot has gotten good and hot and the brew has no bubbles and is good and stinky.

I am leaving it on all night and will check on it in the morning.

[PMD1969]

Well the results have turned out to be pretty good.  The 1bbl carb was good and oily, lots of crud and some baked on stuff.  It cleaned up rather well and did not eat off anything.  The only place that did not clean up was the bottom of the carb that was closest to the manifold.  There the oil had become one with the carb due to high heat so I will have to do something else to get that off.

The 1bbl was pretty well locked together and was not separating.  I soaked it overnight and in the morning all of the gasket material peeled off easily and the carb separated.  I am going to continue to clean it with some cheap Berryman Carb Spray and compressed air.

Crock Pot (7qt) = $25 (Quadrajet does fit)
Purple Power = $5
Pinesol = $3
Shampoo stuff = $1

I have a spare Quadrajet brewing at the moment along with other pieces.  Thanks for the advice!

Now I need to buy some rebuild kits and parts from Cliff 

[Ethan1]

 Thanks for the update. Think I am going to have to try it now.

[Shark Racer]

"This thread is worthless without pics."

[PMD1969]

"This thread is worthless without pics."

haha!  Well all you;re going to see is a clean 1bbl with junk still on the base.  I have cleaned 2/3 of a Quad that has turned out fairly good and the other third is in the pot  The color will come off and leave bare metal.  Also, there might be a little work left over to get with a toothbrush so no guarantees. 

[PMD1969]

I finally figured out after getting a layer of goo off of the 1bbl carb that the bottom base is a different material which is why it is not cleaning up.  I am going to try some mag wheel cleaner on the base since I have had good luck with it on distributor shafts.

[omaha]

   Hey, I know this is all very experimental at this stage. I am trying various concentrations and various cleaners. Anyway, glad to hear of the good results. the trick I think is to find the "magic" combo of heat-time-water-cleaner. The roasting pan that I used is the kind that you would find at the VFW you know when they make a bunch of sloppy joes or something like that. It is kind of rectangular in shape. But the one I had could put out some SERIOUS heat if necessary. The one I had (I unfortunately broke it while moving) was rectangular and was about maybe 20x12 and it had a stamped metal lid with a little round vent thingy on top. It had kind of a enamel lined kind of large pan that fit down into the heating part made of metal. I was not too concerened because I saw an updated version fpr sale at wally world. I have not bought another one yet because I have a small sonic cleaner that goes up to about 180 degrees. I was thinking that it may be possibly a good idea to separate the aluminum base from the main and top castings and maybe even come up with a special mix just for the aluminum parts. the mag wheel cleaner sounds like a good idea. It has a lot of acid in it though so just be careful with it. Like I said, a soak in a bucket of diesel as a preliminary cleaning also serves as a good way to loosen up stuck together parts, kind of like a degreaser and penetrating oil. Let the experimenting continue!!

[PMD1969]

   Hey, I know this is all very experimental at this stage. I am trying various concentrations and various cleaners. Anyway, glad to hear of the good results. the trick I think is to find the "magic" combo of heat-time-water-cleaner. The roasting pan that I used is the kind that you would find at the VFW you know when they make a bunch of sloppy joes or something like that. It is kind of rectangular in shape. But the one I had could put out some SERIOUS heat if necessary. The one I had (I unfortunately broke it while moving) was rectangular and was about maybe 20x12 and it had a stamped metal lid with a little round vent thingy on top. It had kind of a enamel lined kind of large pan that fit down into the heating part made of metal. I was not too concerened because I saw an updated version fpr sale at wally world. I have not bought another one yet because I have a small sonic cleaner that goes up to about 180 degrees. I was thinking that it may be possibly a good idea to separate the aluminum base from the main and top castings and maybe even come up with a special mix just for the aluminum parts. the mag wheel cleaner sounds like a good idea. It has a lot of acid in it though so just be careful with it. Like I said, a soak in a bucket of diesel as a preliminary cleaning also serves as a good way to loosen up stuck together parts, kind of like a degreaser and penetrating oil. Let the experimenting continue!!

The problem that I have now is getting the scale from the water off of the bodies.  I am going to try CLR.  If it takes it off I will then blow the holes and passages out with carb cleaner and compressed air. 

Hopefully by then I will have it where it will be clean and ready to go back together.  My only concern is that applying something to give it a coating to resist scale and other residue.

Have any ideas?

[Shark Racer]

I'm experimenting with replating on a junk carb, what I can tell you is that muriatic acid will get any scale off...

[PMD1969]

I'm experimenting with replating on a junk carb, what I can tell you is that muriatic acid will get any scale off...

I have heard way too many warnings about using acid so no thanks

[Ethan1]

I have heard way too many warnings about using acid so no thanks

 I agree. Check this out: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=63776.0

 Don't know, but CLR might work as well.

 

[Shark Racer]

I have heard way too many warnings about using acid so no thanks

Curious what the warnings were you've heard? (for my sake )

Aside from wear gloves and goggles, of course. Muriatic acid is HCL, so as long as you're careful it'll be OK. It is also easy to dispose of as HCl(Hydrochloric acid) + NaOH (sodium hydroxide, baking soda) = H2O(water) + NaCl (table salt). In other words, carefully pour some baking soda in there and it will eventually just turn into salt water (and salt deposits).

And this is by far and wide not something I'd recommend for rebuilding *every* carb. It also has to be followed up with replating. A few seconds in acid will take most of the chromate off the carb.