The BEST Cleaning Method ?

[PMD1969]

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.

Besides the health warnings it has been mostly about hurting the carb.  The two carbs (Quads) that I am working on are very rare carbs that I cannot risk damaging.  Since these things are not cheap I will always seek a better way to clean them.  If I had to I would send them off to be ultrasonic cleaned by a professional long before I cooked them with acid.

[Shark Racer]

Besides the health warnings it has been mostly about hurting the carb.  The two carbs (Quads) that I am working on are very rare carbs that I cannot risk damaging.  Since these things are not cheap I will always seek a better way to clean them.  If I had to I would send them off to be ultrasonic cleaned by a professional long before I cooked them with acid.

I apologize for intruding in the thread, really. I wasn't meaning it as a solution for general cleaning. If the car's finish is beat (like many of the $10-$50 QJets are), there's a strong chance you'll have to replate and rechromate it anyways.

So mostly I meant to pop in and say "while learning how to zinc, I figured out that this acid stuff really knocks off surface contaminants" not so much recommend it as a real solution to general cleaning.

[omaha]

I think it is important that you stay at a certain level with the acid and not go past that. Acids like muriatic are just too strong. I think if you stay in the 4.5 to 5 level on the ph scale and mix that down with some water and then use heat you can get some decent results. I think certain acids work better than others on carburetors.(citric acid works good) That is why a multi level process with various acids, cleaners and solvents I think would be the next best thing to a sonic cleaner. AND if you look at some of the web sites that sell sonic cleaners, they actually recommend and sell additives to put in the sonic cleaners that are on the acid side of the scale.  So that is why I like to start with the diesel soak first, then a blast of the spray carb cleaner and then the boil job with the acidic (somewhat) solution. usually if you are careful you can save the original chromate "wash" finish.  I also would like to find some MEK to try and "aluminum brightner" for the aluminum parts. yes, if you want to take off everything, use the muriatic or easy to find "the works" bathroom cleaner. But, like stated earlier, replating will be necessary. And a lot of the plating you will find wont match the original finish (which was a chromate "wash.")

[PMD1969]

I think it is important that you stay at a certain level with the acid and not go past that. Acids like muriatic are just too strong. I think if you stay in the 4.5 to 5 level on the ph scale and mix that down with some water and then use heat you can get some decent results. I think certain acids work better than others on carburetors.(citric acid works good) That is why a multi level process with various acids, cleaners and solvents I think would be the next best thing to a sonic cleaner. AND if you look at some of the web sites that sell sonic cleaners, they actually recommend and sell additives to put in the sonic cleaners that are on the acid side of the scale.  So that is why I like to start with the diesel soak first, then a blast of the spray carb cleaner and then the boil job with the acidic (somewhat) solution. usually if you are careful you can save the original chromate "wash" finish.  I also would like to find some MEK to try and "aluminum brightner" for the aluminum parts. yes, if you want to take off everything, use the muriatic or easy to find "the works" bathroom cleaner. But, like stated earlier, replating will be necessary. And a lot of the plating you will find wont match the original finish (which was a chromate "wash.")

The carbs that I own have already lost their coatings/finishes long before I acquired them.  The Purple Power solution removed everything so there was no saving the finish.  The carbs look great after two washes with the solution you recommended.  I foud that the first wash was so contaminated with oil/gas/sludge that I had to wash the parts again to get them clean.

If I can find "The Works" product or use acid can you recommend a safe mix to wash or Crock Pot (lol) them in?

Thanks

Marc

[omaha]

Well, the only time I resort to "the works" is if I have a seriously bad looking carb body or top casting. Its kind of an all or nothing deal. Like if you were thinking of tossing the carb in the trash but just for the hell of it maybe i'll try this. I used a plastic pan, it is rectangular, just big enough to fit the body or top. Put the body in the pan and fill with water until it just covers the part. OH, BTW do this outside, and far enough away that the fumes wont cross anybody's path!! Then start pouring in the cleaner. I think I poured in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup but I cant tell for sure cause I just started squirting it in and all hell breaks loose!! IT STARTS SMOKING AND BUBBLING UP! NO HEAT NEEDED! I guess when the smoke subsides, that is when I managed to fish the carb out of the pan with a coat hanger. I cant remember how long this takes but it seems like only about 5 minutes. QUICKLY take the part over to a water hose or have a 5 gal bucket of water ready to rinse it off. I'll tell you what, EVERYTHING is removed. Carbon deposits, rust, scale, plating and maybe even some of the carb too if your not careful. But all of the threads for the jets, seat and filter housing looked good (not eroded). I guess I tried a mild mixture a couple of times with more water and heat and that seems to do only as good as the purple cleaner but takes more of the finish off the carb body. Still had some spots that wont come clean.(this is with about 3 gallons of water 180 degrees and about 3 ounces  of "the works."   The problem mostly are the fumes, that's why I haven't tried different mixes with this cleaner. It seems like it reacts with the metal in the carb bodies (more so than when you use it in your toilet like its supposed to be used although its pretty bad there also). Maybe this spring when it warms up a bit ill try some more different mixes and see what happens. Only tried it a few times.

[PMD1969]

Okay.  That souds ay more serious than I need for these carbs.  What I will do today is post pictures of the carbs/pieces to show what I have so far.  Then I cam ask what I should do to improve the progress or stop where I am at.

Really appreciate the assistance.

[PMD1969]

[PMD1969]

[PMD1969]

[PMD1969]

[omaha]

really that doesn't look too bad. Seems like the steel parts have a lot of carbon build up at one time or another though. If you could remove them and clean them separate by hand (lots of scrubbing). I know this would be a pain in the a$$.
I remove mine and used some scotch brite and purple cleaner. Some of those parts wont come clean no matter how hard you try. that is when you need to either replace or replate. Now I'm talking about the tubes and the throttle plates and the airflap. the residue in the bowl is no big deal. Some vinegar and scrubbing should take care of that. Yes there is some pitting in that casting, that will happen over time on some carbs. (Maybe had a fire at one time).

[PMD1969]

really that doesn't look too bad. Seems like the steel parts have a lot of carbon build up at one time or another though. If you could remove them and clean them separate by hand (lots of scrubbing). I know this would be a pain in the a$$.
I remove mine and used some scotch brite and purple cleaner. Some of those parts wont come clean no matter how hard you try. that is when you need to either replace or replate. Now I'm talking about the tubes and the throttle plates and the airflap. the residue in the bowl is no big deal. Some vinegar and scrubbing should take care of that. Yes there is some pitting in that casting, that will happen over time on some carbs. (Maybe had a fire at one time).

No fire that I am aware of.  The carb had NEVER been rebuilt since it cane from the factory.  It was removed from the motor many years ago and just sat in a box.  When I got eh carb and started to clean it the goo from years of sitting was pretty hard.  Some of the stuff left over in the pics is the hair stuff that was recommended for the solution.  I quit using that.  Natter of fact I have been using straight Purple Power with good results.  Honestly I am now looking for a local shop that can clean everything I have in a group purchase.  I am not concerned as to how they do it but rather just want these carbs and other pieces cleaned up so I can move forward.

I have tot say that the Crock Pot / Purple Power does work really well.  I have been using it on other pieces and it does get the goo off where other products and cold scrubbing did little.