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Joined: Feb 23, 2007 Posts: 1016 Location: Orlando, FL
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:42 pm Post subject: Question re: Using Ultrasonic machine for Carb Cleaning
Y'know, for all these years, I've been cleaning carbs on my projects by total disassembly and soaking in Gunk brand carb cleaner in the gallon cans. Yeah, it stinks and is pretty environmentally unfriendly. Lately, I've been using Simple Green, which, while less toxic all around than the Gunk, doesn't really touch the thick, hardened varnish that some of the projects get.
Over the last few years, I've read more and more about using Ultrasonic cleaners to clean carbs instead, but I never really realized how cheap they are until just now, on another forum I read that Harbor Freight has 'em for, like, 55 ~ 85 bucks.
So, what's the scoop on 'em? Can you take a badly varnished carb and plop it in, then pull 'em out done? Do you still have to disassemble fully? I seem to see that you just use water and maybe a little dishwasher soap in it, yes? And, I'm guessing you just dump out the sludge (or 'dispose' of the sludge )
Or are they more for just cleaning a dirty/greasy carb, or for restoring the nice OEM iridescence that carbs seem to come with? Do you still have to manually verify every idle jet opening and carb body passage is free?
This has really caught my imagination this evening, because I'm really getting to be a BIG fan of something non-Gunk in toxicity but still work as well as that "old school" method.
Joined: Feb 04, 2007 Posts: 2319 Location: Studio City, Los Angeles, Ca. 91604
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:54 pm Post subject:
A guy from www.cb1100f.net ultrasonically cleaned a bank of VM-33 smoothbore carbs I got for free because they were frozen with mung.
I 1st used them on one of my bikes and then I sold them for $400.00. _________________ Ray #1
71 CL350K3 Scrambler
79 CBX
10 VFR1200F
bakmanrayman [at] yahoo [dot] com fasterspider [at] gmail [dot] com
Joined: Dec 23, 2009 Posts: 103 Location: West Sussex, England
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:25 am Post subject:
Hello Kirk,
From my own recent experience there is no substitute for:
1. A complete strip down
2. Clean every component carefully
3. Replace o rings and gaskets
4. Blow through with compressed air every tiny passage
5. Clean in vinegar but don't soak over night
6. Acetone removes varnish perfectly
7. Carb cleaner is great for blowing through passages
I have found ultrasonic cleaners good for carb parts but the bulk of the effort has been the manual labour however , for that money it is probably worth a try.
Joined: Oct 03, 2005 Posts: 1583 Location: Marshall, MI
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:24 am Post subject: Ultrasonic Washer
Yes, ultransonic cleaners are the optimum way to clean carbs. Of course, you still will want to disassemble carbs, pull the jets out, take o rings out, etc. But there is no better way to clean the jets, orifices, bodies of carbs. I can't afford an ultrasonic washer or I would have one. Let me search and see if they are getting cheaper. A good one is always $500 or more. If you can buy one. Give me a search to find what you are talking about. I am not a China fan however. _________________ You only go around once in life, but if you do it right, once is enough!
Joined: Feb 23, 2007 Posts: 1016 Location: Orlando, FL
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:18 am Post subject:
Hey, great feedback! Thanks.
Goss - I agree with you 100%. I guess I'm anal enough about it to still want to positively confirm each and every carb body passage with compressed air and/or aerosol carb cleaner (or aerosol brake cleaner works too for this confirmation).
The acetone suggestion is the kind of thing I'm looking for, because currently, I use either the carb dips or Simple Green, depending on varnish severity. If a jet or passage is plugged solid, SG doesn't clear it out, only the dip will or a poke with a wire (shudder).
Line item (2) is the question - clean with what?
Line (5) is a good one, too. But for "routine" cleanup of grease, corrosion, or minor varnish, Simple Green is a winner - non-toxic, cheap, and very effective.
Steve - you're third sentence leaves me hanging - there's no better way to clean carb body passages THAN WHAT - the manual process or the ultrasonic cleaner?
As for specifics, here's a link to the original topic over on the SOHC4 Honda forum that got me thinking... A fellow was resurrecting a CX500 and made the comments re: ultrasonic, including some testimonials.
As for China, well, I'm not trying to put food on the table based on the money earned with one of 'em or anything. And I'm happy enough with the stuff from Harbor Freight for my "hobbyist" needs. On the other hand, over the last 3 years, I've done the 'full Monty' clean & dip on at least 20 individual carburetors for project bikes of my own or for family members. So, yeah, I'm tired of smelling carburetor dip...
Joined: Dec 23, 2009 Posts: 103 Location: West Sussex, England
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:55 am Post subject:
Hello Kirk,
I cleaned the internals and components with carb cleaner first especially if they were close to o rings. The only other powerful cleaner that would remove stubborn varnish was acetone. The attached photo shows the residue of fuel dripping across fibreglass (not oil) and then slowly evaporating, this gloop went through my carbs and they were locked solid. The drops on the garage floor needed a chisel to remove them!
The vinegar will etch into the carb body and bring it up like new but don't over do it.
Joined: Dec 26, 2009 Posts: 12 Location: Dunnellon, Fla
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:27 am Post subject:
kirk,
As for most uf us over the years it has ben arosoles, gunk dip, etc., all environemently unfriendly.
While I was working in shops I would use what they had as they were responsible to follow the regulations of the EPA (store and proper removat of hazardous waste)
Now working on my own I've looked for alternate no hazardous ways to clean parts of the engine and carburators. For engine parts I came across an parts cleaning machine that uses a low sudzing detergent and water that is heated to 120 degrees and is pressure sprayed. The parts come out cleas as a whistle.
Looking into carb cleaning, I also had heard about ultrasonic cleaners. My quest was on to price one that would be able to fit the carb body into. Most of the cheaper units were too small to be able to summurge a carb body (unless it was very small). There are many to choose from (plain ultrasonics to ones with varing sonics, heaters, timers etc.)
I opted for one with a heater and timer, also the basket big enough to accept 2 carb bodies off a CBX, $700.00. Great, now what to use in the cleaner, you don't want a flammable liquid. I tried many different soaps, some cleaning but not very good.
Then I came across an interesting idea suggested to me by an old freind. The solution was readily available and at a very low cost. My first test, I found an old carb that was junk (broken casting and very varnished), I figured if it didn't work I had lost nothing.
I got the fluid to a temp fo 160 degrees and set the body in and set the timer for 15 minutes. Inspecting and then for another 1/2 hour. Since I have decided to run each batch for a minimum of 1 hour in the solution. Amazingly the bodies come out looking as new as ever.
To prep the body for cleaning all jets ect are removed (including the pressed in pilot jet). After running thru the magic solution I then run them again thru ultrasonics using water only to remove any cleaning residue left behind. Then blow thru all passages with compressed air to verify all passages are clean. Another avenue I use for verification of the passages is a smoke machine- forcing smoke thru one opening and inspecting all the exits for that circuit to verify even the smallest passage passes the smoke.
What is this simple magic solution? Take a guess, Hint: I'm sure your mother has used it for years.
Joined: Feb 23, 2007 Posts: 1016 Location: Orlando, FL
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:40 am Post subject:
$700 !!??! Ack, gasp, gasp...
That link I posted shows a 2.5 liter capacity (which, according to the testimonial in the other link is large enough for a full carb. I guess I can envision just slightly larger than a 2-liter bottle of Coke) and includes timer and heater for $55.
As I say, I sure am liking the idea of disassembling a varnished carb, plopping it and the misc. jets, etc. right into the non-smelling solution, not really having to worry about plastic bushings or rubber diaphragms being attacked by the dip, and having it come out looking clean and body passages clear...
Joined: Dec 26, 2009 Posts: 12 Location: Dunnellon, Fla
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:46 pm Post subject:
50/50 concentrated lemon juice and water.
I/ve done 2 banks of CBX carbs now, and this is my new perfered method.
Word of warning-- you must rerun the bodies thru straight water (heated) in the ultrasonic cleaner to remove any lemon juice residue as it will act like sugar when fuel gets to it and your work will be all for nothing.
The bodys look new, even removed some paint someone had painted the carbs with. Also the smell is more pleasent than vinigar (which works well also)
Joined: Dec 24, 2009 Posts: 134 Location: Marina del Rey, CA. USA
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:00 pm Post subject:
Preston,
Perhaps it is the concentration of citric acid?
Best,
Phil _________________ Decisions Made In Haste
May Be Regretted At Leisure!
"You Can´t Fix Stupid"
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