What's your favorite method and chemical for cleaning a carburetor?

[ebinmaine 62,888]

Do you soak?

Do you spray?

 

Do you have a home grown around the house Backwoods method?

 

[pfrederi 17,114]

Berrymans Soak

[tunahead72 2,331]

49 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Do you have a home grown around the house Backwoods method?

 

Since you asked, and I have no personal experience...  There's a small group of guys on a motorcycle forum I follow every once in a while that swears by PineSol (the original unflavored formula).

 

[midpack 804]

I picked up a sonic cleaner from Harbor Freight a while ago. does amazing work on stuff like that. I used a coupon and got it for around ~$40

 

pretty good at cleaning old mechanical clock mechanisms too   

[posifour11 723]

31 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

Berrymans Soak

[oliver2-44 8,813]

29 minutes ago, posifour11 said:

 

I've also wanted to try a ultrasonic cleaner

[WHNJ701 4,164]

22 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

 

I've also wanted to try a ultrasonic cleaner

here it works good with lemon juice 

[WHNJ701 4,164]

1 hour ago, pfrederi said:

Berrymans Soak

works great, you do have to disassemble it and remove the gaskets, you can't just dump it in there

[WHX?? 46,630]

This has been batted around here quite abit EB. Berryman's usually gets the nod. They tell me that the older Berryman's would knock your socks off but they changed the formula to be more "environmentally friendly" so now not so as great. I use it and it works for me. It will take paint off if you are trying to stay original tho.

Gunk has all kinds of product as well.

http://gunk.com/products/cat_PC_CC.asp

[ebinmaine 62,888]

Thanks for all the answers guys. Anybody ever try lacquer thinner or acetone? I see that one listed here and they are online as well.

[posifour11 723]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Thanks for all the answers guys. Anybody ever try lacquer thinner or acetone? I see that one listed here and they are online as well.

No, but it's a good question. I'm interested, also. 

[WHX?? 46,630]

Doubt if lacquer thinner would eat through fuel varnish, not sure about acetone.

[pfrederi 17,114]

I made up a witches brew years ago, acetone, Xylol, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) and probably Lacquer Thinner don't remember.  Worked OK but it evaporated as i didn't have the nice sealable can and basket like Berrymans.  Probably even cost more buying a qt of each thing....Why make work for yourself

[ebinmaine 62,888]

6 minutes ago, WHX20 said:

Doubt if lacquer thinner would eat through fuel varnish, not sure about acetone.

There is other information online that would agree with that.

 

It seems that the really nasty varnishes that actually caused the most problems in the smallest orifices are sometimes not touched by paint thinner or lacquer thinner.

 

Acetone, on the other hand, seems to be a good winner to a lot of people although it is very volatile and tough to handle and evaporates very very quickly.

 

I won't have time to mess with it tonight so it doesn't matter yet but I'm thinking of getting some acetone and soaking it in that after disassembly for like 24 hours.

 

1 minute ago, pfrederi said:

Probably even cost more buying a qt of each thing....Why make work for yourself

 

Some of the appeal of the acetone is that we use it to clean metal pieces before we paint them so none of the rest of the fluid would go to waste.

We would buy a gallon which here in Maine is less than $20 and I can't find the berryman's kit for lower than $27. At least on store shelves.

The basket in the berryman's kit would be Wicked handy but we do have other things that we could use anyways.

[pfrederi 17,114]

You are going to need some sort of sealable container that is resistent to acetone.  It takes some time for the acetone to work (if it does) and it will be evaporating.

[953 nut 51,381]

4 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

can't find the berryman's kit for lower than $27. At least on store shelves

Just bought a can of Berryman's at AutoZone for $ 15 plus change. I have used Lacquer Thinner but prefer B.

[ebinmaine 62,888]

5 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

Just bought a can of Berryman's at AutoZone for $ 15 plus change. I have used Lacquer Thinner but prefer B.

Hmmm....

I only have one AutoZone in the area and it is not near me so I never go there.

That said, I'm quite sure Advance Auto Parts, which I do go by, will match prices.

I'll double check that for sure. Thanks Dick.

[ebinmaine 62,888]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

Just bought a can of Berryman's at AutoZone for $ 15 plus change. I have used Lacquer Thinner but prefer B.

Hey, can you do me a huge favor? I just called my local AutoZone and they quoted me $26.99 for that stuff. Would you mind checking the actual part number on the side of your can so I can verify I'm getting the same thing? I know there are Regional differences on chemicals sometimes..... at least up here between Maine and Massachusetts.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

8 hours ago, midpack said:

I picked up a sonic cleaner from Harbor Freight a while ago. does amazing work on stuff like that. I used a coupon and got it for around ~$40

 

pretty good at cleaning old mechanical clock mechanisms too   

A co-worker told me he bought the same ultra-sonic tank and loves it.

 

I bought a 1 gallon can with a basket from NAPA and have had good luck with that, but you do need to let it soak for 1-2 days. Not near as strong as the stuff back in the 60's & 70's....(before EPA & OSHA)!

Edited July 24, 2018 by KC9KAS

[Shynon 7,435]

I bought my can of Berryman's at Walmart.

[953 nut 51,381]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Hey, can you do me a huge favor? I just called my local AutoZone and they quoted me $26.99 for that stuff. Would you mind checking the actual part number on the side of your can so I can verify I'm getting the same thing? I know there are Regional differences on chemicals sometimes..... at least up here between Maine and Massachusetts.

The receipt lists the part number as  #139313 0996  Berryman Chem-Dip Carburetor Cleaner  0.75  Gal.   $15.97

[buckrancher 2,668]

have used berrymans but lacquer thinner works way better  I have a ultra sonic machine also

[Buckshot1 8]

I have used Gunk for years. But I noticed that the last gallon that I bought did not seem to be as potent. 

[FatJackDurham 318]

I usually use Gunk with a dunk tank for a full rebuild.

 

The ultrasonic cleaner is an interesting idea, if it cleans the varnish. I wonder if you could even leave the rings on in an Ultrasonic cleaner.

 

I have tried SeaFoam with no clear success. Others here swear by.

[formariz 11,849]

Since lacquer thinner is a common supply in my profession and its always here in generous quantities, I use it for carburetor cleaning. I have a removable basket inside a one gallon can so I just soak them in there. Given enough time, to date I have not come across anything that lacquer thinner will not dissolve.