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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 | Has anyone tried something like this? NAPA Carb Dip I'm planning on soaking my carb to make sure that it is totally gunk free. In the item description it says something about 2 layers of cleaner that seperate in the bucket...Should I get this? or just a normal cleaner from berrymans or something? Thanks guys.
Bryan 1954 3104 235 "AD" L-6 3-on-the tree
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 | For whatever reason I can't get the link to work. I have used one gallon carb dips available in most auto parts stores for years and they do work. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 66 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 66 | The link worked for me, but it had an error every time I tried to look at the MSDS sheet. A lot of special cleaners are just basic chemicals that are given a fancy name... like Billy Mayes's Oxyclean, its basically sodium bicarbonate, or "baking soda", but it does work. So I would think the carb dip would work, just a matter of if it's worth the price. When I did my carb I just tore it down and soaked all of the metal components in pure ammonia for a while, then used an air hose to blow it all out. Other than my bad seals (I didn't get new ones) the carb works just fine and I haven't had any problems. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 Riding in the Passing Lane | | Riding in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 | Ive used carb dip pails for years, but I dont know about that one. They are all very expensive & if you are not going to do many it wouldn't be price worthy. If the carb is not very dirty or plugged up you can get by with an aerosol. Or get a gallon or 2 like Tmater says. That stuff is very smelly, so if you are at home use it outside & don't let it get on you. It can make the home life miserable if you stink up her house. It takes about 12 hours & 10-20 washings to get it out of your skin. They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne SuperIn the Gallery Forum | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 | The 2-layer thing is a top layer of water to prevent the active ingredients in the cleaner from evaporating. One of the most traumatic events I can recall about carburetor dip cleaner happened to one of my students who decided to rebuild his carb without consulting me first. He tore it down, soaked it in the cleaner, let it drip dry, and started reassembling, without the obligatory hot water rinse! His hands started to tingle, so he went to the restroom to wash up. His big mistake was taking care of some other personal business before washing! Wrong move! He left the shop at a dead run, headed for home, and ended up in the local hospital emergency room a couple of hours later! The private parts that didn't get chemical burns were scrubbed raw!
Beware the carb dip- - - - -it bites! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 | Yipes!  I'll be sure to keep my bits and pieces away from the carb cleaner.... From the sounds of it, that means that it'll work pretty well though! I hope to report back with good news about my carb.
Bryan 1954 3104 235 "AD" L-6 3-on-the tree
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 | Been using Gunk carburetor cleaner for a hundered years and it alway does the job. Strain it after every use thru a fine mesh and it's good for dozens of uses and I've used some that I've had for decades and it still cleans good. Denny G
Denny G Sandwich, IL
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 323 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2005 Posts: 323 | I have a mechanic buddy that for years has just boiled the carb parts in a pot of hot water for 20 min. I haven't tried this but I like the cost of materials. | | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 | I bought a gallon of Berrymans at the local O'Reillys. We'll see how it works. I'm going to allow it all to soak for a full 24 hours.
Bryan 1954 3104 235 "AD" L-6 3-on-the tree
| | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2009 Posts: 181 | Well, last night I took out the parts that had been soaking. hard to tell if it did anything, because I had previously cleaned the visible surfaces. The dip will hopefully unblock some mysterious passage that's giving me fits.
The dip is strange stuff. Dark colored, kinda like molassas, or lightly used motor oil...right now the bowl is soaking.
Bryan 1954 3104 235 "AD" L-6 3-on-the tree
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,002 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,002 | Carb cleaner (dip)is not the end all for cleaning a carb. After the carb has been dipped, rinsed, and blown off. I still run a pipe cleaner, or wire thru all the passages to make sure nothing was left behind. When I use wire I try and be sure that there are no burrs on the end of the wire to dig into the carb. I even go so far as to remove plugs and reinstall with locktite or epoxy in some cases.
Larry
I don't own a vehicle that isn't old enough to drink. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,971 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,971 | One thing I noticed on my carb cleaners is that if you leave it set a long time in its metal container, it rusts out the top of the container near the fluid level.
Will it help if it is stired up now and then? Gotta find a new container. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,751 | That's the separation line between the cleaner and the protective layer of water. There's not much to do except change buckets occasionally, but be sure to use a steel bucket, not plastic. The cleaner will attack the plastic in a very short time. Use a LOT of high-pressure air through all the drilled passages after the soak and hot-water rinse to dislodge the gunk the cleaner softened. The carburetion instructor at the GM training center in Memphis used to say "Put 55 gallons of air through every hole in the carb when you rebuild it!" The cleaner just softens the crud- - - - -the air blows it out of the holes. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
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