Cleaning carbs.

Rat Rods Rule

Help Support Rat Rods Rule:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

YBeNormal

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2012
Messages
932
Location
Lady Lake, FL
Ok I searched the forum and can't find a thread on what to soak a carb in to clean it. I have been doing some research and I am going to try the pine sol method. Wish me luck and I will be posting before and after pictures.
 
I am kind of a minimalist when it comes to cleaning carbs, haven't "soaked" one in years. I absolutely can't stand to be near the chemical carb dip, let alone have it in the shop. I usually de-gunk the outside with parts solvent and a brush, then spray out the passages with Berryman's B12 and blow them out with air. A quick squirt of B12 or Brakleen to the outside and they are good to go. On small engines I sometimes use a tip cleaner on passages if they are varnished up from sitting.
Let us know how the pine sol works.
 
I am kind of a minimalist when it comes to cleaning carbs, haven't "soaked" one in years. I absolutely can't stand to be near the chemical carb dip, let alone have it in the shop. I usually de-gunk the outside with parts solvent and a brush, then spray out the passages with Berryman's B12 and blow them out with air. A quick squirt of B12 or Brakleen to the outside and they are good to go. On small engines I sometimes use a tip cleaner on passages if they are varnished up from sitting.
Let us know how the pine sol works.

Will do. The b12 chem dip didn't do anything for me. And I picked up two carbs cheap but everything is nasty and froze up so I am soaking it for a day or so completely together. I will then disassemble the carb and do another soak. And hopefully get the same results as the guys on the thread I found have had.

Here's the thread I found on the pine sol cleaning.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=560117
 
I use lacquer thinner for soaking(it cuts the grime) and a spray like B12 for cleaning passages.
 
Ok so i Have now figured out that imitation pine sol doesn't work at all

I got some real pine sol (didn't know there was fake pine sol) and hoy crap this stuff is working awesomely.

Within 5 mins there was a residue film raising off the carb body and after 2 hours I checked the venturies that were black and they look almost brand new.

I am taking pics so they will come soon

I had to edit this. I must have been asleep when I typed it origanily. LOL
 
Last edited:
ok here are the before pictures
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1656.JPG
    IMG_1656.JPG
    37.6 KB · Views: 37
  • IMG_1658.JPG
    IMG_1658.JPG
    40.3 KB · Views: 31
  • IMG_1659.JPG
    IMG_1659.JPG
    36.7 KB · Views: 29
Here are the pictures when I used imatation Pine Sol. Cleaned it some but nothing like what I have seen from other peoples experience
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1660.JPG
    IMG_1660.JPG
    33 KB · Views: 18
  • IMG_1661.jpg
    IMG_1661.jpg
    97.2 KB · Views: 19
  • IMG_1662.JPG
    IMG_1662.JPG
    34.3 KB · Views: 15
Now we are talking.

Went and got some REAL pine sol and started to disassemble the carb to soak.

The first pic you can see how nasty the inside of the carb was and that the venturies were completely black

Then I have a pic of one of the venturies after about 2 hours of soaking

Then a pic of how nasty this stuff looks when it is working. It was clear when I started the soak and after 30 mins I couldnt see the top of the carb any more
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1663.JPG
    IMG_1663.JPG
    41 KB · Views: 37
  • IMG_1666.JPG
    IMG_1666.JPG
    29.5 KB · Views: 32
  • IMG_1665.JPG
    IMG_1665.JPG
    29.8 KB · Views: 33
Ok here are the parts after the soak. I have found my new carb soak for sure
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1675.JPG
    IMG_1675.JPG
    37.1 KB · Views: 33
  • IMG_1676.JPG
    IMG_1676.JPG
    34.1 KB · Views: 27
  • IMG_1677.JPG
    IMG_1677.JPG
    33.7 KB · Views: 25
  • IMG_1680.JPG
    IMG_1680.JPG
    44.2 KB · Views: 27
All back together and ready to run

So Pine Sol (make sure its Original with green label $8.95 for 1.35 gallons)works great all i did was a 12 hour soak clean with a tooth brush as I rinsed in warm water and spray down with some WD-40 and blow off with air compressor.

Worked so great I have already started another carb. It doesnt hurt seals rubber or plastic, smells alot better than anything else, and its safe to dispose of

It cleans so well that you need to make sure to coat everything good with WD in some of the pics you can see where it started to flash rust but it just wiped off and then i sprayed it and its all good now
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1681.JPG
    IMG_1681.JPG
    31.2 KB · Views: 34
  • IMG_1682.JPG
    IMG_1682.JPG
    36.3 KB · Views: 38
  • IMG_1683.JPG
    IMG_1683.JPG
    33.4 KB · Views: 34
Good post YB, I'll have to give this a try. I did try the boil in lemon juice method but it didn't do much. Carb dip just stinks to much, and for to long when you get it on you. Pine sol... who'd a thunk it?:)
 
I'll have to try it on my 40mm Dellorto carbs I have to overhaul. I have brand new kits and the carbs are on my work bench ready to do. No. These carbs are not for my V8square project but for my Porsche powered Bug my oldest son and I built while he was a senior in high school. He will be 39 the end of this month and the car is in MY garage. Go figure.
 
All back together and ready to run

So Pine Sol (make sure its Original with green label $8.95 for 1.35 gallons)works great all i did was a 12 hour soak clean with a tooth brush as I rinsed in warm water and spray down with some WD-40 and blow off with air compressor.

Worked so great I have already started another carb. It doesnt hurt seals rubber or plastic, smells alot better than anything else, and its safe to dispose of

It cleans so well that you need to make sure to coat everything good with WD in some of the pics you can see where it started to flash rust but it just wiped off and then i sprayed it and its all good now

How grimey were they to begin with?
 
How grimey were they to begin with?

They were real nasty secondary's were froze up mud dobber nests in every port rust all over the weights on the velocity valve. Had to almost pry the venturies out and they were caked with what looked like rust but I am assuming just old dried nasty gas.

I posted some before pics also farther back

It even took the rust off along with freeing everything up.
 
wow. most impressive. i have used toilet bowl cleaner before but it eats up everything aluminum if it is left in too long. i have since been using lacquer thinner. the pine sol looks like it works great. thanks
 

Latest posts

Back
Top