Cleaning carbs

[fatpratt1996]

If running seafoam through a carb., why does it not clean it all the way. I think it was Knot2Much who said that the idle passages are the smallest ones. Anyway, if you have to take the carb apart, does it take a different chemical to clean them or is it the act of scrubbing and the chemicals working together?Sorry so long

 

[Clams Canino]

Re: Cleaning carbs

I posted an "on engine" carb cleaning procedure at least twice.. search on it.. <br /><br />-W

 

[gewf631]

Re: Cleaning carbs

I think this is what Clams is referring-to...<br /><br /> Found here <br /><br />

You can pull the starter and then the tops of all three bowls connected as a unit. Then the main jet caps and the idle needles. <br /><br />THEN you can clean most everything with the carbs still on the motor. If your carefull not to break the bowl gaskets, you likely wont need a kit.<br /><br />You'll need a wet-vac (with some water in it) and a straw taped into the hose to suck carb cleaner out and crud of the float bowls. DON'T suck gas out this way - wick it out first with a paper towel. Not for the squeemish.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Cleaning carbs

To clean carbs properly you must remove and disassemble them. Clean with an agressive solvent (otherwise known as commericial carb cleaners) AND compressed air. Most rebuild kits come with a new float valve.<br /><br />The reason carb cleaner that you pour in the tank doesn't clean carbs is that they are diluted. They may help prevent deposits but if a carb is dirty it will need both mechanical and chemical cleaning which requires disassembly. Remember gas is also a solvent and if it won't dissolve the deposits that form while its sits adding a couple of ounces of snake oil isn't going to do much either. Also some carb dirt is actually dirt or rust or corrosion particles and sediment that will not dissolve in anything short of acid. They need to be mechanincally removed. This is why compressed air is so important. Once you've loosened up the deposit you need to blast it outa there.<br /><br />NOTE! Ed F Never use a vacuum cleaner to suck flammable liquids (carb cleaner) out of anything. You are sucking flammable vapors mixed with air through an electric motor. This is a recipe for disaster. The potential for a large explosion is high.

 

[gewf631]

Re: Cleaning carbs

jimd that wasn't my suggestion, it was a direct quote from the post by Clams.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Cleaning carbs

Sorry Ed that the comment was misdirected to you, but whoever said it (Clams) its a bad idea.

 

[gss036]

Re: Cleaning carbs

My suggestion would be to use Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner. I use a small tank (2-3 gal) and use one bottle of Techron, you could try a stronger mix. Let it run slow while trolling on this mix and see if that helps. If you can get access to the adjusting screws as suggeted above, remove them and spray cleaner in there and use a welding torch tip cleaner of the appropiate size and and clean that way. Be careful not to ream the opening. I have done this motor cycles and it works for the small passages.Then blow out with air.<br />I would not be using a vaccum for gas. The liquid gas won't get you, but the vapor(fumes)will.

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: Cleaning carbs

In most instances, on my projects, to "clean the carbs" may be a generic term as my intentions are usually to find and rectify one or more specific troubled circuits, rather than performing all related parts soak and parts replacement services to them.<br /><br />On many an instance, a disassembly, wash down with spray carb cleaner and compressed air, and mechanical probing of hardened deposits are what is required.<br /><br />I use the spray nozzle to watch section flow characteristics from one carb to the other for comparison then might delve deeper where warranted. <br /><br />It's always a good practice to pull all the jets and such just to view and perhaps probe (perhaps with some soft wire).

 

[Clams Canino]

Re: Cleaning carbs

Originally posted by jimd:<br /> Sorry Ed that the comment was misdirected to you, but whoever said it (Clams) its a bad idea.

Mispost - see next.<br /><br />-W

 

[Clams Canino]

Re: Cleaning carbs

Originally posted by jimd:<br /> NOTE! Ed F Never use a vacuum cleaner to suck flammable liquids (carb cleaner) out of anything. You are sucking flammable vapors mixed with air through an electric motor. This is a recipe for disaster. The potential for a large explosion is high.

You'll note that I said to **wick** the gas out. Using a wet-vac on straight carb-cleaner is far less volitile than gasoline. Have you ever blown up a wet-vac on **carb-cleaner**? I know I havn't, and my little wet-vac cost 27.99. Who cares if a bunch of plastic stuff pops a top off? <br /><br />-W