Recommendation for Carb Cleaner

Can anyone recommend a good carb cleaner? I've read reviews online about a few different products that used to be good, but are no longer as they have changed due to EPA guidelines. I would like one that I can submerge the carb into as opposed to just spraying it with something.

Thank you

 

Just dunking it may make the exposed parts shiny, but you need to tear it down, clear all holes, and blow them clean.

 

If you had been able to ask some twenty years ago I would have recommended a Prestone product. I suspect it is one of those that have been discontinued for environmental reasons. This product was expensive, something like $40 to $50 a gallon back then and it stank something horrible. On the other hand, it would dissolve hard-baked carbon in a matter of hours, we used to soak reciprocating air compressor valve assemblies (industrial air compressors) in it and they would come out cleaner than new.

I remember as a kid my daddy using it and it smelled horrible back then as well. It was non-miscible in water and so the dip tank had a couple of inches of water floating on top the "juice" to hold back the smell and slow the rate of evaporation.

Today? I don't have a clue. Sorry.

 

Ok Furd...stop using words we have to look up. "non-miscible"...really? Lol

As to the cleaner, I'd suggest checking at a good mechanic or machine shop and see what they use. Most are kind of "green" because of insurance and OSHA rules, but they still work, just might take a bit longer. You really want a better job, get an ultrasonic cleaner.

 

Non-miscible simply means it doesn't mix with the water, or more specifically two compound are immiscible if they don't mix together into a homogenous mixture. Think of oil always floating on top of water.

Simple high school chemistry, my friend, and I probably got the definition wrong as well.

 

Furd I know, I looked it up. I never heard that term (at least never saw it written) in HS and I'm pretty old school. Why would they not use an "x"? Mixable, immixable, non-mixable...I could deal with that. Non-miscible just makes no sense.

William, sorry to go a bit OT, but I my advice still stands...ask at a shop or garage...heck, you could probably buy a gallon from them for cheap. They buy it in 5 or 50 gallon drums.

 

Vic, it is simply the correct word for the circumstances. Why not some other word? I don't know. Why do I remember that word when so much of what I learned in high school is long forgotten? I don't know the answer to that either. Maybe it is just what my former wife used to tell me (and others); I have a Ph.D in trivia.

William, I agree with Gunguy that it might be best to ask at a garage what they use. Downside is that few garages rebuild carburetors anymore. Maybe a small engine shop would be a better place to ask.

 

I use two things to clean carbs. 1) Carb Cleaner from WalMart. It is cheap and it works to well clean and blow out out passages. It is a spray not a dip. 2) I have an ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight that I also use. I use a mixture of water and simple green and use the heat cycle. I typically use one or the other.

 

I really appreciate everyone's input. Think I'm going to try a product NAPA sells, even though I've read it's been watered down for a lack of a better description. Might look in to the ultra sonic cleaner too. My son is working on riding and push mowers on the side. I have a feeling he's going to need to clean carbs more often (full break-down kind of cleans).

 

My $0.02, I have cleaned a lot of mower and weedeater carbs.
I have probably used all those listed above, then one that begins with B stinks awful, Napa Mac 6402, ultrasonic, multi spray carb cleaners and brake parts cleaners from several manufacturers and have settled on SuperTech spray can Brake Parts cleaner from Walmart. It cleans and doesn't leave any residue. If the brake parts cleaner won't clean it it probably needs replaced. More carbs are destroyed using too harsh of a cleaner than are fixed. Lightly crumple some aluminum foil and run it through a ultrasonic cleaner for a couple cycles it will eat holes in it, put some dip carb cleaner in a glass dish and drop in a few "O" rings, bowl gaskets, etc and watch them swell. Brake parts cleaner evaporates so quick it doesn't do the damage the others do. Have a good one. Geo

 

Years ago, I had some motorcycle carb cleaner that you would feed directly to the carbs thru the fuel line (removed from the tank). That did a great job and saved tearing down and rebuilding four carbs.

 

I don't even use the dip type cleaner anymore. I found a spray cleaner that dissolves varnish really well and normally with that and a set of torch tip cleaners, I can clean the worst of them. It was sold by advance auto parts until recently. Now I don't know who sells it, but once my stock runs out I'll have to find some. The brand name is "next dimension". Don't let it get in you reyes though, the stuff is worse than mace!