Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

[daselbee]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

For example, my favorite carb cleaner is berryman B-12, which contains Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Isopropyl Alcohol, Toluene and butoxyethanol.

jtexas....if you are still following this...

Please advise on the use of this Berryman B-12. Is it a spray, and what effect does it have on the plastic carbs? I always stay away from acetone when I have to clean plastic. Does the acetone in the B-12 cause any problems? (Also the toluene).

Or do you use the B-12 on metal carbs only?

 

[jtexas]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

both a spray and a liquid.

yes, ONLY SOAK THE METAL PARTS in that stuff. I spray it through all the little passages, but try to keep contact with plastic & nylon fittings to a minimum.

I've seen it melt right through a hard plastic cup, but some plastics aren't affected by it. I don't know enough about plastics to tell 'em apart.

It will easily take the paint off most any surface. And it kinda burns when it gets on ya, not hands so much, but your neck, or inside elbow, or eyelids...gotta be careful with the spray.

Don't use it on electrical parts, or anything with any kind of teflon coating. But man, it will cut right through any kind of grease or carbon build-up.

 

[bailey]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

I am just thinking out loud, If I do use the "carb" cleaning spray to clean any "crap" out of the carbs,where would the "crap" go? With my luck it would probably end up in the "rings". Would it do any damage to the cylinder walls, pistons etc. etc.
Bailey

 

[Rscardina]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

if you are just spraying into the throats..then stuff goes forward... if you are cleaning bowls and other stuff you are usually blowing stuff out with air or overspill is taking away the bad stuff...and you are usually doing this stuff off the engine and not installed..

 

[62 pipestone]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

all the crap that would wash down out of the carb would go into the cylinder and git burnt right up or go out the exhaust.

 

[daselbee]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

Thanks jtexas.
Still looking for a safe solvent to clean the plastic with.
Right now I soak them in gasoline. Sometimes I soak in kerosene, but not often.
I guess I have been lucky to have relatively clean carbs so far.
That ultrasonic cleaning machine is interesting.....You guys have seen that, I would think.

 

[boobie]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

If you want a good carb cleaner go to any Evinrude dlr and get a gallon or so of "engine tuner". Dump it in a bucket and soak your dissaembled carb parts in that. It won't hurt any plastic parts whats so ever. I've even put plastic float bowl carbs in the stuff and left them in for two days or so when I forgot them and nothing was hurt. But they sure were clean. Just rinse off with water and blow every thing dry.

 

[62 pipestone]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

i miss that old fason carb dip that would eat the hell out of your carbs if you left theme in to long, o the good old days!!

if you want a safe spray for plastic use throtle body cleaner.

i have never done it but i have herd that you can mix MR clean and water and use as a dip and it will make your carbs look brand new.

 

[Al-53]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

I know one thing...Mr Clean alone is flammable....use to use it as a fire starter years ago in scouts...

a good degreaser we use in the shop is Zeps Citrus greaser...stuff cuts grease like crazy...its like 10 a gallon at Home depot....we use it on ATV and Cycle Motors..spray on hose off..engine is spotless...dont know how good it would work as a dip..but it is a great safe degreaser...

Al

 

[clemsonfor]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

also i am an auto tech and i have ran a motor on carb spray to drive it in the shop whene the fuel pump is bad, and no im not saying thats a good idea on a 2 stroke. but hay, what car has a 2 stroke.

Were talking about a boat 2 stroke motor or any 2 stroke. Were not doubting you in this a 4 stroke will about run on anything that combusts part deisel, carb cleaner bad gas low octane high octane. You may not want to do the low cotane verylong but it will run. Any way no carb cleaner is fine in a 4 stroke where your rod bearings and rings are lubricated by oil contained in the crankcase. Gas has no lubricating qualities after dry either nore would i want pur gas in my crankcase. So while you can run both on carbcleaner the 2 stoke looses its oiling by this and it will wash the film of oil of the internals causing rust from the moisture in the air faster than not using it. A car has crank case oil that lubes the bearings in the rods and mains, and after all the gas is washing down the cyl ways anyway before it fires up and after it shuts down.

I too have run many 4 strokes on carb cleaner, i would not do it long because of excess temps prolly but to test the fuel system or move a car or spray out carbs and lincages no prob. Yall are talking about 2 different things.

 

[62 pipestone]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

I know one thing...Mr Clean alone is flammable....use to use it as a fire starter years ago in scouts...

HMMM, who knew?

also hurd pinesole and water werks well.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

HMMM, who knew?

also hurd pinesole and water werks well.

I think vodka deserves a chance.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

Regardless of lubricating qualities or not, look at the area that you can reach with carb cleaner while the carb is attached. It's a 2" throat, it ain't gonna get plugged. The linkages may get gummed up and can be cleaned as you described but rarely do they affect the running of the motor, they just make things work better. Now look at the size of the holes in the passages and jets when you take them apart. There is no way carb cleaner could get in there without disassembly and no way to get them unplugged without proper cleaning. And soaking only helps the process you should preferably have compressed air to blow out the passages but aerosol carb cleaner will work in a pinch. And any carb cleaner worth using will ruin all o-rings and rubber items if not removed. Even areosol will dry o-rings and lessen the life dramatically.

And the Mr. Clean... I don't know how it's made any more but 20 yrs ago the aerosol was a great engine cleaner. BUT it was acidic and if you left it on aluminum to long it would eat it up. Trying to guess how long was long enough was the trick.

I stick with Berrymans for the soak, followed by stiff gun cleaning brushes, any old cleaner for the spray followed up by air, and once you think it's clean enough Do it again.