Use of Spray Cleaner w/ Carb on Engine?

[glengold]

The other day a member told me I'd ruin my engine spraying carb cleaner down the carbs. I think he meant only if its running. Is there any harm in spraying carb cleaner down the carbs while they are on the engine? running or not?

 

[boobie]

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

It won't do you any good. Take them off, disassemble them and clean 'em.

 

[Al-53]

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

spraying carb cleaner in a carb really does nothing but clean the throat out...its the internals that need cleaning and you need to take them apart for that...get a carb kit and clean them with a cleaner and wire out the orfices blow it it with compressed air....

Al

 

[Rscardina]

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

Carb cleaner is a cleaner...this means it strips everything off of the walls and other parts.. by doing this it also takes the oil off as well. Since two stroke require oil to lube cylinders...its not wise to do that while runnig. effectively your running the engine while stripping oil off the walls and creating a NO lube situation..

Its ok to clean your carbs with it..I certainly do.. but I do it off the engine. and only when actually pulling the carbs off.

carb cleaner also deteriorates certain plastics an rubber..so you want to be careful of over spray. this is also why they say do not submerge plasticparts into such cleaners for any extended period of time

 

[glengold]

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

ok thats what i was thinking but the back of the can says otherwise. probably for a 4 stroke engine its ok.....

 

[jonesg]

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

Its probably ok if done in spurts, but its not doing anything to the internal jets. Carb rebuild kits are the way to fly, its not complicated.
Watch marine carb videos on Youtube if you're not familiar.

 

[62 pipestone]

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

carb clean is not just a cleaner, it is also a lube(it is an oil based sulvent). the point of spraying it on the motor is to clean the vinturys,buterflys,sliders. but it also lubes the throttle and choke shafts and the slider...
as for useing on a 2stroke i dont think it would hurt..

what i do is spray the inside with motor not nunning thene use a tooth brutsh to scrub, spray agan( short spurts,dont go over board. a little goes a long way). move to the outside and spray the shafts..
the motor will be fluded so hold the throtle wide open and start the motor. once it starts QUICKLEY set back @ idle. wrap the RPMs a few times and your good to go...

this is ONLY rutean carb maintinance that cleans and lubes the intake side of the carb. if you are haveing carb ishues this will more thene likley NOT fix your problim..

 

[62 pipestone]

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

BTW! why do you want to spray theme?

 

[jtexas]

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

carb clean is not just a cleaner, it is also a lube(it is an oil based sulvent)...

are we talkin bout a particular product brand name "carb clean"?

because most products labelled "carb cleaner" or "carb and choke cleaner" are *NOT* lubricants, and have *NO LUBRICATING QUALITIES*.

For example, my favorite carb cleaner is berryman B-12, which contains Acetone, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Isopropyl Alcohol, Toluene and butoxyethanol. The IPA is hydrocarbon, and the toluene all right, but that don't make it a lubricant.

If you wouldn't run your motor without oil, don't run it on carb cleaner.

If you want to clean the carbon from the cylinders & pistons & ports, dry deep creep (seafoam in a spray can).

ok thats what i was thinking but the back of the can says otherwise. probably for a 4 stroke engine its ok.....

correct...the 4-stroke oiling system is independent of the fuel.

 

[62 pipestone]

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

because most products labelled "carb cleaner" or "carb and choke cleaner" are *NOT* lubricants, and have *NO LUBRICATING QUALITIES*.

If you wouldn't run your motor without oil, don't run it on carb cleaner.

so take your carb spray and spray it on a clean peace of meatle. it WILL leave an oiley resadue.if it has *NO LUBRICATING QUALITIES* thene what is the oiley resadue from

im not saying that you can use it like WD40 im saying that it lubes your carb bushings as it cleans.

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.

 

[jtexas]

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

Oily residue? I don't know what it is. It doesn't feel like motor oil to me. I do know the ingredients, and I know for a fact that none of them will lubricate anything.

But hey, you're the professional mechanic; I'm just an amateur.

I'm not familar with the term "carb bushing".

 

[62 pipestone]

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

I'm not familar with the term "carb bushing".

some carbs have a brass bushing where the throttle shaft goes thrue the housing.

 

[62 pipestone]

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

Oily residue? I don't know what it is. It doesn't feel like motor oil to me. I do know the ingredients, and I know for a fact that none of them will lubricate anything.

".

Definitions of lubricant on the Web:

a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

so whene you go to step out of your wet boat and slip, it is because WATER HAS LUBRICTED YOUR FOOT& BOAT!

 

[Rscardina]

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

Definitions of lubricant on the Web:

a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

so whene you go to step out of your wet boat and slip, it is because WATER HAS LUBRICTED YOUR FOOT& BOAT!

Do both you realize you are arguing about carb cleaner?..

off the bottle "dissolve and remove gum and varnish deposits from automatic chokes, heat control valves and carburetors."

My opinion, is its a slovent and not an oil..while it may leave some kind of residue/oily deposit..that may lubricate a small brass bushing that is not under any real heat, movement, friction..etc ...ffor a 2 stroke that creates heat and has much friction in the heads etc...no way, no how.

PS..by definition water is a solvent as well.. your slippery example is only true becasue water molecules get between your foot and the smooth surface...kind of like sliping on ball bearings or marlbles..

There I said it...now help this guy fix his carbs already!!

 

[jtexas]

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

ok...sorry for cluttering up your thread with trivial debate...I bet we can all agree that lubricating sensitive surfaces with carb cleaner would probably hurt like !@*#!!

 

[62 pipestone]

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

ok...sorry for cluttering up your thread with trivial debate...i bet we can all agree that lubricating sensitive surfaces with carb cleaner would probably hurt like !@*#!!

and how!

 

[glengold]

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

Hey guys lots of good info here. I was worried my carbs MAY have issues B/C i wasn't getting to WOT operating RPMS. I moved the motor up a hole and that seemed to do the trick. Turning is still fine. One problem i've noticed however is that I'm having trouble getting fuel at idle. a few revs in neutral and my inline filter fills with gas, but if i let her idle the filter will run dry and the motor will quit soon after. I'm gonna post a new thread in the johnny evinrude section.

 

[daselbee]

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

Definitions of lubricant on the Web:

a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

so whene you go to step out of your wet boat and slip, it is because WATER HAS LUBRICTED YOUR FOOT& BOAT!

Just had to add....I find this statement to be very funny. Since water is a lubricant, and it does clean my hands....well it just follows that it would make an excellent carb cleaner.

One step further....Pipestone, next time you change your auto's oil, fill the crankcase up with water instead....since it is a lubricant....5 quarts should do it.

 

[62 pipestone]

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

One step further....Pipestone, next time you change your auto's oil, fill the crankcase up with water instead....since it is a lubricant....5 quarts should do it.

WTF! NOW THATS JUST F&*%IN STUPID!

NOT ONLY IS WATER NOT A SUBSTATUTE FOR OIL IT WOULD RUST THE HELL OUT OF THE INSIDE OF YOUR MOTOR DUMB A#@!

WHY DONT YOU TRY IT AND LET ME KNOW HOW IT WORKS OUT FOR YAH!!!

 

[daselbee]

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

Ok, I will try it. But I don't know which water to use.

Should I use the straight 30 weight water, or should I go with 10w30 water, or should I use the new synthetic water?