daniel77350

My carb is dirty dirty dirty dirty, and its even a bit dirty. I was wondering how I could clean this up easily? It works excellent, so I don't need a rebuild, but I had considered sending it to lars, just because I want it to look better when it goes back on my freshly detailed engine.

Is there a way I can clean it without taking it apart? Will carb cleaner and a rag work? also how easy it it to take apart? I don't want ot take it all apart, but just things like take the choke off, so I can clean behind it. I want it to be pretty. :blueangel:

Daniel

daniel77350

anyone?

ttt

lars

Daniel -
If it's working fine, take it to a car wash, take the air filter off, cover the carb inlet and the distributor with plastic and a rubber band, and blast it off after soaking it with some Wesley's Bleach White Tire & Sidewall Cleaner (available at K-Mart). This will knock the crud off it without damaging the paint on your engine (carb cleaner works really well as paint stripper...).

Of course, I'll be more than glad to go through it for you if you need it, but the car wash works just great for knocking the cr@@$ off it.

daniel77350

its out of the car already, so could I use carb cleaner and rag on my work bench??

Daniel

Techno

Most of the good carb cleaners are pretty hazardous. And you would have to take it apart to use it.
I haven't had much luck getting the dark varnish staining out but I had good luck with simple green for disolving carbon. I haven't tried it on a carb yet for the varnish.
Maybe the only way to get it clean is to scrub it with a scotch brite or an abrasive of some kind. Just about anything will clean it except for the dark color tha doesn't seem to want to come out, even with some carb cleaners

daniel77350

I wonder if I could repaint the body of it. What if I masked all the screw heads, and anything else that looks like it shouldn't be painted(like the bottom of the carb, or any internals). This way Im only painting the body of the carb.

I realize Im looking at about a 2 hour masking job, but I think it'd be worth it. I'm one that will spend hours making sure the masking is perfect, and I'll go so far as to mask of a thin area around a bolt where it contacts the metal, so when I paint the part, the paint doesn't paint the bolt to the part, making it harder to get off later....When I mask, I mask... :lol:

Daniel

lars

Daniel -
If the carb is original and has not been through a commercial carb rebuilder, it will still have the original Iridite finish on it. Iridite, also referred to as Alodine by some sources, is a chemical conversion coating that imparts a brownish-gold hue to the aluminum-based alloy. This finish is not very abrasion resistant like anodize, so it can be removed by brushing and Scotch Brite. Don't use anything even slightly abrasive, or you will remove this finish. Commercial rebuilders will media blast the carbs and remove all the finish down to bare aluminum casting. Better builders, like The Carb Shop, Holley, etc. will re-dip the carbs to put the iridite back on. If your carb has not been abused and brushed, it will still have this finish, and you should take care of it.

If the carb is off the car and on your workbench, you can clean it up pretty good without abrading it by buying a can of GumOut Carb & Choke Cleaner from K-Mart or Walmart (make sure you buy the real choke cleaner and not injector cleaner...). The can is white, and has orange and blue lettering on it if I remember right... Put the carb in your oil drain pan to capture the cleaner. This cleaner is very good, and is unlike regular "dip carb cleaner" in that it evaporates very quickly, almost like starter fluid. It leaves no residue. You can blast off the whole outside of the carb with no damage to the carb. It will dry clean, and it will look good if your iridite plating is still intact. Pour the runoff into your oil recycle container, and dispose of properly.

I suggest you don't paint it, as it will look very "artificial." It will also polute my carb tank if you ever send it out to me...

ZD75blue

for the white stuff that sticks to the carb, i used scotch brite pads it took it right off... it would work better if you cut a strip, 1 or two inches across and 3 or so inches long, get the little nooches and crannies

ZD75blue

whoa just read lars second post.... dont use the scotch brite... looks like that was my problem.... no plating on the carb :(

Techno

Is this carb cleaner something you would normaly put in the fuel tank?
I'm trying to remember so when I need it I can find it.

daniel77350

its in a spray can. Its white, and by gumout...

Daniel

lars

Techno -
No - it's not the stuff that you put in the tank - that's where you have to watch out, 'cause they make that stuff, too. This can specifically says "choke cleaner" on it, and it's in a spray can. It's great stuff. So good, in fact, that the EPA won't let us use the stuff for cleaning rocket engine parts at Lockheed Martin anymore. If it's been banned by the EPA, you know it's good. You better buy some before the environmentalists figure out what's in the can...!