Best way to clean carbs

What is the best way to clean the carbs to make them like new again? Etching them with Alconox, Chem-Dip? I don't have a power washer, so I'm trying to figure uot a cheap way to get these new looking again. If I did send out, how much would that cost to thoroughly clean them?

buy a gallon of chemtool or similar cleaner at the parts store for less than $20 bucks. works great. even comes with a little tray inside for the brass parts.

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What did we conclude about Conti's thread about using a mild lemon juice solution and simmering the carb bodies?

Has anyone else tried it?:huh:

I'll reinterate, don't bother with Chemtool, (although I can't say I've ever tried it so I could be wrong). If it's sold through the normal discount chains, checker, autozone and the like it won't work. Stuff is "safe mode", made to work, but very mildly, but be safe in case you accidently drink a pint of it I'm all for safe where safe is called for, but not here. Get the Napa stuff, it's eaten the paint off the pail it comes in that I have. Now just last week in my saga of clogged pilots, I worked over a set of VM24 airscrew type carbs in my Napa cleaner and you ought to see them, they down right gleem, where they were so cruddy. You're best off removing rubber before putting in the napa cleaner, because rubber turns mushy, but even at that it seems to all return to normal in short order. The instructions say dip parts for 20 min. That's all it takes, believe it or not. Stuff comes out of the dip shiney and clean. I recommend it highly. Sorry to rant on about a product, but in my many years in this world I've seen so much damn crap, stuff that does not work. I hate that! I want something that works and this stuff fits the bill.

I have a bucket or Berrymans carb dip. You can have it if you want cause the crap just does not work. When the carbs come out you still have to scrub them to get them anywhere close to clean. I left a CB350 carb bowl in there once for a month. It was badly varnished and stained. I took it out after a month and it looked worse than before. I have also tried dipping them for only an hour with the same results. The come out with a dark grey color and the staind are still there. I think the product is junk. I tried the lemon juice method with hardly any results. I might not have used enough lemon juice but who knows.

I boil them in a mixture of 50% lemon juice and 50% water.....the acidic content of the lemon juice and agitation of the boiling water works great......they ain't shiney, but they're clean

unkle fester wrote:

I boil them in a mixture of 50% lemon juice and 50% water.....the acidic content of the lemon juice and agitation of the boiling water works great......they ain't shiney, but they're clean

does this setup clean the inner ports out as well?

yep.....I have cleaned a few sets like this and cleans everything......

Post edited by: unkle fester, at: 2007/04/29 20:47

cool. cheap and effective. just what i like!

You might try boiling them in elephant piss.
No elephant piss? Automatic dishwasher detergent is a good substitute.

I went to Napa today to get some of the good stuff(Carb cleaner). Brought it up to the counter and they told me it was $60 for one gallon can! :woohoo: :woohoo: I put it back on the shelf. I guess i will try the lemon juice trick.