carb dip/cleaner what good

[earthquake]

I'm about ready to rebuild some carburetors soon, I'm looking for a good cleaner/dip. Is there something that works as good a regular carb dip that is not as expensive, it seems like most of the brand name carb dips are not as good as they used to be, is there something better out there? I would love to have a ultra sonic cleaner but its not in my budget right now.

Casey
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[77charger]

best stuff out was back in the 80s.
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[Bruce Amacker]

I agree about the 80's, the EPA made things much more difficult for chemical manufacturers lately. The last stuff I bought was at CarQuest, a 1 gallon bucket with dip tray ($20?) and it was so worthless I returned it for a refund. It was no better than kerosene. Napa (last I checked) got something like $40-50(!) for a gallon but it might work better. Years back their 5 gallon bucket was $40 and it kicked ass.

Has anyone used a carb solvent that WORKS lately?
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[borninabus]

[tattooed_pariah]

At my parents place, my dad still has some Berryman's dip in the one gallon cans from the early 90's, it works better than modern Berryman's, even after all these years..

I have a new can of Berryman's that did a decent job during my last dual 40IDF rebuilds but it's definitely not as concentrated as the old stuff..

If I remember right, it's about $15-25 per can (I bought mine at least a year ago, don't remember the actual price..)
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[jfats808]

Nothing can be as bad as the set of IDA's i rebuilt last. Aluminum oxide film mixing with water creating a white goopy foam, rusty shafts that locked in the open position when you rotated the butterflys, just heavy aluminum exfoliation throughout the inside down the throats, corroded-fused jets,etc etc. Carb dip cleaned it up quite exquisitely after taking apart them both and soaking. It took two full days for all the parts to soak. A smab of bearing grease on the outside of the shaft body and it was flapping freely. Reassembled and set float and it was ready for pickup/service.

[uglyduck]

I have heard that soaking carbs in boiling lemon juice will work good, but do it outside(stinky),possibly try building a homemade soda blaster for the really bad stuff.

[kyle_pc_75]

[jfats808]

I apologize Kyle. I sometimes assume people know a product without me specifying. The california compliant version isnt as good as the older mix but still works, just with more dip time.
Its Berrymans Chem dip. Bear in mind that the amount of dip time is proportionate to how bad your carbs/part condition is. Make sure you read the warning labels. I hope this helps you.

http://www.midwayautosupply.com/p-1586-chem-dip-pa...t0996.aspx
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[tattooed_pariah]

[kyle_pc_75]

Cool, thanks jfats.

Kyle

[SGKent]

Berrymans works. Just watch them. The chemicals will eat the aluminum if you leave it in too long.
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[vboat man]

go to your local automotive paint supplier and buy there spray gun cleaner. Strip Eve brand if they have it. smells and works like the old stuff.just used it to clean a pair of dells and it worked fine. comes in gallon cans for about 15.00 bucks.

[hoghead]

I would rather buy some commercial swill, but unavailable here in Thailand; You can brew your ownusing 10% methylene chloride or MEK (methyl ethyl ketone)+ either kerosene or alcohol. Both chemicals are nasty stuff.

Wec an also get trichloroethylene or perchloroethylene but I am a bit leery to use either due to health risks.
Go figure no carb cleaner but nasty chemicals are freely available.

There is always boiling vinegar, but I put my faith in the nasty chemicals.

[GeorgeL]

Keep in mind that folks are talking about two distinct chemical families here.

Lemon juice, vinegar, etc. are acids and will definitely attack metals. They might remove corrosion, but are dangerous to alloy castings. Be careful if you decide to go this route.

The other solvents (paint thinner, etc.) are closer to the original dip and will attack grease, varnish, and other organics. That's what you want to clean the munge out of the carburator.

I've found the hassle of dips are not worth it unless you are rebuilding many carbs. A can of Berryman's spray cleaner and some careful spraying through the passages will usually do a better job and you aren't left with a gallon of hazardous waste to dispose of. Do the spritzing of the passages over a pan and use a brush to apply the drained liquid a second time on the outside of the carburetor.

[Mooosman]

Go to your local Yamaha motorcycle dealer, and ask for a bottle of this:

http://www.parkeryamaha.com/yamahacarburetorcleanerdip.aspx

This is the best stuff I have found. I went to Wal-Mart and bought an $8 hot plate and a large steel pot. Then, you dilute the cleaner with water, and heat it to boiling. Put your parts in the dip, and let it boil for a while. After you pull your parts out, a final rinse down with Berrymans B-12 (in the spray can) and blow off the parts with compressed air. Works great for carbs and any other small parts.

Make sure to do this outside, as the fumes are a bit harsh when the cleaner is boiling!

Nick

[frank1380]

I rebuilt a pair of DCNFs using just the spray cans rather than the dip. I don't have any experience with the dips as I didn't think these particular carbs required that much firepower. The one I thought worked the best was the NAPA brand. However it does contain NMP (n-methyl pyrolidone) which when added to water makes a great aluminum etchant. It also smells like oranges.

I kept losing my carburetor sprays so I kept buying more. I finally found all the cans I'd bought and put them in the picture.
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[raygreenwood]

This is a great thread....but just my normal warning. be VERY careful . I make my own brew.....but I am VERY careful.

The chemicals that are missing that make Berrymans B-9 chem-dip not quite as good as it used to be ...are healthy parts of MEK..... Methyl-ethyl-ketone....and if you are not in Kalipornia....it has Methylene Chloride (also known as Dichloromethane)in it.

Now...both MEK and MC...are carcinogens. Nasty, nasty, nasty stuff. They also eat livers for lunch. You can buy MEK by the quart/gallon at Homo Depot.

Chem dip looks like this....chemically:

Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane) 55-65%
Cresols 10-15%
Mixed xylenes 20-30%
sodium bichromate less than 4%
Ethyl benzene Less than 6%

Note: Cresol is a mixing additive used to keep the chemicals in solution. It is also in Lysol and is why Chem dip smells similar to lysol. It is methylphenol. Its nice to have to help keep greases disolved and mixed with the chemicals so you can uses the chem dip over and over....but not necessary for short term if you are making your own brew.

Note: Sodium bichromate....is hydrated sodium dihchromate....and is very TOXIC....VERY> It is also known as dichromic acid. its an oxidizer that simultaneoulsy creates corrossion inhibitors. Very nasty...contains chromium and pottassium....and is the caustic part of Chem dip.....and gives it that anti-freeze glow in the dark color

Note: The mixed xyelenes are mainly a mixture of xylene (the main ingredient in paint thinner)....that are mixed to keep their solvability high and their flashpoing high as well so they evaporate slowly.

note: Ethylbenzene is ONLY mentioned...because (a) its toxic and (b) because you cannot make xylene without having some ethylbenzene in it. Its a contaminant.

So...to get a very good version of this mixture, you can use 2 quarts of MEK to 1 quarts Xylene. To keep the flash point down and keep it mixed well...buy medium xylene. If you can find Methylene Chloride....add 1 quart.
Try not to add alcohol or Acetone. These work well for paints and varnishes but are very poor agaionst greases and oils. They also are co-solvents with water and will absorb water vapor.

USE THIS OUTDOORS ...and stay upwind. Store it in a cool place it expands with heat. Ray

[JasonBaker]

Don't forget saftey glasses and possibly a dust mask. Rubber gloves wouldn't hurt either. Carb Chem-Dip is nasty stuff, works like magic though.

[GeorgeL]

Dust mask won't do you much good against vapors. Better to work outside with the wind at your back. No protection is better than "almost" protection.

One of the reasons I don't use dips any more is that the smell of the stuff is pervasive and if you spill any in your garage it will take years to get rid of it. I had a gallon of the good 'ol formula that finally ate its way through the can and soaked into the concrete below. If you have a can keep it in a metal pan that is large enough to hold the entire gallon of dip when it leaks.

And, do you have a plan for disposing of the stuff when you're done with it? It can be reused, but it doesn't last forever!