Best Carb Cleaner?

[MuckSavage]

Okay, what do you like to use? Is there a specific brand? Whatever's on sale? Good ol' pour in liquid STP? Please list your answers as spray & liquid.

I.E.;
Spray; Berkobile Gum Cutter
Liquid; Sea Foam

I ask this 'cause I bought some cheapie spray stuff & it seemed like I used alot to clean a little!
I saw some stuff that looked similar PB Blaster can, but it was a carb treatment....anyone ever use that?

[draddogs]

I like warm soappy water and an old tooth brush to clean the body and related parts then use CRC carb cleaner to get the passages and jets clean.

[Ken in NJ]

What ever is on sale ... I just buy a case of 12 .. I also use my neighbors parts cleaner for general cleaning.

[DLF_IN]

I usually use paint thinner on the outside before I take one apart. Then I use Beeryman's B12 in all the jets and passages.
Dave

[Husqvarnas traktorer]

I use Barryman's Chem Tool dip. Dip the carburetor in it for about 30 minutes and hose off with water. It is reusable and lasts a long time. It works on engine parts like hot tanking with out the heat. Comes in 1 gallon and 5 gallon buckets. I have an old waterpic unit to jet out the carburetor jets and passages with hydraulic water pressure then blow out with air

[CityFarmer]

I always liked Berkible stuff but I have not seen it around in years. I usually do not let things get too bad...so plain old Gumout is enough for me.

[Dude11]

Guys,If you've heard of or tried this,you will agree.Got it from a fellow that's been doing it for years with total success.I had a Walbro on a Tec.engine that just would not be cleaned(internally)after three attemps.I then came across his recipe,you got to stick to amounts and brands,one gal.water,one cup of Tide laundry soap powder;bring to a boil and suspend carb.body from wire in the mix.Let it boil one hour.Pull it out, rinse and then blow it out with compressor.Install your rebuild kit,and your good to go.I did all this in my shop on a fish cooker burner,it is not what your wife wants to find on the stove I also have done this on two other carbs.with great success So give a try next time you have one to rebuild,cheap and very affective. Dude11

[mark777]

I can't remember what a poster said but …it was a home brew of alcohol and something else?? Maybe vinegar?? It was months ago, looked for the thread but couldn’t find it.

[Tractor-Holic]

I use whatever I have handy--Laquer thinner,Mineral Spirits,or some Gumout in either spray can or liquid form..if your able to afford it,they have one gallon cans of carb cleaner available with a dip basket that works great,but dont put any nylon,plastic,or brass parts in it,because they WILL dissapear or be damged!..a neighbor of mine used that to clean a carb off a late model Briggs motor that was made completely of nylon,and it was GONE when he lifted the basket up an hour later to see how it was cleaning it!--all that remained was a pile of sticky goo,and a few springs and other metal prts!..

I have read in old hot rod magazines that toilet bowl cleaner like Vanish or Sani-Flush worked well on old carbs that were heavily oxidized,and I tried using some,it does work quite well,but is very caustic--use gloves and eye protection when using it..I simply submerged the carb in a plastic bucket of water and added some Vanish,shook it up a bit,let it soak for 15 munites,and it came out bright and shiny like new..

An older friend who restores antique cars uses battery electrolyte to clean his carbs that are all white and pasty from years of moisture exposure,and it works very well,but you must not leave the carb in it for long--it fizzes like soda,and will eat any brass parts quickly!..use baking soda and water to thouroghly rinse the carb out to neutralize the acid after cleaning,and blow it dry with an air gun..you can buy battery electrolyte at good parts stores in gallon size plastic bags..this is best on carbs that are really corroded,it will work when everything else fails,it even boils out the jet passages that were clogged with corrosion..but too long in the solution will eat the carb completely,so don't just drop it in and walk away!..

Bob

[okieduc104]

I like a good solvent cleaner, aerosol B-12 works well to clean the passages and circuits in a carb, be sure to use rubber gloves and eye protection, it hurts like crazy if you get it in your eyes. Outboard engines are very bad to clog up due the the mix of oil and gas after they have spent the winter outside. I disconnect the fuel snap on hose and fill the hose it with B-12 (pour can) and pump it into the carb several times, wash out the inside of the carb by spraying it into the intake, it also is good starting fluid.

For small engines that have set for a long period of time (tiller)(pressure washer) that have the fuel tank on top of the carb, I will put a small amount into the almost empty tank and put the choke on and pull the spark plug and pull the starting rope thru a couple of times, then let it sit for 30 minutes, pull it thru a couple more times, blow out the stuff on top of the piston, replace the spark plug, fill the fuel tank with fresh gas , be sure it has plenty of oil, and starts right up and runs smooth.

I need to find a gallon of that B-12 soaking stuff, where do they sell it?

[Reep1077]

I like to use the napa brand carb dip. Remove all the plastic and neoprene part then let it soak for 20 min or so. Then I grab the crc carb cleaner and spray it down good. next I grab my torch tip cleaners and clean the jets and passages. After all that I give it one last blast with the CRC cleaner and put it back together......So far so good, they always come clean.

[echoman]

Totally agree with the B-12 by Chemtool! Works 10x faster and better all around than Gumout. Tends to burn in the eyes worse too! Highly recommend a face shield or safety glasses at least when using it.

[pigsitter]

Originally Posted by echoman

Totally agree with the B-12 by Chemtool! Works 10x faster and better all around than Gumout. Tends to burn in the eyes worse too! Highly recommend a face shield or safety glasses at least when using it.

works great but really burns the eyes,luckily I wear glasses!!

[tommyj3]

For carb rebuilds and cleaning I use the cheap brand sold by Wal-mart, Super Tech carb cleaner. Works good for me.
For preventive maintainance I use Seafoam in every tank of gasoline. I'm a firm believer if you use Seaform you won't need the Super Tech cleaner.

[USN_ED]

Chemtool works great.