[krossthreads]

any of my fellow gearhead family out there have a "household cleaner"solution that I could mix up to soak a carb in overnight before I rebuild it? don't want to spend a small fortune at the part's store on carb cleaner. I'm just concerned about chemical's attacking the aluminum.Any suggestion's would be appreciated..I'll close with one to throw out there,Ever get tree pitch on your hood or roof? try a little mayonaisse..Later..

[Henry Highrise]

You could use a spray can of carb cleaner and wet everything down good and then use a air hose to blow any remaining dirt and crude away. Wear your saftey glasses.

[oldred]

Never tried it (not likely to either) but I know a guy who swears by used cooking oil to clean parts. Might be a little smelly though.

[302 Z28]

Believe it or not a 5 gallon tub (or smaller) of anti freeze heated to about 180 degrees witll clean just about anything.

Vince

[oldred]

Originally Posted by 302 Z28

Believe it or not a 5 gallon tub (or smaller) of anti freeze heated to about 180 degrees witll clean just about anything.

Vince

Whoaa! Fill us in here! Is that an AF water mix or straight AF? I have been wondering just this week about what I could use in a cleaning tank because I don't need the hassle of the Sodium Hydroxide solution I used back in my shop but I sure miss the stuff. I had a really crudded up (hey I just invented a new word! ) set of Dodge 318 heads and spent $40 having them tanked but they came back about as bad as they left, $40 dollars totally wasted.

[302 Z28]

Oldred, in the model hobby we used a heated mixture of AF and water, usually at 50%. We would use it to clean gunked up model aircraft engines. It works great for getting off burnt castor oil sludge and built up grime. I suspect you may have to leave a carb in it for longer than 24 hours though.

Vince

[oldred]

I have a tank with an electric heater element set-up that was originally used with with Caustic Soda solution but as I said I don't want the hassles of having that stuff anywhere near my house but anti-freeze would not be bad at all where my tank is. I will give that a try, I mean heck a few gallons of AF and plug that thing up and see what happens! Thanks

[gcrmcc]

Originally Posted by oldred

I have a tank with an electric heater element set-up that was originally used with with Caustic Soda solution but as I said I don't want the hassles of having that stuff anywhere near my house but anti-freeze would not be bad at all where my tank is. I will give that a try, I mean heck a few gallons of AF and plug that thing up and see what happens! Thanks

Let us know how the AF works! I don't have a heated tank but will have one if it the AF cleans well!!

gcrmcc

[oldred]

May be a few days before I get that thing out and filled up but I certainly intend to try it. Even if it takes 2 or 3 days longer than than Caustic solutions so what? It will be a lot easier to deal with and once a year the county here has a hazardous substance pickup for residents to take old paint and such and they will take old antifreeze (for free even) but they will not take Sodium Hydroxide at all. Disposable of caustic cleaning solutions is expensive plus I would have to haul it a long way and besides the stuff is just plain dangerous!


I suppose I could just pour it in the ditch when I am through with it though.

[gcrmcc]

I suppose I could just pour it in the ditch when I am through with it though.


Just don't let the neighbors see you! LOL. Several years ago I was spraying lacquer thinner through one of my cheap (I know, a bad word) paint guns doing a quickie cleaning and an old lady down the road drove by and watched intently as she passed my shop. about a 1/2 hour later a deputy came by the house and told me he had a complaint from the old lady.
He said she saw me spraying toxic waste in the air. Said she new what toxic waste smelled like and I had on a toxic waste mask. The deputy thought this was funny when I told him I was cleaning out an old paint gun with lacquer thinner. Of course he said, "I see nothing wrong, have a nice day."

gcrmcc

[oldred]

I know exactly what you mean and I got reported for burning old tires once (highly illegal) by some "concerned" neighbors who saw the smoke from a mile away but actually we were burning an old barn and I had the local fire dept there overseeing everything.


BTW I was just joking about pouring that stuff in the ditch.


Another BIG advantage to this AF trick if it works, and I bet it will, is that it can most likely be used to clean Aluminum parts like carburetors that would be destroyed in that caustic solution, that is if they did'nt just disappear altogether!

[302 Z28]

Originally Posted by oldred

Aluminum parts like carburetors that would be destroyed in that caustic solution, that is if they did'nt just disappear altogether!

That is where it really works well as almost all model aircraft engines are aluminum. Just don't use the environmentally friendly stuff as it will not work.

Vince

[gcrmcc]

qoute by oldred, "BTW I was just joking about pouring that stuff in the ditch".

I knew you wouldn't pour it in a ditch, I was just messing with you.

gcrmcc