Ultrasonic cleaning

[aquamantx]

So some of you use ultrasonic cleaners to do your carbs. Am I just not looking in the right place or do you need to be independently wealthy to buy a unit of a decent size?
What brand would be the best investment?

[jwhughes3]

Hard to say - there are some stainless ones on eBay for under $150 that are 6Liters.

I bought this 6 Liter version a few years ago - I think I paid $249 but its gone down in price.

It fits a full rack in diagonally with the basket out - won't be fully submerged, but you run it for an hour then turn it over and run another cycle. Repeat until clean enough for you. It has a heat cycle too.

I found original PineSol diluted to about half strength to be the best cleaner for our carbs - won't damage the rubber and does a good job breaking down the dirt.

Try and power wash the outside first to get more gunk off before putting them in and be sure to take diaphragms out.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6L-300W-STAI...8d4ekhXO1QMehw

John

[mack]

I have

a large "branson"that I use for just about everything. I bought it direct as a refurbished unit for $940 canadian. I can get a complete head in it so a bank of carbs are not problem at all. The same unit new listed at $3500.00 but as I said, I use it for everything.

[Bikes]

I velcroed a palm sander on an empty peanut butter jar, suspend it with a rope, put some lemon juice or CLR in there...
Saw it on a youtube video....
I have another jar with black beauty in it for steel parts....

[Prothec]

I use a 2.5L Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner and do a couple of carb bodies at a time. I also use Pine Sol as well, but I haven't been diluting. Make sure you rinse everything off afterwards otherwise it will leave a white powder residue at full strength.

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-lite...ner-95563.html

There are always 20% off coupons available for Harbor Freight (motorcycle magazines, printable online, etc).

I would love to get a hold of one of those larger stainless steel units one day.

[Blank Slate]

So some of you use ultrasonic cleaners to do your carbs. Am I just not looking in the right place or do you need to be independently wealthy to buy a unit of a decent size?
What brand would be the best investment?

This is a good size cleaner for a full set of carbs. Bonus free shipping in the US and they're accepting best offers.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Branson-M880...TkhzM#shpCntId

[mack]

Pablo

Check here first for a referbished unit like I have.
http://www.crystalelectronics.ca/

[Blank Slate]

Check here first for a referbished unit like I have.
http://www.crystalelectronics.ca/

Yep if I was going to buy in Canada I'd give them a call. But for our US brethren, it would prob cost a lot in shipping duties taxes. Unless they're at a border town like Detroit and can drive over to pick up. If I was American I'd be Shopping in Canada with the exchange rate these days, 30% off everything!

[aquamantx]

Thanks for the information. I am glad there is a place to learn besides my standard trial and error.

[dbeardslee]

I've always had good results just using carb cleaner - about five or six cans per rack of carbs. As far as cleaning the outside, if you have an air compressor, it's hard to beat a soda blaster. All you need is an airgun, a piece of rubber tubing, and a ten pound jug of baking soda - available in the swimming pool supplies section of most hardware stores.

Just don't use a soda blaster around grass - it'll make the soil PH way too alkaline and the grass won't like it. When I did mine I did it in the driveway, and just blew it off with a leaf blower and then rinsed it with a hose. The great thing about baking soda is that it won't damage the aluminum, and there's very little cleanup involved, but you definitely want to use it outdoors.

[Blank Slate]

How much power do I need in the air compressor to do the soda blaster dbeardlee? I have an old 2 gallon air compressor that is so weak. Only thing it does properly is inflate kids balls and car tires.

[dbeardslee]

How much power do I need in the air compressor to do the soda blaster dbeardlee? I have an old 2 gallon air compressor that is so weak. Only thing it does properly is inflate kids balls and car tires.

The more pressure and bigger tank you've got, the better it's going to work. I used a 2HP 30 gallon oiled Kobalt compressor pumped up to 150 psi when I did mine, and it worked great. You could probably do it with a smaller compressor but it'll take longer since they usually only go to about 120 psi and with a small tank an air gun will drain it pretty quick. I used 1/2" tubing when I did mine, but with a smaller tube the pressure might last longer, but you'll also be hitting a much smaller area..

This is basically the same thing a dental hygienist uses when they clean teeth, only their setup is a lot fancier. But it's still a baking soda blaster. And they use it for pretty much the same reasons I did. It'll knock the stains off your teeth without damaging the enamel (or in this case it will take stains off aluminum without damage) and it's not toxic. I'd still use a mask, though - you get a lot of dust flying around. And do it before you clean the carbs since they will need to be cleaned afterwards.

[aquamantx]

Well I'm three cans of carb cleaner in and can't seem to get the small passage in the bowl clean. Tried soaking it with the cleaner for about 30 min and pushing a small nylon wire through but can't seem to get the passage open. Dynamite was an option but the effects on the bowl were not acceptable. So now I am looking into ultrasonics. The carb bodies seemed to clean fairly easily.

[dbeardslee]

Well I'm three cans of carb cleaner in and can't seem to get the small passage in the bowl clean. Tried soaking it with the cleaner for about 30 min and pushing a small nylon wire through but can't seem to get the passage open. Dynamite was an option but the effects on the bowl were not acceptable. So now I am looking into ultrasonics. The carb bodies seemed to clean fairly easily.

I always stick the red straw as far into the hole at the bottom of bowl as it will go, and pull the trigger. If that doesn't work you might try stipping the paper off a twist tie and using the inner wire. An old guitar string would probably work the best. Might have to go at it from both sides too - the hole at the bottom and the hole in the lip. Nylon may not be stiff enough to do the job. Last time I did my carbs I put the bowls in a gallon pail of carb cleaner and let them soak while I cleaned the carb bodies and linkages.

[aquamantx]

Would like to soak them but its a midnight and paint don't like carb cleaner. Still strip and repaint is an option.