Aluminum Corrosion Prevention

[natemoen]

So I picked up a set of carbs a couple months ago for cheap and they have a moderate amount of the white powdery corrosion on then and in the float bowl. What can I do to prevent it from coming back once I get rid of it?

[IanDMacDonald]

I wonder if that's from nothem stored dry? If u plan-on keeping them stored, smear some two-stroke oil or a light coating of vaseline.

[mack]

Nate

I have a two carb bodies in the same situation. About four years ago, I had them in the ultra sound machine with simple green and got called away unexpectantly and forgot to remove them before I left. Came back a few hours later and rinsed them and dried them with compressed air. Unfortunately the white powder started to show up the next day. I've soaked them in water, oil, coated them with vasaline, soaked them in gasoline. I've had no luck at all. Time seems to be the only cure. I pick them up and inspect them every so often and soak and blow them out to remove the powder. There seems to be a little less each time,I keep them around just for reference, but i'd never run them on a bike again until the all the powder is gone. My take a couple more years but, I have lots of spare racks so I can wait. Good luck.

[MPittma100]

White Powder

The powder is normally a result of using the E10 fuel. When it evaporates, the white powder is left - usually stopping up the pilot jets and orifices.

Other than NOT using E10, a good product to use is Marvel Mystery Oil in the carbs when stored. It helps, but will not completely cure the woes of the ethanol.

[jetmechmarty]

I don't think Tetrapotassium*Pyrophosphate in Simple Green is friendly to aluminum. Many other degreasers have sodium hydroxide as the active ingredient. It is also unfriendly to aluminum. Get the grease off, then rinse off the solvent as quickly as possible.

[mack]

Marty

I agree, It's ok if you only bath the bodies for 30-40 minutes at a time and rinse like crazy after and blow dry them with compressed air immediately, but I won't use it at all now in my U/S cleaner. I use hospital auto clave solution now and it's aluminum friendly and works every bit as well!

[natemoen]

The powder is normally a result of using the E10 fuel. When it evaporates, the white powder is left - usually stopping up the pilot jets and orifices.

No it is not e10 residue, it is aluminum Oxidation.

[crazy steve]

I don't think Tetrapotassium*Pyrophosphate in Simple Green is friendly to aluminum. Many other degreasers have sodium hydroxide as the active ingredient. It is also unfriendly to aluminum. Get the grease off, then rinse off the solvent as quickly as possible.

It's not; the FAA banned it's use on aircraft after tracing it's use to at least one plane crash and a couple of helicopters failed airframe checks. It's a great cleaner, but you have to thoroughly rinse it off....

[Radioguylogs]

I should read the label on my Berryman carb cleaner- I am not having any trouble with oxidation at all.

[Schming]

I have a two carb bodies in the same situation. About four years ago, I had them in the ultra sound machine with simple green and got called away unexpectantly and forgot to remove them before I left. Came back a few hours later and rinsed them and dried them with compressed air. Unfortunately the white powder started to show up the next day. I've soaked them in water, oil, coated them with vasaline, soaked them in gasoline. I've had no luck at all. Time seems to be the only cure. I pick them up and inspect them every so often and soak and blow them out to remove the powder. There seems to be a little less each time,I keep them around just for reference, but i'd never run them on a bike again until the all the powder is gone. My take a couple more years but, I have lots of spare racks so I can wait. Good luck.

From the Simple Green Web site:

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?

When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.