Carb cleaning with vinegar

[Syd]

The Scenorio

Recently I was doing a Google search for a carb cleaner or carb dip. I soon discovered that I can not get a liquid carb dip (like Berrymans or Gunk) in Oz for love nor money. I phoned a number of carburetor service places here in Melbourne to see if they would sell me a couple of liters of the carb dip that they use but no go, they would not even small me a small quantity for my own use.

So back to Google. I found a website that gave instructions on how to clean carbs with common household white vinegar. It suggests dipping the carbs in undiluted white vinegar and then dipping in a solution of baking soda and water. I assume the baking soda solution is to neutralize the acidity of the vinegar.

The Question

Has anyone else heard of this method? Are there likely to be any issues using vinegar to clean carbs?

I thought that I might give it try on my cruddy old outboard engine carbs as they are pretty gummed and don't idle properly even after cleaning them with spray can carb cleaner.

Of course there is Yamalube carb cleaner but if the vinegar idea works it would be much cheaper and easier to dispose.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[chuck hahn]

Well..Ive never done carbs in it but i just got done with an overnight soaking of all the connectors on my 78 1000 C projects wiring harness. Came out shiney like new. But remember that the acidity in vinegar will also turn the aluminum carb bodies a very dingy darkish grey. So will the citric acids in things like the lemon juice boil and such.

EDIT...Ive heard good things about the Yamaha cleaner..just leave them in an extra 8 hrs or so just to be sure.

 

[ValorSolo]

This actually sounds more logical to me than lemon juice.
I thought of trying it, back when I did my carbs, but went with the lemon juice as directed.
I have a set of carbs that I can test it on, if you need someone to be a pioneer.
No harm if it doesn't work, I have a set coming soon from TheCafeKid.

I'll try a couple different methods with vinegar and see what happens.

 

[GateKeeper]

Some PineSol, and a bit of scrubbing with w plastic bristle brush (one used for baby bottles) to get in between the nooks and crannies, and you should be good to go

take apart and remove the slides, other than that let them soak for 24 hours...

all the pics are here

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=184389&page=2

.

 

[platinum2]

hey gk have you started the bike yet? did the pine sol hurt the rubber at all? the o rings,and rubber air/vent tubes that connect the carbs?
i guess i could remove them ,but im worried about the o rings on the needle and seats, yours shut off ok, no leaks or bad orings?

 

[chuck hahn]

Platinum2..if your gonna tear them down and dip them, youve got to remove the pilot and air screws to allow the juice to get thru the passages properly. Secondly, why would you do a carb job and not use new orings all the way around? They are cheap enough at 18.00 per kit from Cycleorings.com ( Robertbarr here on the forum ). Serves no purpose to reuse old orings to only realise you gotta tear them apart AGAIN to replace them.

 

[Nessism]

hey gk have you started the bike yet? did the pine sol hurt the rubber at all? the o rings,and rubber air/vent tubes that connect the carbs?
i guess i could remove them ,but im worried about the o rings on the needle and seats, yours shut off ok, no leaks or bad orings?

Check my signature for the carb rebuild tutorial. Short cuts are long cuts when it comes to carb cleaning.

 

[GateKeeper]

hey gk have you started the bike yet? did the pine sol hurt the rubber at all? the o rings,and rubber air/vent tubes that connect the carbs?
i guess i could remove them ,but im worried about the o rings on the needle and seats, yours shut off ok, no leaks or bad orings?

everything was rebuilt/replaced, all new O rings installed after the cleaning, got the kit from cycleoring, as others have mentioned, follow the guidelines and you should have no problems

even got the new O rings for the intake boots and the nice and shiny new ss bolts......

I have not started the bike yet, couldn't as I was working on the engine, but will be soon....

 

[ValorSolo]

I boiled one of my carbs in vinegar for 30 minutes. I have another still "cooking" on low heat for a few hours.
Now these carbs were boiled in lemon juice a few weeks ago and have been setting on a shelf since.
When I removed the boiled carb there was a lot of crude floating in the vinegar.
Which tells me that the lemon juice may not have done such a good job.
I soaked it in baking soda and water and then brushed it with a small hand brush.
Well, it looks clean.

After the other carb cooks for a while, I'll repeat the soaking and brushing, and see if it works as well as boiling.

And all jets have been removed. I didn't clean them in this test, just the bodies.

 

[Guest]

Go the Yamalube Syd, it's good stuff but smells wicked... I recommend not doing it underneath the house if that's where your garage is! I ended up with a pedestal fan circulating near the saucepan to try to force at least some of the fumes outside.

I simmered both carbs in a saucepan on a portable hot plate, took about 2 hours all up for both carbs and all the jets and bits and pieces separately and I did it with a 1:1 mix of Yamalube to water.

They came out spotless...

Gave them a good spray with the hose afterwards, then compressed air through every nook, cranny, crevice, and passage.

Then I sprayed some aerosol carb cleaner through again, then compressed air again.

Naturally I got the kit from www.cycleorings.com as well...

 

[john82q]

snake oil

snake oil

Seems like every man and his dog has a preferred solution for cleaning carbs!

Mine is Nail Polish remover, (acetone) down the supermaket I but the biggest no-brand squeeze bottle they have or 2. its like 7 bucks.

Pull the carbs fully apart, and squirt the stuff though everything, passages jets difusion tubes and all, it pretty much dissolves all the varnish and crud instantly. I do mean squirt too, stick the tip in a hole a squease till u to get a stream .(theres a double entendre)

blow out with air, for perfect working carbs. ((also when blowing, blow backward to the normal flow) maybe one there too)

No soaking for hours, just not needed.

That wont beatify the outside any, but who cares about that?

Cheers John

 

[Guest]

Seems like every man and his dog has a preferred solution for cleaning carbs!

Mine is Nail Polish remover, (acetone) down the supermaket I but the biggest no-brand squeeze bottle they have or 2. its like 7 bucks.

Pull the carbs fully apart, and squirt the stuff though everything, passages jets difusion tubes and all, it pretty much dissolves all the varnish and crud instantly. I do mean squirt too, stick the tip in a hole a squease till u to get a stream .(theres a double entendre)

blow out with air, for perfect working carbs. ((also when blowing, blow backward to the normal flow) maybe one there too)

No soaking for hours, just not needed.

That wont beatify the outside any, but who cares about that?

Cheers John

Nice one John, whoever would've thought hey? Hair spray for hand grips, nail polish remover for carbs... not just girly stuff at all