What ya think is best way to clean up appearance of the carbs?

[BReyes]

What ya think is best way to clean up appearance of the carbs?

Have seen some nice looking new ones as well as rebuilt, similar to pic below:

Thank you,

[RoninLB]

I would acid clean the parts or maybe someone has a better idea for cleaning?

I started with new carbs so only toluene then alcohol cleaning needed before por-15 Plucid clear. It's good for around 400degF and been great for a couple of years. Still looks brand new. Clear is around $20/pt. This pic is when 1st installed after painting. I'll take a current pic if needed, but it looks the same with no discoloring.

[emcon5]

Close the engine cover.

Tom

[RoninLB]

If I had a CIS I'd always keep the lid closed also like emcon5.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by RoninLB
If I had a CIS I'd always keep the lid closed also like emcon5.

Let's raise it high & proud, Ron! Oh, your car's engine lid as well. Never saw the POR 15 trick before. Great detailing on your part.

[BReyes]

What are you guys doing to clean the carbs. All I have presently is carb cleaner.


Ronin: I have to try the POR products. Haven't shopped for it yet. Didn't think about having to paint the carbs though.

Emicon: I guess what you are saying is SOP is to clean them, tune them and run them.

I cant imagine my (highely respected) wrench(s) doing such a thing, because it doesn't make it go faster, but I guess it falls into that category, that when you do it yourself it can be better (at least in appearance).

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by BReyes

. Didn't think about having to paint the carbs though.

you don't have to paint them.



you should try to keep them decent looking even if you only smear them with grease and then wipe. Motorcyle chain spray grease dries to a film and doesn't attract dirt.

[wreckah]

ours are by no means perfect, but they're better than before:



tons of gasoline, carbcleaner and an old toothebrush did the job

[911pcars]

A submerged soak in a bucket of carb cleaner does wonders. I also had a set glass bead blasted once upon a time.

PS: Suggest finding something less hazardous than gasoline.

Sherwood

[t6dpilot]

Wreckah, I was thinking of giving my carbs a good cleaning this winter. Did you rebuild them or just clean the outside as a complete assembly? My car runs beautifully and I do not believe that they need to be rebuilt. They are just dirty and stained and would benefit from some TLC. They look kind of inbetween your left and right carbs in the picture. I was going to ask what to use, but you seem to have answered my question - gasoline ('ole blue as we say about avgas), carb cleaner, and a toothbrush. Exactly what I would have used.

[81 930]

I would recommend finding a shop that can blast the carbs with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The seals and machined surfaces need not be masked, as the soda is not abrasive enough to do them harm. It would not even be 100% necessary to disassemble the carbs before blasting, as long as care is taken during the blasting process and during clean up. I would recommend at least a partial tear down, which would allow the castings to be blasted on the inside. Afterwards, you just wash the parts in warm water to make certain all the soda is removed. The castings and linkage parts will come out looking as good as new. You would be impressed. Here are some before and after pics of a couple of warm up regulators:

BEFORE:


AFTER:


BEFORE:


AFTER:

[wreckah]

we completely dismantled them, cleaned every piece apart and rebuilt them with complete rebuild kits. Maybe it wasn't necessary, as the car was running OK, but after almost 40 years, they deserved it

oh, it took two full days to do the job

[fred cook]

I have found that once the carb bodies are fully stripped, you can use spray paint stripper and an old toothbrush to get than burnished new look back. The "crud" on the outside of old carbs is usually made up a combination of dirt, oil and dried fuel. The paint stripper cuts right thru the mess to the nice looking metal waiting underneath. I spray one carb body part, scrub with the toothbrush and immediately rinse off with cool water. The last set of carbs that I used this method on were a set of four 1bbls for a 140 hp Corvair engine. At the next car show, one of the judges wanted to know where I got the "new carburetors" ! Try it, you'll like it.

[t6dpilot]

Great ideas for a winter project. I'll just add that one to the long list. I have to check into a shop that soda blasts - I am not aware of one. The paint stripper method might be interesting to try, but with more effort of course (that's why we do this tinkering anyway, right). Maybe I will try one method on the left carb and the other on the right carb...

[Classic]

Soaked in carb cleaner, and used a toothbrush... i'm happy

Before:



After:

[john walker's workshop]

B12 chemtool.

[BReyes]

Ok Now we are definitely getting somewhere. There are ways to make them like new.

John: is B12 Chemtool like a paint stripper or carb cleaner?

Stripper requires complete rinsing- that much I know. I like the stripper idea because I believe I can fully strip and rinse with out leaving any debris behind. Carb cleaner cleaning is.

Alright guys show us what we can do with the hardware. What is best way to get the hardaware like new. Replating necessary?

Thanks again.

[Plavan]

Just buy PMO's :P