Safe carburetor dip? Natural? Orange? Simple Green?

[EarlyPorsche]

As a proponent of safe alternatives to caustic chemicals, I am on the search for a safe and probably much cheaper alternative to Carburetor cleaner. In the past, when rebuilding carburetors (dirt bike/scooter/lawn equipment/912 solex's) I have used a large basin with a rough mixture of Simple Green and hot water. The simple green easily melted all of the gunk and left the parts clean when removed. I know that even these things can be harmful but they can't be worse than the carburetor cleaners that are out there. What I am looking for now is if there is anything better than what I have been doing. I want to do a quick and dirty tear-down of my Weber 40's because I suspect dirt in there is what is causing the idle pop out of one of the barrels. Spraying carburetor cleaner at the shafts doesn't raise idle so I don't think its an air leak and even if it is, its probably not a terrible one. So I want to tear apart the 40's, dip them, then give them a fresh water rinse, and reassemble them with new gaskets. I will count all of the adjuster threads so I can get it back together and running well easily. So what do I dip them in? Should I go with simple green in a bucket with hot water for an hour again?

[Porsche_monkey]

I soak them overnight in diesel fuel. Then I dump the diesel into my parts washer and let the recyclers worry about it.

Cheap and no hassles.

[RWebb]

or you could put the diesel in the oil recycling system - put in gallon jugs and if they don't do curbside pickup, take to any place that sells oil

[Porsche_monkey]

Or run it through a coffee filter and dump it in your Mercedes diesel....

[moneymanager]

If I recall correctly, Simple Green was found very destructive of aluminum in a government funded study...so if there is any aluminum in a Weber you may not be doing yourself a favor. There is however a version of the product which is approved for aluminum (search web on simple green and aluminum.)
Have you tried just cleaning the idle jets? Amazing what the tiniest bit of pollution in one idle jet will do to driveability.

[kenikh]

Simple Green and aluminum don't mix. Soak a nicely finished part in it overnight and you will see the surface oxidation quite clearly.

[EarlyPorsche]

Moneymanager - how do I get to the idle jets? Do I take the carb top off to do that? If I do that do I need to replace that gasket?

[moneymanager]

Plain fact is, I'm not sure. My carbs are PMO's, and the idle jets are held in a brass screw on the side of each carb, just below the top-most casting. No need to remove anything to get at them. But are the Webers in the same location? I would guess that they are, but am not sure. Not very hard to check...don't lose the tiny rubber gaskets that are on the screws.

[2.7RACER]

The Weber idle jets are located in the same place as PMO's.
There are six idle jets, one for each throat.
The idle jet passage is quite small and is the first to plug.
Remove the screw holding the jet, pull the jet from the screw and look though it.
Carefully blow out the jet and verify by looking whether the jet is clear.
As Moneymanager said carefully replace the O-ring on the screw.
A damaged or missing O-ring will allow air into the idle circuit.
The carb will not pull fuel if the idle screw O-ring is leaking air.
Like sucking on a broken straw if the O-rings are leaking.
If in doubt replace the O-rings.
Do not blow compressed air through the idle passages of an assembled carburetor. The compressed air can collapse and ruin the floats.
Further make certain the O-rings at the idle fuel mixture screw are in good condition. Again if in doubt replace the O-rings.

[moneymanager]

To Doug's excellent commentary above I would only add that you would not believe how tiny an object can seriously upset an idle jet... in at least one case I could barely see the impediment. Jim

[boostfix]

There is a simple green product that is apparently safe for Aluminum. It is part of their industrial line and I was able to purchase some from an industrial suplier like Acklands Grainger (in Canada). I had bought this product to clean my grey carpets that had grease stains from the power seat rails. Worked like a charm.

It is called: Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner

I'll try posting a link.....
http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_prod_ext.php

[EarlyPorsche]

Dan - thats just what I will use!

Could anyone else chime in on how to clean off the idle jets on Weber 40's?

[moneymanager]

2.7 racer above says it all.

[EarlyPorsche]

Oh I missed that post! Thanks 2.7 racer. I will replace all 6 O-rings. Now I just need to find out where they sell those things. Would any old o-ring kit work for this? There isn't any sort of adjustment that I would mess up by removing and cleaning these right?

[al lkosmal]

2.7 Racer is right on. Here's some illustrations that show the location of the idle jets, if that helps.


parts 24,25,26 in the 1st illustration.



23 in the 2nd illustration

[EarlyPorsche]

By removing and cleaning and re-oringing the idle jets, do I need to count threads or turns when removing them or is it something I just back out and screw back in?

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by moneymanager

To Doug's excellent commentary above I would only add that you would not believe how tiny an object can seriously upset an idle jet... in at least one case I could barely see the impediment. Jim

Hah! Tell me! I bought some clean used Webers for my 914 race car of years back. I cleaned them more, but I didn't remove the passage plugs. Once I got to race gas after breaking a new motor, rubber band looking material suddenly appeared from somewhere in the carbs because the filters were clean. This cost me the whole motor on a 106 * day at Willow.

If in doubt, send them out. Now to cleaning, the new low VOC Berryman's doesn't seem too nasty.

And, yes, if your car is running good now, count the turns by turning in to when they gently stop.

[EarlyPorsche]

Thanks milt, I was really hoping it would be an unscrew and screw back in without all the math!

[mossguy]

Here is what is looks like after being removed from the body and before the holder, o-ring, and idle jet are separated. Other pic is where it came from. Take it apart, clean it thoroughly with compressed air (without blowing it out of your fingers and under your daily driver). Replace, screwing it in snugly.

Tom

[EarlyPorsche]

Thanks Tom - so you are saying there is no adjustment and that I just have to remove and reinstall it snuggly?