I love messing with carbs! I can bead blast them and make them bright. It also leaves a matte finish. I hope some mad scientist HAMBer knows a cleaner that will take the oxidation off them. Evap o Rust just turns them darker. Gasoline and WD 40 do nothing. Many years ago I tried pool acid. It turned them into smoke. Sugestions please. Thanks
I'll hold off cleaning up the 3-1/4 2GCs I'm going to setup for a 3 deuce setup until someone tells you how to get them looking closer to new. Who am I kidding? I'm not going to get to them before late fall, so someone will post a good answer...
For zinc alloy (a.k.a. pot metal) glass bead blasting, or better yet, blast with crushed walnut shells. Then to a metal laundry to be dipped in a chromate solution DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!!! The active ingrediant in the chromate solution is a known carcinogen, and also causes dementia. Best to leave this to the professionals who have the safety equipment, and pay them their asking price. Be aware that different chemicals react differently with different metals. Andy's comment about pool acid is a good example (it would work on old cast iron carburetors). After learning about the dangers of some of these chemicals, we got rid of all of them 50 years ago. I send the stuff out. Seriously! I understand everyone is interested in saving money; but in this case what are your lungs worth to you! Jon
Thank you Jon! I will get some walnut shells and see what that looks like, The carbs I want to clean up have never had a finish on them. Just straight pot metal as near as I can determine. 32 -33 DL's. I have some junk parts to experiment on. Andy
Simple Green was mentioned elsewhere and what I was going to use. I just want mine clean! I don't mind the weathered look. After all, the setup is going on a 58 283. Just need them to function properly...
Andy - have fun with your DL's; great carbs, but have some issues to address: Vane box cannot be warped Aspirator valve wears in the groove from the vane fingers, and this should be addressed. Vane fingers wear where they contact the groove in the aspirator valve, and this shoud be addressed. If Ford, the '32's are scarcer than an honest politician; the '33's not so much. Jon
I have seen youtube videos on vapor blasting ( wet blasting ). Mostly on motorcycle parts, but they looked like new when they were done.
While all this discussion of of exterior cleaning is good what really cleans the interior passages with the chemicals we have available today? The carb cleaner in a gallon can with a basket is garbage.
Prior to a teardown and rebuild these Weber DCOE 45s were dusted in my blast cabinet with micro ceramic bead, then followed with a walnut shell and jewelers rouge mix. Brightened them up nicely without being overly abrasive. I just use spray cans of carb cleaner these days for soaking, brushing, internal cleaning. Not sure what else is available.
Even the Bendix 2-part stuff that would, in time, eat its way through the metal can, that we used to get in the 1950's did not do a super job on internal passages. Then, it was what we had, and it, plus compressed air in both directions, GENERALLY would clear most internal passages. But occasionally, one had to use copper wire to loosen some of the residue, and even use drill bits in a pin vise to do some that had been unused for 20 plus years. When I stopped commercially rebuilding carbs some 12 years ago, I used an ultrasonic cleaner with Dawn dishwater soap before ever disassembly the carburetor. This would take care of the oil and grease (keeps the hands and tools cleaner). Once the carb was disassembled, blasting with micro glass beads through all the passages, followed by compressed air in both directions, AND the ultrasonic cleaner with tap water only (blasting creates static electricity, and some of the beads will require washing for removal). I still use the above paragraph today when I do a carb for myself. And this procedure works better than ANY chemical I have had available to me since I started in 1959. Jon
I have been using lacquer thinner or paint gun clean up solvent from my paint supply house.... it sure removes a lot if not all of the residues of old gasoline and it will reduce your nitrile gloves to a gelatinous mass in short order
I haven't seen Zud cleanser for a while, but it is damn handy for quickly shining up a lot of old metal. Nasty motorcycle carbs, etc. Now that I thought of that, might try some Barkeeper's Friend. Just googled on Zud and somebody over at Garage Journal likes it, too.
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