Hi Guys, how many of you have an ultrasonic cleaner? I need to source one for my boat carb (holley 4160), and it looks like the $80 harbor freight cleaner is too small, I would have to keep flipping the carb to clean the whole thing. Next step up is about $100 that should fit it, which isn't the worst, but still seems like a waste of money if I am only going to use it once. Do people find other uses for this on occasion? Or possibly, does someone have one they would let me borrow/rent?
Ultrasonic Cleaner
- Thread starter Jhucke
- Start date
- Location
- Western NY
Do you actually need it? I think I've cleaned on the order of 10^6 carbs and still don't have one
- Location
- central florida
I don't think you could borrow/ rent one easily. A decent unit has a built in heater and has to be used properly. I have an expensive Branson unit, heater in it died, a replacement for that heater element is $$ and has an expiration date (that's sick!), Well, decades ago I had a similar Holley on my Z28 and used carburetor cleaner very successfully- not cheap either.
Maybe. Maybe not? The carb has been sitting at worst case 35 years on the engine, I figured ultrasonic cleaning may be in order. The issues I am having, really are not THAT horrendous. One booster on the primary is leaking fuel at idle, runs just fine everywhere else & wanted to at least try to rebuild it before throwing in the towel and buying a new one ($$$$). Especially after having rebuilt many SBN's of all sorts throughout the years with pretty good results.
- Location
- Granbury, TX
I ended up buying the cleaner below. Definitely Chinese made but has worked very well and I've already put 15+ hours on it. It has a built in heater too, but the ultrasonic action alone will also heat the water fairly well.
Stainless Steel 22L Capacity Industry Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner Heater Timer | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Stainless Steel 22L Capacity Industry Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner Heater Timer at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
- Location
- California
A few cans of carb cleaner is a lot cheaper and easier. Plus if it runs fine sounds like it just needs a simple rebuild.
- Location
- Hamilton,
If you buy a ultrasonic cleaner it will be the only way you clean your carbs from now on. No regrets here.
Quinc
Buy a Superjet
- Location
- California
You can try soaking it in chem-dip then blowing it out with compressed air. Ultra sonic cleaners can be used for everthing from cleaning tools to your wife's jewelry.
Big Kahuna
Administrator
- Location
- Tuscaloosa, AL
I have seen a carb cleaning product that comes in a gallon can. You can take a container and put the carb in it then fill up. Let soak. Never used thos but suppose to break everything down and clean it. Only carb cleaner I have used was aerosol.
VXSXH20
Sionis Industries
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
I never had good luck on the cosmetic side of dipping a carb. It'll break loose some gummed up bits and varnish on the back of the throttle plates. But it can also peel the paint right off. you're certainly not going to fit a 4 barrel quadrajet in that 1 gallon can. Maybe a stripped down holley double pumper. they make 5 gallon buckets of the carb dip. but you're over 120 bucks into a ton of solvent you have to store and be careful with.
Well Im sure that I could handle providing a different receptacle for it.
I never had good luck on the cosmetic side of dipping a carb. It'll break loose some gummed up bits and varnish on the back of the throttle plates. But it can also peel the paint right off. you're certainly not going to fit a 4 barrel quadrajet in that 1 gallon can. Maybe a stripped down holley double pumper. they make 5 gallon buckets of the carb dip. but you're over 120 bucks into a ton of solvent you have to store and be careful with.
- Location
- Granbury, TX
Also be aware that the can is only ~3/4 full. It's not as much solvent as you would expect. Better option is the PSC 1000 at Tractor supply for $44
- Location
- native idahoan
I've been using carb dip for years. It's pretty corrosive on aluminum so you dont wanna leave it in for to long. I soak carbs for 30 minutes then rinse under hot water and dry using compressed air. It cleans the really well and have no complaints....other than if it's a painted carb, it will come out half painted.
Based on how dirty the rest of the atv is you can imagine how the carb looked to. Just as spotless on the inside.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Based on how dirty the rest of the atv is you can imagine how the carb looked to. Just as spotless on the inside.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk
Honestly for the price I would just get a regular one that has a heating element. Good thought though.
Yeah I think just the bowls on my particular carb have a zinc coating on them. I don't see why those would have to be dipped for very long anyway. The rest of it I think is just bare aluminum, and was reading on teamtalk MC that people soak those things for a really long time, like for days. If that even helps after a certain amount of time or not. No seals to worry about I guess.
E350
Site Supporter
- Location
- Sacramento Delta
I bought the $84.99 H.F. Ultrasonic Cleaner for the reloading bench (Thumler's Tumbler and S.S. Jeweler's mix works much better on casings).
Anyway even after my rebuild of the Keihen on the 550sx it won't idle right (instead of starting it every month, I fogged it and let it sit and I assume has varnish in the small passages).
What do you guys recommend on using the Ultrasonic? Can I just put the entire carb in without disassembly or should I disassemble it and then put the parts in separately? Should I put the rubber diaphragms in too (they are relatively new from when I rebuilt the carb - unsuccessfully - last season).
Anyway even after my rebuild of the Keihen on the 550sx it won't idle right (instead of starting it every month, I fogged it and let it sit and I assume has varnish in the small passages).
What do you guys recommend on using the Ultrasonic? Can I just put the entire carb in without disassembly or should I disassemble it and then put the parts in separately? Should I put the rubber diaphragms in too (they are relatively new from when I rebuilt the carb - unsuccessfully - last season).
Quinc
Buy a Superjet
- Location
- California
i would strip it and leave the gaskets off. And I would mix in purple power or simple green. Then again could you fill it with chemdip and run it? 
- Location
- Granbury, TX
I would be careful with purple power or other strong substances in an ultrasonic when cleaning aluminum. They can eat away aluminum pretty quickly and do more harm than good. I'd recommend Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner, diluted 3:1 with distilled water.
E350
Site Supporter
- Location
- Sacramento Delta
I am just using (starting) with the H.F. General Purpose Ultrasonic cleaner and will report back, it hasn't hurt aluminum during my past uses. Filled it to the brim to fit the carb in. The water is already turning gray.
E350
Site Supporter
- Location
- Sacramento Delta
It worked !!! (Read below).
I took off the cover on each side, put in hot water, I turned the heater element on, I put in the H.F. General Purpose Ultrasonic Cleaner and set the timer for 4:80 mins/seconds at least 10 times, then ran it under running water, then filled the Ultrasonic Cleaner with clear hot water and ran it twice at 4:80 mins/seconds and put it back together. The carb was certainly cleaner and the Ultrasonic Cleaner did not remove any paint.
However, when I was re-installing the rubber gasket with the bisecting rubber strip (upper second from left, below) I noticed apparently for the first time that the little bisecting rubber strip is not in the center of the circle but is offset to one side and I had previously installed it incorrectly.
So Quinc for the win!!!
Would the Ultrasonic Cleaner have worked without my reinstalling the rubber gasket correctly. I don't know. But it works right now. Probably not because of the Ultrasonic Cleaner but because in using the Ultrasonic Cleaner I reinspected my previous carb rebuild and corrected my previous error...
I took off the cover on each side, put in hot water, I turned the heater element on, I put in the H.F. General Purpose Ultrasonic Cleaner and set the timer for 4:80 mins/seconds at least 10 times, then ran it under running water, then filled the Ultrasonic Cleaner with clear hot water and ran it twice at 4:80 mins/seconds and put it back together. The carb was certainly cleaner and the Ultrasonic Cleaner did not remove any paint.
However, when I was re-installing the rubber gasket with the bisecting rubber strip (upper second from left, below) I noticed apparently for the first time that the little bisecting rubber strip is not in the center of the circle but is offset to one side and I had previously installed it incorrectly.
So Quinc for the win!!!
Would the Ultrasonic Cleaner have worked without my reinstalling the rubber gasket correctly. I don't know. But it works right now. Probably not because of the Ultrasonic Cleaner but because in using the Ultrasonic Cleaner I reinspected my previous carb rebuild and corrected my previous error...
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