Whats the best carburetor cleaner

Many times I take a carb apart and use air pressure. A tiny piece of dirt, grass and water will screw up a carb, especially on lawnmowers.

Once I took a 2 cycle carb apart and used WD40 to remove the dried oil/fuel mix.

Some problematic carbs it's easier to buy a cheap replacement from internet.

I've never been able to clean a carb by dumping or spraying something in the carb.
 
(quoted from post at 02:58:14 08/14/18) What does everyone use to clean out the dirty carbs with these days ??

The last really bad carburetor I was tasked with was a Carter 938SD from a 1964 CJ3B. It had sat for years and was all kinds of gunked up along with the white aluminum corrosion. They are hen's teeth now and pretty much all that will work on the Go Devil engine. I was desperate.
After a little internet research, I used Red Devil Lye, the kind you clean out your pipes with. A plastic bucket and water was all I used. A good rinse and blow out with air worked after a couple of dips.
I would be careful using this method depending on carb material; The Carter 938's are pot metal and I only let it soak for about 4 hours total, in 2 hour stints.
 
(quoted from post at 03:42:13 08/14/18) Last I heard the old chemdip stinkpot had been reissued as some pansyarsed excuse to environmentalizm.

Chemdip never was much good, and now it is worthless. My favorite was the "GUNK" brand from N.A.P.A., but even that stuff has been "environmentalized". Boiling in water with some detergent added will start the process, then I take it to the cabinet blaster, and follow up with aerosol carb cleaner and compressed air.
 
Berryman's Chem Tool has always worked for me. The pressurized aerosol in several applications does the trick in all the little nooks, crannies and little orifices. Tried Gunk once years ago and just didn't like to work with it nor the results.
 
I use E85 to clean just about everything. It's only $1.85 a gallon, and it will cut through any thing (including some paint).
 
A cast iron carb I boil in lye water. I had a real bad rusty one that I boiled for an hour, then rinsed. Boiled again in a fresh batch & it was clean. I used tip cleaners both times too. Worked just fine when done.
 
(quoted from post at 05:38:07 08/14/18) Chemtool B-12 is still pretty good.

I've used that stuff. It is not even close to the old "Gunk" carb cleaner. Chemtool is basically nothing more than brake fluid.
 
From the replies looks like the chemical used is irrelevant, the common solution appears to be lots of elbow grease.
 
The old Berry mans was good and I have a bucket of it form 10-20 years ago and it still work well. The new stuff if junk. Now if you could empty say 20 cans of spray carb cleaner it might work real good but you would have a lot of $$$ in doing that
 
Lacquer thinner seems to work better than any of the current products. Soak, torch cleaner in all passages, rinse in thinner and blow everything out.

Really dirt small engine carbs go into a sonic cleaner with water and purple power or simple green.
 
I?ve used white vinegar several times, and last carb I soaked in an off brand Cola, the acid in it cleaned up the fuel tank as well
 
For years, I clean entire carburetor with a stiff brush and Purple Power.
I then use brake cleaner, if really gummed up, and then soak for a few hours in Acetone. Clean with hot water and blow off, making sure all passages are blown out/through.

Have to be really careful with Acetone !
 
(quoted from post at 16:47:40 08/14/18) Last one I built I used PineSol and a can of spray cleaner.

That's what I am using now cook them on a hot plate add a little oxiclean to the mix. When well done bead blast it get the drill bits out and go cleaning the ports then go back to the blast cabinet...
I had 2 5gal cans of the good stuff I opened one a year are so ago it had gone bad nasty stuff I have not got brave enoufh to open the other can up and I doubt I never will till it starts to eat the can up...

Brake clean is better than any spray can of carb cleaner made today.. All the spray carb cleaner I have used in the last 10 years is a joke. Throttle body cleaner backed up with brake clean is as cheap away to do a quick job as it gets...
 
(quoted from post at 21:39:36 08/14/18)
(quoted from post at 16:47:40 08/14/18) Last one I built I used PineSol and a can of spray cleaner.

That's what I am using now cook them on a hot plate add a little oxiclean to the mix. When well done bead blast it get the drill bits out and go cleaning the ports then go back to the blast cabinet...
I had 2 5gal cans of the good stuff I opened one a year are so ago it had gone bad nasty stuff I have not got brave enoufh to open the other can up and I doubt I never will till it starts to eat the can up...

Brake clean is better than any spray can of carb cleaner made today.. All the spray carb cleaner I have used in the last 10 years is a joke. Throttle body cleaner backed up with brake clean is as cheap away to do a quick job as it gets...
Back when I did car/truck carbs, mostly aluminum and bakelite,
I used PineSol or Murphey's oil soap as well. Takes a little time,
but works well and never seemed to be harmful the materials.
I will also second the BrakeClean. Cheaper than spray carb cleaner too.
 

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