1. Home
  2. Home Repair
  3. OT carburetor question
  4. Page 2

OT carburetor question

Ok, it is like lye then...remember the little pieces of aluminum in DrainO? If you're holding it in your hand...you won't care much whether it is an acid or a base! bob_v

Reply to
Bob Villa
Loading thread data ...

Definitely not a diaphragm issue? I've heard that they can stretch over the years and stop pumping properly...

Reply to
Jules

The jet is definitely plugged. Having 2 carbs that are basically the same is a handy trouble shooting tool. You can compare what happens when you shoot carb spray in each hole. BTW in my foray through the net I heard several times not to blow out these things until you take it apart, particularly the "big screw" side since that is where the fuel pump is and you will blow the little check valves (just flaps of mylar)

The way I finally cleared the jet I could blow open (another carb) was to plug one end of the venturi with a test tube size rubber stopper, fill it with lacquer thinner and blow air in the other side. Do this outside and use a face shield. I had the whole thing wrapped in a shop towel and it still blew thinner everywhere. (150PSI air). It did blow the jet open tho. The other one, no joy. Plugged solid.

I am going to try soaking in carb cleaner now that I have my machine going with a new carb and when I think I have the old one fixed I am going to swap it back. Then I know I have a good hot spare. Yes I will be sure I blow all the gas out ;-)

Reply to
gfretwell

I've heard of Briggs and Stratton diaphragms harden up, and don't pump properly. Pulsa - Jet comes to mind.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I think it did have methyl chloride in it, but i'm not sure. It really stunk.

Reply to
clare

Oven cleaner is Caustic, not an acid.

Reply to
clare

Try soaking in "SeaFoam" - buy it at NAPA

Reply to
clare

Hmm. Sounds like some wisdom, there.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I had an idiot use oven cleaner to clean the condensing unit on a make line at a pizza place. Later the unit failed and when I opened the control box, the cleaner had gotten inside on the wiring, damaging it and allowing all the magic smoke to escape.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

.

One time I used lye to remove the remnants of a seized piston arm from a crank journal. I believe it was an 8 HP Tecumseh on a snowblower. It cleaned-up without adding further damage.

bob_v

Reply to
Bob Villa

Works some what, for cleaning condensors if you don't get the wiring wet. Doesn't have the penetrating ability of a good garden sprayer, though. Some condensors are three inches thick.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Da...I think this was covered!

Reply to
Bob Villa

the wiring wet.

Isn't that what he just stated?

Reply to
Bob Villa

Heh, yeah. I've got a couple of 'em here (little Walbro things) that were DoA but _seem_ to have clear pathways. Problem is they'd both been screwed around with before I inherited them, so the mixture settings were a mess, but there's also no guarantee that someone didn't screw with the needle valve settings.

I got one to the stage where it'll run, but has a habit of dying after

5-10 minutes - but I can immediately start it up and get another few minutes out of it. Something's obviously not doing its thing right, but I don't know if it's pump or needle (I don't think it's mixture, not when it runs that long before flaking out)

The other one's still sick - it'll do that thing where it'll start and hold idle, but die as soon as the throttle's opened, no matter what the mixture setting, so I wonder if that one's got a partial blockage somewhere.

One day I'll motivate myself to treat one of them to a new needle and diaphragm set and see where I get... it's too cold here now to be playing with them until April or so, though :-)

Yeah, that makes sense if yours are anything like mine - it'd probably do more harm than good. Thankfully they come apart (mostly) pretty easily :-)

cheers

Jules

Reply to
Jules

Wonder what acetone's like? I think it's what they use in nail polish remover, but I don't know how easy it is to buy it in the kind of quantity that would be useful for parts cleaning.

Reply to
Jules

Acetone is available in quart and gallon cans at most larger hardware stores.

bob_v

Reply to
Bob Villa

Yes, normally in the paint section.

Reply to
Tony

I wonder how long that will be true. Acetone was the chemical they guy was buying at the beauty supply to make bombs with. Last time I was in the home store they only had quarts and not many of those. I bet you will be signing for it soon.

Reply to
gfretwell

They called it a hot tank because the real ones were heated. We had a giant one that you could nearly put a car into. It used heated trichlorethane or trichlorethyelene. The tanks had cool water jackets around the top and this would condense the vapors (somewhat). As you lowered the parts in a basket into the tank, when they hit the vapor level they would start cascading with hot condensed thrichlor and the paint and grease would nearly burst off the parts. NASTY, NASTY, stuff. Needless to say, they are probably illegal now.

Reply to
DT

I have one of those, it's not nearly as fearsome as I remember the old stuff being. Does work though at least on greasy bicycle parts (all I've used it on so far.) Needs to be rinsed off with some other solvent though, it sticks to the parts and doesn't air dry all that quickly (dunking parts in kerosene, if it's steel and you want to protect it, or gasoline/lacquer thinner/acetone/whatever if it's not steel and needs to be spotlessly clean, e.g. a carburetor, is required afterwards)

nate

Reply to
N8N

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.