Carb cleaner, exactly where to use it?

It disolves the oily gunk, and on the can it says to use it while the vehicle is running, so thats why Ive always gone that way with it.

Well your wrong.

Originally Posted by B1k3R

I disagree. Obviously it is not as effective as stripping the carbs and cleaning each part, remembering to wear rubber gloves because it dry's fingers to cracking point but it does clean all it touches so the jets and needles get a blast but not the bowl or floats.

Originally Posted by hardhat_harry

I think they are expecting it to mix with the petrol and magically clean the carbs.

The reason why carb cleaner is in a can with a high pressure spray is to blow any gunk away and clean it.

I think they think that the air magically blasts away crud.

And it disolves rubber gloves too (same as petrol)

Just wash your hands after using it.

I think you will find the cleaner and the pressure acts together.

and guess what air does blast away crud.

Originally Posted by B1k3R

I think they think that the air magically blasts away crud.

Originally Posted by hardhat_harry

And it disolves rubber gloves too (same as petrol)

Just wash your hands after using it.

Didnt know that!!! admittedly been careful with it, although always wear gloves now, cant be doing with the grease monkey hands these days

It kills my hands and have never has a pair of gloves melt but normally I can't be ar5ed to find a pair. It is better to use when the carbs are being stripped but it depends if you are doing a full strip down or not. The jets are normally the things that get clogged with residue from petrol so spraying when running helps most of these.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by B1k3R

I disagree. Obviously it is not as effective as stripping the carbs and cleaning each part, remembering to wear rubber gloves because it dry's fingers to cracking point but it does clean all it touches so the jets and needles get a blast but not the bowl or floats.

How?

You got petrol coming out of the jets under a pressure gradient (that's how the fuel comes out, innit) so how does the cleaner get in?

Don't get it on your hands, it contains methanol, xylene and loads of other nasties.


You want to do job right, strip carb down and clean passages out with cleaner plus air line. Do not get carb cleaner on rubber or plastic parts of carb.

Through the air intake, touching anywhere where the air passes and anywhere the fuel and air mix to form an emulsion. I think even cleaning the choke plunger.

The best way is to take off the carbs and strip them but if a bike has been standing a short while a few squirts of carb cleaner into the airbox helps. I think.

Not a good idea to run the bike without a filter for too long.

[yorkie_chris]

None of those areas are subject to the sort of varnish build up that carb cleaner helps remove.

You are also risking spraying aggressive solvents onto delicate rubber bits like the diaphragm.