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Cleaning Carbs
kingr - 15/11/02 at 10:52 AM

I recently bought some Weber DCOE 40's, and received them yesterday, opened the box and found, not entirely suprisingly, that they weren't in their peek of health.

I'm planning on getting a couple of service kits for them, and sorting the internals, but what my real question is, what is the best stuff to use for cleaning up the outsides? At the moment I'm using some general purpose metal cleaner (klin I think it's called) which is ok, but a lot of effort, is there something better out there?

I'm guessing the carbs are made of cast ali, is this correct?

Also, has anyone got any tips/things I should watch out for while I'm stripping them down/rebuilding.

And finally, what's the best book about servicing and tuning webers?

TIA

Kingr


David Jenkins - 15/11/02 at 11:38 AM

You can't beat a spray can or two of proper carb cleaner - it's amazingly good for the job. The only warning is that the stuff is really evil and should only be used in good ventilation.

The best recommendation for stripping them down is to do one at a time (to avoid mixing parts), have a really clean bench or table, and maybe put a piece of clean paper on top of the bench (brown paper, surplus wallpaper, or whatever).

You will probably find that a proper Weber service kit has a component 'exploded diagram' - this is really useful.

Oh, and be prepared for the flight of unexpected springs!

Have a look in the "Which Kit" booklist for a carb maintenance book - I'm sure I've seen one.

David


kingr - 15/11/02 at 01:01 PM

Carb cleaner works for the outside of them too does it? I always assumed it was for unbunging the internals, learn something new every day

Kingr


jollygreengiant - 15/11/02 at 01:17 PM

Cleanliness is next to godliness or sumin like that.
Clean, spotlessly clean work area, carb cleaner and a good clean supply of compressed air (low pressure) for blowing out the jets, fuel way & air ways. that is basically all you require. Remembering that the size marked on the jets in numbers basically refers to the size of the hole in the jet 0.***mm. Where the *** is the number, then you can see that a fragment of your hair (unless you are folically challenged) would give you a blocked jet. Check your fuel floats for leaks in hot water, holes will have little bubles coming out of them. and set your float level very carefully according to the overhaul manual.

Oh and if its still printed I believe that haynes do or did a weber carbs manual and it even told you how to work out jet sizes for callibrating non original equipment carbs or specials.


kingr - 19/11/02 at 09:32 AM

At the exeter show, there was a company selling some stuff that claimed to clean up ali, and they had a bit of pipe they'd cleaned up that seemed quite good, so I bought a bottle. The instructions say to spray it on, aggitate it, and the rinse it off (which does stuff all), or to dip the parts in a container of the stuff (which works a treat), it stinks like burning tires, fizzes and bubbles, and puts a thick white goo on the part, but then you wash it and that comes off, leaving it a dull black colour, it's then a quick job to give it a brush with the autosol, and Bob's your uncle (that's unlucky), nice clean cast aluminium.

I do have some concerns though, most importantly, it's made from sulphuric and phosphoric acid, how dangerous is this stuff, obviously, leaving it on your skin, drinking it, getting it in your eyes, so on, is bad, but do I want to take further measures to make sure it doesn't get on my skin at all, rather than just rinsing it off, and having a quick scrub with bicarbonate of soda? Also, it obviously takes corrosion off jolly nicely, but does it stop there, or does it carry on eating away at the ali, ideally I'd like to be able to just dump the stipped down carb into the stuff, leave it a few hours, and pull it out, but will this ruin the carb?

Kingr


kingr - 20/11/02 at 09:45 AM

OK guys, word of warning, if you're going to use this stuff, then take precautions, I would strongly reccomend wearing a respirator. Looking at information on phosporic acid reveals that you can die of respiratory failure due to inhalation of this stuff. It does work, but it is also dangerous, be warned.

Kingr


steve m - 21/11/02 at 05:34 AM

i have used the carb cleaner quite a few times, and it is really good
my other method is wait for wifey to go to work, unload dishwasher (if i can find it)
load up dishwasher with all of the dirty bits alui bits, engine bits, etc
not sure if i am damaging anything but they all come up clean, well clean enough to eat off!!!!!!!!!
and wifey is pleased that ive ventured into the kitchen and done some thing productive

moral is i get clean car parts and wifey likes me for another day
"bob dont tell jan"


bob - 21/11/02 at 07:33 PM

your secrets safe with me steve

I've not tried this yet,but if i've got time i'll have a go the weekend.
Fill bucket with water then throw in lods of persil/daz whatever followed by carb.
An old geezer told me this one,i've tested on coins and thermo housings and it does seem to work.Its probably the same cleaning aditives as stevem's dishwasher solvents,but without having to wait for wifey to go out


Viper - 21/11/02 at 07:44 PM

Haynes do a Weber service manual...


johnston - 21/11/02 at 09:30 PM

did someone not post a website in this group that gave diagrams to all the webbers????


i no theres one out there ive seen it


kingr - 22/11/02 at 11:20 AM

I bought a book about tuning and rebuilding carbs at Exeter which seems quite good, and it's got some interesting pictures and diagrams, so once the photos section is back up, the book might accidentally fall onto my scanner, scan several diagrams and post them on here, funny how these things happen.

Bob - I'll give the washing suds trick a try, if it works, all the better, it'll save me buying more of this evil acid stuff, and standing around outside in the cold looking like Darth Vader's ugly brother, wearing glove, a respirator and goggles.

Kingr


jollygreengiant - 23/11/02 at 12:27 AM

For that matter you could use coke! Have you seen what that does to a 2p coin?!.


kingr - 23/11/02 at 01:21 AM

Yeah, and look what it did to Daniella Westbrook's nose!!

Kingr


Sparky - 23/11/02 at 11:24 AM

If you're just after a method of removing oil and petrol residue, regular carb cleaner is just cellulose thinners in an aerosol.
You can buy five litres of cellulose standard thinner for the same price as a 500ml can of carb cleaner. Get yourself a pump-up garden sprayer and bob's yer uncle.

I suggest a ventilated area and no smoking however!!


kingr - 23/11/02 at 12:16 PM

OK, tried the soap suds method, left the carb in it over night, and it did ........... absolutely nothing, certainly not that I can notice.

Sparky - It's more than just oil and dirt, the ali has oxidised so it looks rough and discoloured.

Kingr


bob - 23/11/02 at 09:21 PM

thanks for that,its saved me the trouble
I'll stick to the carb cleaning spray since the brake cleaning spray was pretty good.


Simon - 26/11/02 at 12:15 PM

My engine rather filthy, and carbs oily in places, oxidized elsewhere.

Tried wire brush in electric drill.

BUT BE GENTLE:-)

Brings it up quite nicely.

As engine/carbs all ally, should look quite bright.

ATB

Simon