carburettor cleaning

[Tuner]

I don't believe that ford autolite two barrels had a chromate coating. I have cleaned a lot of Edelbrock ARB style carbs in it and they come out nice and shiny. Providing corrosion has not attacked the metal. The solution does not remove corrosion only dirt and grime.

Aluminum carbs have a clear hard anodize coating. Have you tried non-acid rust removers? The 'corrosion' is oxides of metals in the fuel system, steel from the fuel line, aluminum from the fuel pump or carb interior, or galvanize from inside the tank, etc. Different oxide removers, aka rust removers, will have different effect on different oxides. I guess Zep quit making Rust Eraser, dang it, I found it was the most effective oxide remover in most cases, rust or 'corrosion'.

[rgalajda]

I don't believe that ford autolite two barrels had a chromate coating. I have cleaned a lot of Edelbrock ARB style carbs in it and they come out nice and shiny. Providing corrosion has not attacked the metal. The solution does not remove corrosion only dirt and grime.

That is the 2100 series Ford carb. It is very similar to the 4100 4 barrel. The body of the carb is aluminum and were originally left natural, no finish . Steel pieces were zinc plated and usually chromate applied. There is a couple pieces , choke housing and accelerator pump housing , that are zinc castings and these pieces had a chromate finish similar to this 4100 carb.
Here is a 4100 carb that I have restored for a 1965 Mustang.

IMG_20220427_091451.jpeg

The next picture is an Autolite 4300 4 barrel carb, I retored for a 1968 Cougar. The main body of this carb is zinc, which has chromate finish, not aluminum.

[Tuner]

I assure you, aluminum carburetors and carb parts, AFB, Autolite, T-Quad, SU, Weber, Solex, Mikuni, etc, etc, have a clear anodize coating for corrosion resistance. Otherwise, they would become "corroded" in a very short time, as we see raw aluminum most certainly does. Vigorous abrasive cleaning, glass blasting and abrasive media tumbling, removes clear anodize as easily as it will colored anodize and the raw aluminum will oxidize, aka "corrode", rapidly.

https://www.sunrise-metal.com/clear-anodized-aluminum/

[rgalajda]

Sounds like I will have to do more research. The CARBURETOR SHOP had a page on carburetor finishes which said the Carter aluminum was left natural. https://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Carbu ... htm#Carter

[Tuner]

Obviously it appears natural aluminum color, would be why that particular anodize treatment is called "clear".

https://support.caswellplating.com/port ... nline=true

[rgalajda]

Point me to where it says they are anodized.

[jake197000]

Soda blast

[winr]

There is an anodizing Company in Houston, I talked to the manager about anodizing my 4100 and 2100 carbs

He asked if they were only aluminum, I told him about the 4 brass tubes ( vacuum for power valve and from power valve to jets )

Did not mention the 4 vent tubes as they would be pulled out

He said there would be an electrical arc between the aluminum and brass tubes and mess up that area so he could not anodize them


Ricky.

[Jackal66]

Any small parts I clean are put into a 3 quart sonic cleaner.
About 1 cup of white vinegar, fill the rest with water.
I use heat setting. It is just hot enough that I can't hold the parts in my bare hands when done.

[travis]

I recently bought a small ultrasonic cleaner to try out, primarily for cleaning grungy engine fasteners. What do you guys recommend as a cleaning solution for this? The instructions only say to use an ultrasonic compatible cleaner...

[Krooser]

I recently had to clean a pile of engine bolts, nuts, front covers, etc.

I had used a mix of water and Purple Power but it got pretty dirty real fast.

Rather than replenish the expensive solution I added two capsules of my wife's generic laundry detergent.

Bingo!!!

What a difference... now I have been using just the detergent and water on simple cleaning jobs.

[Reroy Brown]

Recently ordered a small cheapy ultrasonic cleaner and it's uses have been endless. Definitely worth the money... I think we only spent a few hundred dollars on it. It's a CREWORKS we ordered on Amazon. We run actual aluminum safe ultrasonic cleaner in it and it works great for many things.. I've never put on entire carb in it but we've ran main bodies and bowls through it several times. Works good on steel as well. I've cleaned several sets of rods in it.

-Reroy

[Tuner]

Any small parts I clean are put into a 3 quart sonic cleaner.
About 1 cup of white vinegar, fill the rest with water.
I use heat setting. It is just hot enough that I can't hold the parts in my bare hands when done.

Do not put acid in ultrasonic cleaners. Acids will etch, eat, dissolve, etc, the stainless steel tank.

I recently bought a small ultrasonic cleaner to try out, primarily for cleaning grungy engine fasteners. What do you guys recommend as a cleaning solution for this? The instructions only say to use an ultrasonic compatible cleaner...

Basically (pun intended) no acid, basic (alkaline) cleaners only. However, you should take care to use "aluminum safe" for any light metals, zinc, aluminum, etc, the stuff most carbs are made of.

A cast iron Zenith for a Model A Ford you can clean with Castrol Purple and similar cleaners which have Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide, but those will dissolve aluminum and zinc and remove chromate plating.

For cleaning carbs, or anything aluminum and zinc, look for Sodium Metasilicate and "aluminum safe" on the label. Read the labels.

Don't let the water load up with dirt removed from the parts. Change the water often and de-gas it before cleaning parts. I have found that a few spritz of spray can carb cleaner in the water will help remove grease and oil from parts.

The ultrasonic process seems to supercharge any cleaner you use in it, so a small amount of any cleaner is much more effective than it would be without the ultrasound

[Markelov69]

Just an amateur would usually just use solvent outside dissemble and spray carb cleaner
maybe in a cheapo bench top parts washer tank?

any other recomendations for cleaning a carb inside and out - are the ultrasonics worth it ?- cheapo sub $100?

The ultrasonic cleaner is truly an invaluable tool. Mine can handle half of a SBC cylinder head at a time, requiring only a simple rotation for the other half. It's astonishing how effectively it cleans parts. Carburetors emerge looking immaculate, and one of its key benefits is its ability to reach and clean small, intricate areas that are otherwise challenging to access. While some parts appear almost new after cleaning, it's worth noting that deep stains or rust may not be entirely removed. The model I purchased cost $600. If given the chance, I'd opt for a larger one.

[HDBD]

AFB= Aluminum Four Barrel.
Aluminum does not have chromate finish.
That is done on zinc castings only.