Topic: Vintage Carb Cleaner????

[Johnie]

So I ran across this unopened can of motorcycle Gumout Carb Cleaner for 2 and 4 cycle motors at a flea market. Says 4 oz. per gallon and contains xlyenes. I was going to display the can in the shop. Just how old is this stuff? Would YOU use it in your bikes or do you think age would be a problem?

[MoMo]

The design style of the can looks so  70s, for display purpose only ...Larry

[Johnie]

Yah, it reminds me of the old HEET cans of gas line de-icer. I will toss the fluid and display only. Do not think I would want to try it in the 750's.

[seanbarney41]

I read the title and thought this was gonna be about my six year old gallon bucket of carb dip.  I have probably used it to rebuild 10-15 sets of carbs.  The level has dropped or evaporated so much that I have to soak one side then turn 'em over to submerge carb bodies...but, I think this stuff grows more powerful with age!     ...so much so I am starting to think it is gonna eat it's way out of the can!

[goofy3392]

I read the title and thought this was gonna be about my six year old gallon bucket of carb dip.  I have probably used it to rebuild 10-15 sets of carbs.  The level has dropped or evaporated so much that I have to soak one side then turn 'em over to submerge carb bodies...but, I think this stuff grows more powerful with age!     ...so much so I am starting to think it is gonna eat it's way out of the can!

Do you filter your old carb cleaner? I have a couple gallons in my garage, only cleaned a couple sets in each and they're pretty dark from the dirt that comes off the carbs and what not. Was thinking about filtering it through a coffee filter but haven't got to it yet.

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[seanbarney41]

nope, mines a very dark shade of brown...after it instantly liquifies any varnish and gunk, you have to be sure and rinse it off with a spray can.

[Don R]

It will eat through the can. Be careful, it smells awful when it runs all over the floor.

[Johnie]

I did have a can of Gunk carb cleaner start to leak. I went out and got another paint can for it. When I dumped it out the bottom was full of the stuff that came out of many carbs. So my other cans I slowly dumped them out and got all the crap out of the bottom of the cans and put the cleaner back in for another day. No sense in lowering the basket into a bunch of old carb dirt.

[BobbyR]

So I ran across this unopened can of motorcycle Gumout Carb Cleaner for 2 and 4 cycle motors at a flea market. Says 4 oz. per gallon and contains xlyenes. I was going to display the can in the shop. Just how old is this stuff? Would YOU use it in your bikes or do you think age would be a problem?

What you have in your hand is real carb cleaner. It is probably fine to use. That has all the good stuff the new stuff can't have anymore.

[Johnie]

I think what scares me Bobby is the new stuff is like 1 oz per gallon and this stuff says 4 oz per gallon. I would hate to ruin my carb rubber or plastic parts. Of course now that I think if it there is not really any rubber or plastic in the 750's I have that I can recall anyway...

[BobbyR]

Let's look at it this way. Your bike and the cleaner were probably made about the same time. If it was fine then, what changed?

[TwoTired]

So I ran across this unopened can of motorcycle Gumout Carb Cleaner for 2 and 4 cycle motors at a flea market. Says 4 oz. per gallon and contains xlyenes. I was going to display the can in the shop. Just how old is this stuff? Would YOU use it in your bikes or do you think age would be a problem?

I would use it in a heartbeat.  But, like all carb cleaners keep it away from rubber that you want to reuse.  Carb cleaner use to work really well, until the EPA removed all the good stuff.
The best carb cleaner had methylene chloride in it.  Yes, it will strip paint, too.  Doesn't hurt metal bits at all.

[754]

Re #8-11 posts..
 I believe 750 carbs have a plastic locator in the side of the bodies that fits in a groove in the slides.
 Be VERY CAREFUL  with these, some cleaners Did eat them..

 To be safe ..see what others on here are using ..that works..

[BobbyR]

TT is right. if you ever used carb cleaner back in the day, it did the job and harmed nothing. It actually cleaned.

[ekpent]

The design style of the can looks so  70s, for display purpose only ...Larry

The style of that moto bike does look 70's.

[chickenman_26]

I don't believe it's a carb dip. 4 oz. per gallon into the tank as a fuel additive. Cleans-as-you-drive type of thing similar to Berryman's, Techron, etc. It'll probably work great and not hurt anything, though definitely not OSHA approved these days. 

Stu

[BobbyR]

Right you are Stu, it was an additive and I am sure not politically correct. Like the Gumout spray back in the day. You could take a gum caked carb and start spraying and watch the crap flow right off down to clean metal. 

[ekpent]

Anybody else ever throw a half full can of that good ole' stuff in a burning burn barrel when you were a kid      Spray paint works well also   

[754]

Full ones..

[Johnie]

754...I thought those were metal locators in the slides? At least that is what I thought I saw on my KO. I will have to check that out. Wouldn't plastic slide locators wear out fast?

[Ichiban 4]

So I ran across this unopened can of motorcycle Gumout Carb Cleaner for 2 and 4 cycle motors at a flea market. Says 4 oz. per gallon and contains xlyenes. I was going to display the can in the shop. Just how old is this stuff? Would YOU use it in your bikes or do you think age would be a problem?

_________________________________________________________________

Someone else mentioned methylene chloride..which is what most carb cleaners had back in the day.  This would also apply to Xylene and Benzene BTW. We used to have it in tanks..just soak carbs..fuel pumps..generators..electric motors..etc..in it.  Methylene chloride won't destroy rubber or plastic..but if left to sit in it..they will soften and deteriorate (like over night..24 to 48 hours).  But brief soaks of an hour or two won't hurt anything.  When carbs..et al were really dirty..we had to disassemble take any rubber or plastic parts out..to clean the rest of metal..etc..  It takes off paint..if left to soak!

Anyway..most of this is moot..because with rare exception..you can't get them over the counter anymore.  They're known carcinogens..with repeated exposure.  Also well known to cause liver and brain damage if inhaled or allowed to soak through the skin repeatedly.  One of the main reasons they were withdrawn from market..is due to high incidence of liver and brain damage in workers exposed over time.  Like so much of the old stuff we used to use..get great results from..methylene chloride..et al. (as with leaded gas and paint..certainly with cyanide..PCB's) have been found to be just too hazardous for common use. Certainly nasty stuff from a health point of view.

Would suggest just looking at can for nostalgic reasons.  But if decide to empty contents..you should take to hazardous waste facility..as it's not good at all to dump down drain..or in sewer systems.

Sorry if this sounds like wet blanket..but from years of background as health professional..that's my opinion on this..

Ichi

[scottly]

I rebuilt a '59 VW motor in high-school auto-shop in my junior year, and I was allowed to use the glass bead blaster at the local college, provided I thoroughly cleaned the block in the school shop first, so as not to contaminate the media. After several days of scrubbing in the solvent tank, the skin on my hands began to dry and crack; turned out the instructor had dumped a couple of gallons of old carb dip into the solvent, thinking it would improve the effectiveness.    

[BobbyR]

The chemicals in that cleaner is no doubt dangerous and in the past we were all subjected to exposure to anything you can name including mercury. The Dental profession has still not officially banned the use of Mercury fillings. 

The small can of carb cleaner used in the proper amount will not harm the motor or anyone else. If fact by using it you will destroy it, think of your motor as a hazardous waste disposal facility. Keep the can it is cool looking.