Author Topic: How much Vinegar soak it too much (Read 1397 times)

Ace Blackwell · « **on:** February 18, 2019, 08:25:45 AM »

All,

I’m tearing down carbs to continue to clean. I read that soaking in vinegar is a good idea. My concern is soaking too long and damaging/pitting parts. Is the brass more sensitive or the housings? How long would you recommend I soak these for?

Lastly, when I re-assemble, will I need a muffler to adjust correctly? I’ve read where muffler type changes can require a carb adjustment. I have to assume then that not having a muffler will prevent an accurate setting.

Thanks
Ace

calj737 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2019, 09:32:02 AM »

Vinegar is NOT a good idea. Use a decent solvent designed for carbs and fuel varnish.

ekpent · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2019, 09:34:30 AM »

Agreed- save the vinegar for the dinner table.

754 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2019, 10:29:21 AM »

Vinegar for rust removal.

Ace Blackwell · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2019, 10:45:07 AM »

Thanks, I’ll look around but they look pretty oxidized. Haven’t had any luck with gum out or carb cleaner (spray) touching it.

And what about muffler? Need it or not to set carbs?

calj737 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2019, 10:46:54 AM »

Vinegar won’t remove oxidation anyway from aluminum. Not many chemicals will. Agitation and media blasting is about your best bet (vapor blasting).

You want the exhaust installed to tune carbs.

TwoTired · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2019, 10:58:35 AM »

Vinegar is acid.

Acid dissolves metal.

Do you really want less carburetor metal than you had before?

There are solvents that will attack contaminants yet not affect metal at all.

Guess which is a better choice for restoration work.

You want both air filter and exhaust installed to fine tune carbs.

Cheers,

BomberMann650 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2019, 12:25:15 PM »

A gallon of Berrymans Chem-Dip will restore those carb parts to a like new shine! In 20-40 minutes.

flybox1 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2019, 12:26:43 PM »

Quote from: BomberMann650 on February 18, 2019, 12:25:15 PM

A gallon of Berrymans Chem-Dip will restore those carb parts to a like new shine! In 20-40 minutes.

+1

Can550 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2019, 01:06:26 PM »

Quote from: calj737 on February 18, 2019, 10:46:54 AM

Vinegar won’t remove oxidation anyway from aluminum. Not many chemicals will. Agitation and media blasting is about your best bet (vapor blasting).

You want the exhaust installed to tune carbs.

Agreed with what Cal recommended. Vapor blasting is my new obsession. Got my 1969 cb350 carbs blasted.

And bunch of other parts of cb550f and GL1000

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tracksnblades1 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2019, 01:37:12 PM »

Back in the Quadrajet days, this was the best.
You had to H2O rinse and blow everything out.
Tyme Carburetor dip/ soak.

PeWe · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2019, 01:54:56 PM »

I let my carbs swim in 12.5% vinegar for 1 hour to remove oxide. Then rinse with water. They had swimmed in naphta, carb clean and even better, Motorex chain clean before.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,168243.75.html

MauiK3 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2019, 02:28:18 PM »

I did mine in my 10 L ultrasonic using 50/50 simple green and reverse osmosis water. Worked very well, about 30 minutes. I then followed Hondaman’s book and ran wire through the various ports. They came out great.

springer · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2019, 06:54:17 PM »

What Cal said is the only way and best way to go hello Cal Ben a long time brother that I've been on this site

disco · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2019, 11:56:57 PM »

Don’t leave steel parts in vinegar and forget them. Don’t ask me how I know 🙁

PeWe · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2019, 03:13:23 AM »

Quote from: disco on February 18, 2019, 11:56:57 PM

Don’t leave steel parts in vinegar and forget them. Don’t ask me how I know

Why not caustic soda?
It work fine cleaning the surface on aluminum with heavy oxidation. Only 1-2 miutes followed by a lot of water ending up with brushing the black surface with steel wool. I did engine covers and hubs with that. Maybe a little bit too strong for carbs....
Edit: Important to check result after 30 sec. That might be enough

I have heard about people leaving an entire alu block and fancy alu heads in caustic soda solution. Some hours later did not find anything else than a few steel inserts

Don R · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2019, 07:50:12 AM »

Someone recently raved about Awesome cleaner from the Dollar Tree in their ultrasonic cleaner. I've heard it has methanol in it. It removes the black streaks off an RV. Unfortunately it also takes some paint.

jtunberg · « **Reply #17 on:** February 19, 2019, 03:26:31 PM »

I Use the YAMAHA Carb dip, works great

przjohn · « **Reply #18 on:** February 19, 2019, 03:51:02 PM »

I remove all the Brass and then send them out to Nils at Resto Cycle. The results are great. In fact, I have a set getting ready to head their way soon for a 550 resto.

WhyNot2 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 19, 2019, 04:25:05 PM »

Yep, it eats metal.....

This was the float bowl clip on a CB750.

TwoTired · « **Reply #20 on:** February 19, 2019, 04:52:37 PM »

FYI: the carb bodies are an aluminum alloy, which doesn't form an aluminum oxide protective surface as pure aluminum would.

Anything "caustic" or acidic will eat/dissolve them given time and strength of solution soaking them.

That's chemistry, folks!

Cheers,

Ace Blackwell · « **Reply #21 on:** February 20, 2019, 08:28:23 AM »

Thanks all for the good advice. You’ve convinced me not to try vinegar. I’m sure ppl have had good luck but if it can go wrong, it will with me. I’ll check out some carb dips. I’d love to have them vapor blasted but can’t justify the cost at the moment. Will probably be something I’ll circle back to in time.

And I got the message about the muffler. I’ll work on that too

Ace

Bodi · « **Reply #22 on:** February 20, 2019, 03:37:51 PM »

Since it is an alloy, it reacts a bit different from pure aluminum. But it's got a lot of aluminum so it isn't too different. Pure aluminum is extremely reactive, the alloy must reduce that... brass and pure aluminum don't get along together at all, yet there are brass parts pressed into the carb bodies with no corrosion.
I would not soak aluminum or any alloy in vinegar for any extended time. Pure aluminum is relatively resistant to acetic acid but not completely. I would not hesitate to use vinegar and a toothbrush to scrub at a carb body but I would rinse it off well afterwards.
Alkali though... don't do it. A strong alkali will eat aluminum rapidly, energetically fizzing off hydrogen gas. Caustic soda is fairly weak but oven cleaner will erode the metal amazingly fast.
A non ionic solvent dip like Berrymans (if it's still available and the formula hasn't been crippled by VOC regulations) works wonders. But it eats plastic and rubber.
Vapor blasting or soda blasting is your best bet to get pristine looking carb bodies.

Deltarider · « **Reply #23 on:** February 21, 2019, 02:52:42 AM »

I've never used anything else than a can of carbcleaner with a straw and some copper wire. But I'm not interested in carbs that look like chrome. They will get dirty soon enough after you start riding again.

BTW, even when new the carbs were not shiny. In the past I once used some stuff from Yamaha (sold only to professionals that service Yamaha outboards) that worked OK, but I find it too toxic to work with. Even in workshops they keep it stored separately. The new to me carbdip Jtunberg shows, may be interesting however. I'm amazed that many here seem to believe they need agressive stuff. As long as the jets still have some opening an addative to the fuel may help. If it's more stubborn dirt: carb cleaner and some copper wire as shown in the pic.

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Author Topic: How much Vinegar soak it too much (Read 1397 times)