Topic: Using Carb & Choke Cleaner?

[Justin]

Here's one I ran across in a local auto parts store:
http://pzlqs.com/Tech/Pdsheet/Gumout/pdf/SmallEngineCarb&ChokeCleaner.pdf

Can you use this stuff when the engine is running, such as taking off the air cleaner, and spraying it down the intake?
Seems like it would be the strongest stuff to clean out an old engine and carbs without having to disassemble everything...

[phylo101]

Hi there's a whole variety of these products, and have used several in a pinch, but many are severely unfriendly to rubber, make it swell and distort. Nothing beats a manual stripdown if a Bike ahs been sitting up, cos nothing except manual intervention will get the "varnish" that settles out of unleaded if its blocking your jets

Phylo

[eldar]

If you are going to use a choke and carb cleaner, just get some seafoam. Dump part in your gas and go. 1 can should do 3 tanks or so. I have used it before and it works great for both cars adn motorcycles. Much simpler than having to pull off the airbox or pods.

[jotor]

CAUTION

Carb & choke cleaner will remove engine case paint.  Nevermind how I know.

[BobbyR]

The spray cleaners will only clean what they touch. If you spray it into the intakes and it will wash down the slides and do something in the cumbustion chamber. It will not reach the jets where is where most of our problems stem from. I have used all products except for Seafoam which I will use. I used them after the teardown and roding out the jets with Guitar strings and spay Gumout to loosen and wash away the particles. Using the in the tank additives cleans up what you may have missed by hand. Today's Gasoline contains some powerful cleaning additives. I find the bike runs better the more you ride it.

[kghost]

If dealing with gum and varnish, you can spray till the cows come home. The only way to do it right when they're really dirty is complete disassembly.

Sorry.

[Justin]

Cool, thanks guys.

I'll just stick with some powerful fuel system cleaner (Chevron Techron Concentrate, Gumout Regane, Redline SI-1) or the Sea Foam stuff.

These are the best stations for gasoline:
QuikTrip
Chevron
Conoco
Phillips
76
Shell
Entec Stations
MFA Oil Company

Type "top tier gasoline" into google.

[eldar]

If it is hardened then yes only a hand cleaning will get everything. Seafoam though will remove virtually anything else that is not hard. It is about the best cleaner I have used. Using some once a month or couple of months will stop almost all gunking.

[kghost]

Theres a post floating around how most brands oil base comes from a few refinerys.

Gas is done the same way. There really is no way to tell if the "Chevron" gas your buying actually came from "Chervon". Many, if not most, companies and refineries routinely trade gas back and forth.

E.I. "I'll trade you 10,000 gallons of 87 from our Corpus Christe plant for 10,000 from your New Jersy Plant"

Hell, Exxon where I live used to get its gas from Coastal.

Eldar,
 The best thing I've found to remove gunk? 100 Octane LL aviation fuel.

[eldar]

yes well not all of us can get our hands on aviation fuel!
 If I could, I would use nitromethane for fuel as that is not much more expensive than gas these days!

As for fuel grades, thats why I use a filter! You never know exactly where you gas come from anymore it seems.

[Bob Wessner]

I think you are right. I once read an article about the fuel distribution process. It's all fed into a network of nation-wide pipelines. At the ends of which are storage facilities and then picked-up and delivered "locally" via truck. Who knows where a particular gallon was refined.

[eldar]

If you live right around a refinery, you have a better idea but the network is about right.

[Justin]

The base stock gasoline supplied to end stations of different names may be virtually the same, but the additive packages (detergents) can vary greatly, which has a direct correlation with deposits:

http://www.toptiergas.com

[kghost]

Hmmm,

Most of those deposits are a direct result of combusting a long complex hydrocarbon chain. The "detergents" are there to keep those deposits from forming in the Engine and Cat. converter.( and to make the fuel burn clean with less emmisions)

True some detergents are there to keep the Fuel system clean. But that being said, there's quite a difference between modern fuel injection and Keihin carbs.

I wouldn't sweat the additives or count on them helping reduce the amount of deposits in the carbs.
I am more concerned with the anti detonation properties of the fuel. I have on occasion gotten low octane fuel. Bad deal. Also hate fuel with Alcohol and the winter "clean air" stuff.

[Justin]

Kghost,

You're absolutely right sir. I was just making a blanket statement regarding the best possible fuel, period. They won't do a thing to keep our "ancient" carburetors clean, but will make a difference over the long-term in the combustion chamber area (valves, injectors on modern engines, etc.)

I would much rather have clean, proper octane fuel from a reputable station with high turnover at the lowest cost (truckstop!) rather than one fifteen cents higher that has demonstrated an ability to keep modern injectors a bit cleaner under ASTM lab tests...

[kghost]

Thanks Buddy.

My .02 cents on keeping carbs clean? Ride the piss out of it like BobbyR suggested.

[Justin]

Thanks Buddy.

My .02 cents on keeping carbs clean? Ride the piss out of it like BobbyR suggested.

...And before you put it up for long periods of time, dump some Sta-Bil in the tank, run if for a little bit, shut off fuel to the carburetor, and let it run itself out of fuel!

[jbailey]

I worked for ExxonMobil pipeline company for a short period.  It is true that all gasoline is the same.  It is a commodity product.  The only difference is the additive, but due to EPA standards there is not a huge difference in that either.  In fact one engineer that I spoke with regarding this suggested that it would be a smart idea to change brands occasionally because of the different additives contain various detergents that work on different types of deposits.  If you run the same brand all the time you stand a greater chance of building up mcertain deposits.  I don't know if this is scientific or not, it was just one guys opinion.  I usually run a shot of redline (non-solvent based) SI-1 cleaner occasionally in the bike and also in my cars.

If you check your local area you will find that each geographic area only distributes certain "brands" of gasoline.  Then you will find that there are terminals where the trucks pick up and deliver the gas to the staions.  If you watch the terminal for a few hours, you will see every "brand" of gas truck pull in and fill up.  The terminals that ExxonMobil operates in my area can receive from ExxonMobil pipeline, Sun Oil pipeline or Buckeye pipeline, and likewise for the other terminals.  The additive is either ExxonMobil or Generic.

I get a charge out of people who swear that their car runs better on brand X or whatever.  I used to try to explain this to them, but now I figure why bother.  If they think their car runs better, good for them!  After all we all know how much better our cars run after an oil chnage, right?  Ever heard of the placebo effect?

Of course, keep in mind that very few stations are actually owned by the oil companies.  Most are franchises, and the owner may be dishonest.  It is possible to "water" down gas with waste and transmix, but this will usually catch up to them in the end.  I know for a fact that Mobil checks their franchisees randomly to ensure quality product.  I'm sure Sunoco and any other major brand does the same to protect their reputation.  It is the no-name (usually near a major highway) that get away with that sort of thing.

[eldar]

So the best thing to do is weld a hitch onto your bike and PULL your own gas!!!! 

[jbailey]

I should have also pointed out that the vast majority of station owner's are honest (I HOPE!!!).  Just buy whatever brand you want and run a little good quality (Techron or Redline) cleaner once in a while and you should have nice clean carbs.

Keep in mind that the gasoline/additive that you got in the mid seventies was probably not as good as what you get now.

[Hop on a Honda]

 
Carbys and fuel need to  be exercised by riding for ever and a day every day.
100octain av gas does miricales in my beast I have been in USA for 6 weeks and on my return  my CB 750K5 went first go after recharging the battrey.
I have never had any trouble with av gas!
Hop on a Honda and go.

Dave Australia.

[phylo101]

And I note noone here has yet mentioned that perrenial problems of old underground tanks that should have been replaced regularly and years ago, AND small chains or individual stations that buy the cheapest from whetever from whic ever distributor this week, without realising or caring he's getting stuff that's been bunkered for ages to maintain the price, and thus volatiles have leeched away. In the UK that's how a lot of supermarket-affiliated stations can sell cheap petrol...but over two or three tankfuls drivers start to notice the general lack of performance.....

Phylo