cleaning the slides...

[ddaniels]

...or pistons or whatever they're called. Do you guys ever bother to clean these off with carb cleaner? I guess it would depend on how cruddy they look.

[blowerbike]

carb cleaner/scotch brite...just keep the chemicals off the rubbers...
they will expand x 3.

[hikermikem]

I use carb cleaner on them all the time... it doesn't seem to hurt the diaphrams either, but I don't make it a point to blast them if I can help it...

[Steve]

I will either spray the slides or wet a rag and wipe them down to clean them.

Scotch-brite isn't too bad, as long as it's not newer, more-abrasive stuff.

If you happen to get the diaphragm wet, just wipe it down.
A few seconds of exposure won't hurt them, but definitely DON'T soak them.

.

[Graham]

I use a brass wire tooth brush and carb spray.

[Nessism]

I say NO on the scotchbrite or brass wire brush. The slides are anodized and those abrasive tools will scratch the hard surface - no good can come from that. Using carb cleaner on a rag works well, as does soap and hot water.

[Graham]

I say NO on the scotchbrite or brass wire brush. The slides are anodized and those abrasive tools will scratch the hard surface - no good can come from that. Using carb cleaner on a rag works well, as does soap and hot water.

Anodized aluminum is too hard to be scratched by Scotchbrite pad of a brass brush. Never scratch a carb slide yet.

[Steve]

That's why I have some OLD Scotch-brite pads lying around. Tougher than dirt, but not much else.

.

[ddaniels]

I just dipped them in the carb cleaner, then took an old toothbrush to them. Worked good. got the carbs reinstalled and they are working good. Now to the sync'ing.