Just bought an ultra sonic cleaner for carbs

[nastyjones]

My mate & I just bought a 2.5 gallon ultra sonic cleaner with the intention of starting a small bike carb cleaning service.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/PROSONIX-2-5-GALLON-10L-ULTRASONIC-CLEANER-DRAIN-AND-BASKET-/290643516348?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43abb41bbc

I'm sure there must be other members here who use a US cleaner & if so I would like to know what solution you are using. Are any of the homemade ones any good? What did you use? Any tips on using it? Did you pre-clean?

Also, did you strip the carb completely before using the US? Is it easier to put it in the cleaner first to loosen all the jets & plugs which can be an issue as discussed here many times.

Any advise is appreciated.

Cheers, Paul

[chuck hahn]

Doesnt the unit come with a list of suggested fluids???

[Agemax]

you can buy different solutions for different applications on ebay, including dedicated carb cleaner. but you can use almost anything in it. i dip rc car polycarbonate body shells in white spirit in it!
best to wash off as much crud as possible first before dipping and remove everything from the body, although a stubborn air screw can be dipped before removal to help it free up but you will need new o rings.
wash thoroughly after dipping, i use a hot wash with a shower head in the bath, then dry with a hair dryer

[nastyjones]

Doesnt the unit come with a list of suggested fluids???

We've bought it but haven't taken delivery yet. Another 10 days or so hopefully.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Those things are miraculous. Have fun with it.

[7981GS]

WOW!!! What a nice unit to have!
I will have to add it to my Christmas list or "some day" purchase list.
Even has a built in heater!
I have always taken a Cummins internal block coolant heater and dunked them in the tank. (180 degrees)
Heat helps just as much as the quality of the cleaning solution in my opinion.

Keep us posted on the results with that unit please.

Daniel

[Agemax]

a heater built in really helps but if it hasnt got one then hot tap water is effective, not boiling water!

[nastyjones]

WOW!!! What a nice unit to have!

Keep us posted on the results with that unit please.

Daniel

Yeah, the idea is if it works on the 20 carbs my mate & I have, we will offer it to GSR's as well as Ebay.

[Agemax]

ebay is not worth the hassle, i tried it. you tell them you need a usable set of carbs to start with and they send you a set that are completely useless. then they moan because you have to spend x amount on refurbing them, then they moan about the price of shipping them back.
believe me stick to friends and GSR members.
how much are you thinking of charging for a bank of 4 carbs? bearing in mind they have to be cleaned, stripped, dipped, parts replaced as neccesary, screws etc replaced,then rebuilt. and they can always complain to ebay that the carbs dont work afterwards and you have no way of proving otherwise
the time factor itself puts off the customers price tag straight away

[makenzie71]

Damn for $400 you could have bought a used Henry Schein model that's actually big enough for the full assembled rack to go into.

Look up Maxicide. While not meant for cleaning carbs, it's a pretty stout solvent. Plain old pine sol and water works, to, but it takes a bit of trial and error to get the ratio right to not sud up. It's also hard to beat straight alcohol.

If you use a milder solvent...maybe something like WD40 or maybe even diesel...you could dip the whole assembled thing and probably just blow everything out. I've done it as a refresher, but it's no substitute for a proper rebuild.

Since I've started my job with Henry Schein I've found all kinds of things dental and medical equipment can be repurposed to do. The ultrasonic cleaners are awesome for ultrasonic cleaning. Overhead medical lights are great for work lights. The air compressors are SILENT! Explorers are fantastic o-ring retrievers and scalers. Old dental seats are great to sell to tattoo artists for cash to spend on new exhausts. Everything can be used! I have a lot fo this crap, too, if anyone's interested.

[1948man]

you can buy different solutions for different applications on ebay, including dedicated carb cleaner. but you can use almost anything in it. i dip rc car polycarbonate body shells in white spirit in it!
best to wash off as much crud as possible first before dipping and remove everything from the body, although a stubborn air screw can be dipped before removal to help it free up but you will need new o rings.
wash thoroughly after dipping, i use a hot wash with a shower head in the bath, then dry with a hair dryer

Isn't that a waste of good vodka (white spirit)??

[Agemax]

Isn't that a waste of good vodka (white spirit)??

not really, i can filter it and drink it afterwards

[nastyjones]

I'm sure it would be fine to use to make a Caesar or bloody Mary afterwards......but seriously is white spirit called mineral spirits over here?

[Agemax]

not sure what you guys would call it, but its flammable and used for stripping paint or cleaning paint brushes!

[nastyjones]

ahhhh, probably something
like lacquer thinners then.