No dip for you!

[beetle]

OK, so I'm in the process of dismantling and cleaning my carbs. Slight problem: there's no dip to be had. Ok, so you can't buy Berrymans or similar carb dip here in this Great Southern Land, but you can get Yamaha's Yamalube Carburetor Dip - except you can't. No Yamaha dealer within reasonable distance stocks ANY kind of Yamalube. Too expensive they says. They'll order it for me, provided I buy the minimum 12 bottles...

So, anybody here know a good alternative to brand name dip? My first thought was acetone. Any ideas?

[almarconi]

Can you get a biodegradable detergent like simple green? Another alternative is hot water and lemon juice. If you have an old crock pot or kitchen pot, put them in there to soak for a couple hours. You want something that is tough on grease and varnish but gentle on rubber (and skin). After the soak, rinse with water. Spray out the passages with an aerosol carb cleaner and then finally blow them out with compressed air. Your carbs should be squeaky clean.

[Steve]

Your carbs should be squeaky clean.

and smell lemony fresh.

.

[beetle]

Another alternative is hot water and lemon juice.

Sounds delicious. I might give it a try. Also, Simple Green is available. I've used Simple Green products before to clean a lot of different things, but would not have thought to soak my carbies in it.

[Nessism]

Simple Green is corrosive to aluminum, and so is lemon juice. I suggest you boil out your carbs using plain water and see how they turn out. I boiled out some carbs using lemon juice and the carb bodies turned dark gray, stained the metal. Not good.

[almarconi]

I boiled out some carbs using lemon juice and the carb bodies turned dark gray, stained the metal.

How much lemon juice did you use?

I would use 1 part lemon juice to 8 parts water. Citric acid is pretty mild as acids go. You could probably use white vinegar also.

[Dave8338]

Agreed. In addition just a drop or five of dishwashing detergent does wonders as a surfactant

[sschering]

Did you try NAPA? I got a can of dip there this weekend.. $27.. ack!!

Yamaha dealer gave the same song and dance.. He won't stock it.

One of my coworkers swears by castrol superclean hotin a crock pot, mixed 1 cup to 1 gallon water..

You can always get the Yamaha stuff off Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-Carburetor-Cleaner-Dip-32oz-ACC-CARBC-LE-NR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQhashZitem5d25fd5214QQitemZ400069317140QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear

[chuck hahn]

I got a tip from an old timer when i was redoing the carbs on my honda nighthawk project.. He told me to dissassemble the carbs and soak them for 24 hrs in denatured alcohol. I did, then sprayed everything with carb cleaner, then compresed air and it runs like a champ.. GO LIONS!!! 19 t0 14 !! THE ROAR IS RESTORED!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO

[Dave8338]

I got a tip from an old timer when i was redoing the carbs on my honda nighthawk project.. He told me to dissassemble the carbs and soak them for 24 hrs in denatured alcohol. I did, then sprayed everything with carb cleaner, then compresed air and it runs like a champ.. GO LIONS!!! 19 t0 14 !! THE ROAR IS RESTORED!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO

Better send um back up here for a weekend!

[tkent02]

+1 on the lemon juice, much less than 8-1 discolored my carbs. And my wife's saucepan.
Why are the loins still in the NFL?
They would be a very good PeeWee team, might even finish over 500.

[earlfor]

You might try fuel injector cleaner. It should say on the can if its safe for aluminum and it is likely available at any auto parts store.

Earl

[Nessism]

I’m not sure what the lemon juice concentration level was but it was way higher than 8:1, no doubt which had something to do with the sauce turning the carbs black, dwell time also is a factor I think since the carbs boiled for a good half hour. Even after that much time in the heavy sauce, the carbs were not as clean as they come out after a few hours in some proper carb dip.

As an aside, automatic dish washer detergent is an excellent degreasing agent although somewhat harsh. Not sure but maybe a couple dashes of that stuff in the boiling water would do the trick?

[tkent02]

As an aside, automatic dish washer detergent is an excellent degreasing agent although somewhat harsh. Not sure but maybe a couple dashes of that stuff in the boiling water would do the trick?

Dishwasher detergent turns aluminum black too.

[chuck hahn]

TKENT.. Lets not be too harsh on these poor lions...LOL Us folks here in Detroit are a pretty hardy bunch. You will remember how the SAINTS were once called the AINTS. Like always we will rise like the pheonix to rebuild..OK so its a bunch of crap..WE JUST SUCK!!!!!!!!