Soaking carbs & parts - How long?

[Anonymous]

I am preparing to completely tear down my carbs and then soak the appropariate parts in chem dip. The chem dip can says to soak parts for between 15-30 minutes, or longer if needed. The can also says that it's safe for aluminum alloys, etc. Friends tell me that it is NOT safe to chem dip carb bodies and bowls because it will eat them up. I've also heard of people soaking their carbs and parts overnight.

I guess I'm just asking for members' recommendations.

Thanks in advance.

[lhanscom]

Over night, just make sure you get all the rubber or plastic out. Cause it will eat that.

[frosty5011]

I've left carb bodies in there for several days without any ill results. Then again, I've been using the same can of chem-dip for over 3 years too.

I use it for lots of things......like stripping paint off of brake calipers, etc. Beats the hell out of wire-brushing.

[chuckycheese]

Dip

I, too, have left carb parts in the bucket for a number of days. The environmentalists have done away with the "good stuff" in California but I imagine it hasn't happened in Illinois yet. Most of that foolishness seems to originate out here. If the can says something like "new, environmentally friendly" or something to that effect, I wouldn't buy it.

Also, it definitely loses its effectiveness with age.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like overnight works. Maybe even a good 24 hours.

Thanks for the quick replies. I guess I had better get to work if I want to try to get this thing road worthy by Saturday.

Thanks again

[Anonymous]

Just when you thought you had a consistent opinion:

I left a CV body in fresh Berryman's for about 3 hours, much longer than recommended, and the butterfly shaft became difficult to turn. Not sure why, but it was clearly the result of being soaked for that long. It wore back to normal by working it a whole bunch of times, but for Berryman's, I don't soak for more than an hour anymore.

[bgmart450]

I use it for lots of things......like stripping paint off of brake calipers, etc. Beats the hell out of wire-brushing.

D'OH!!!!! Now ya tell me....... I just polished my front caliper, the hard way.

[frosty5011]

Bgmart wrote:

D'OH!!!!! Now ya tell me....... I just polished my front caliper, the hard way.

LOL, OK.....This time, I'll tell you in advance, before you go to polish your "rear" caliper ----- You can strip the paint off using the carb dip!

[whodatpat]

It depends on what it takes to clean them and how dirty they were in the first place. Mine were pathetic. I checked them after an hour, two three, 24, then two days. Finally after two days they were clean. I would have been thrilled to have pulled them out after a few hours though. It would have saved me a week.
Patrick

[KrazyKarl02]

half an hour

Just to spite everyone elses opinion, What I do, (if the carbs are fairly clean i.e. bike running, just not running very well) I will take one carb apart, dip it while taking the next apart, then pull the first one out and replace it in the dip with the second. I then reassemble the first carb and disassemble the third, then replacing the second with the third in the dip. I have had good results with this. Of course once I pull the carb out I spray all orifices and passages with carb spray too. Seems to have worked for me!

[Anonymous]

so on a related subject is dunking the carb in a bucket of clean water enough of a "rinse" after the saoking.....i'd rather do this on the kitched table than the work bench but get the feeling the mess & fumes would make this not feasable ??

[Anonymous]

After dunking the carbs, I use carb cleaner spray in all the holes/orifices I can find, then use compressed air to get them all cleaned out/off. I have not cleaned my carbs in water after using the dip.