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Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:33 pm

I'm thinking of doing a carb rebuild. I already have the kit. I've heard soaking it in Pinesol is useful in getting it clean. Is this a good idea?

I've been having trouble getting it to idle, I've owned this car for four years and don't know how old this carb is so I figured it wouldn't hurt to do a good cleaning on it.

I've read not to soap plastic in the Pinesol. Is there plastic on this carb I should know about?

I haven't even opened it up yet so don't know if it even needs a soaking.

34PICT4

Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:44 pm

I use diluted pinesol(1/4th cup to 8 cups hot water) in my ultrasonic cleaner on carbs and fuel pumps. They don't come out shiny but pretty clean. Once the parts have been in the Jacuzzi. I rinse then in hot water and blow dry with compressed air from a compressor, not a can. Then do a final cleanup with a solvent of my choice. Your never gonna get it completely clean in an ultrasonic cleaner.
There is a poster here that uses lemon juice (citric acid) diluted in water to clean parts. But he keeps that ratio of juice to water and closely held secret. When his parts are cleaned they have a nice sheen on the cast allow metal.

Good Luck.

Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:45 pm

Some of the PICT 34's have plastic bushings around the throttle shafts. You could just use some detergent mixed with water. Something they sell at NAPA like Super Clean or some de-greaser.

Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:06 pm

That's what I'm concerned about, the plastic bushings. This is my first time opening a carburetor so I may do a partial tear down. I have carb cleaner. I'm just looking to clean out passages and remove any debris, if any exists.

Thanks

Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:13 pm

A word of caution is in order.
I tried diluted "Purple Power" in the ultrasonic cleaner this weekend on a new part that had a nice shiny finish. When the Jacuzzi had completed it's cycle. I pulled a dull part from the hot tub. I was disappointed to say the least. It was dull like it had been exposed to the elements for many years. I ran it again and was amazed that the diluted "Pinesol" solution had cleaned up the part. But I'll never get the shine back on it without polishing it.
Be careful what you use for a cleaner.

Danwvw wrote: Some of the PICT 34's have plastic bushings around the throttle shafts. You could just use some detergent mixed with water. Something they sell at NAPA like Super Clean or some de-greaser.

Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:24 pm

67rustavenger wrote: I use diluted pinesol(1/4th cup to 8 cups hot water) in my ultrasonic cleaner on carbs and fuel pumps. They don't come out shiny but pretty clean. Once the parts have been in the Jacuzzi. I rinse then in hot water and blow dry with compressed air from a compressor, not a can. Then do a final cleanup with a solvent of my choice. Your never gonna get it completely clean in an ultrasonic cleaner.
There is a poster here that uses lemon juice (citric acid) diluted in water to clean parts. But he keeps that ratio of juice to water and closely held secret. When his parts are cleaned they have a nice sheen on the cast allow metal.

Good Luck.

Gotta cry foul here,

I've never kept it a secret. I heat the juice in a hot pot rather than an ultrasonic cleaner. I do not dilute the lemon juice with water. The distributors do come out with a clean dull finish that requires a bit of work with some extra fine steel wool to return a nice sheen. It doesn't work so well with carburetors because it's hard to get the steel wool into all the little nooks and crannies of a carburetor. A dremmel would help.

Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:25 pm

tasb wrote:
[b]Gotta cry foul here[/b],

I've never kept it a secret. I heat the juice in a hot pot rather than an ultrasonic cleaner. I do not dilute the lemon juice with water.

Ok, thanks for that. I'm not trying to single you out tasb.
I know that you and glenn do dist restorations and are very good at it.
I'm pretty sure that someone once asked what ratio of critic acid to water you used. You didn't want to divulge what it was at the time I read that.
I'm not trying to offend anyone here.

Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:45 pm

Yeah, it will discolor zinc and some other metals like mag. I just use it quickly with gloves and a tooth brush and then rinse it off and dry the parts. Works ok on head chambers and piston tops though, you can soak them overnight in it to eat out the carbon.

Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:21 am

Why wouldn't you just use a gallon can of Berryman's with the dip basket?

Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:15 am

Gasoline that has dirt in it is still a petroleum base product. Clean it with a PETROLEUM base product.

http://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/img/large/bry/0905.jpg

Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:23 am

I would not use Pinesol...if you do, you better be sure you have completely rinsed it out and dried it. It will crystalize in the small ports and is impossible to clean out later...ask me how I know

I ruined a set of old Italian IDF power jets this way. Even soaking and boiling will not remove the pinesol residue

Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:48 am

pb_foots wrote: Why wouldn't you just use a gallon can of Berryman's with the dip basket?

I use that but keep in mind it dissolves plastic and rubber parts.

Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:01 am

Berryman's is some nasty shit - I've used it and it works but I hate to do so. How do you dispose of it properly?

Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:13 am

Erik G wrote: Berryman's is some nasty shit - I've used it and it works but I hate to do so. How do you dispose of it properly?

Look on the MSDS information that comes with it.

Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:20 am

I just used good old carburetor cleaner from O'Reilly or Autozone, gallon size, came with a little basket, and soaked in that. Don't forget to pull out the two tiny stainless steel balls, and don't lose those !!!

Tue Jun 20, 2017 12:56 pm

Helfen wrote: Erik G wrote: Berryman's is some nasty shit - I've used it and it works but I hate to do so. How do you dispose of it properly?

Look on the MSDS information that comes with it.

no kidding

"Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local, regional, national, and international regulations, as applicable"

So again - how do you dispose of it properly

Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:11 pm

Erik G wrote: Helfen wrote: Erik G wrote: Berryman's is some nasty shit - I've used it and it works but I hate to do so. How do you dispose of it properly?

Look on the MSDS information that comes with it.

no kidding

"Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local, regional, national, and international regulations, as applicable"

So again - how do you dispose of it properly

Don't dispose of it...you can use it over and over again.

Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:11 pm

Erik G wrote: Helfen wrote: Erik G wrote: Berryman's is some nasty shit - I've used it and it works but I hate to do so. How do you dispose of it properly?

Look on the MSDS information that comes with it.

no kidding

"Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local, regional, national, and international regulations, as applicable"

So again - how do you dispose of it properly

The cities where I have lived and worked all have a day about once or twice a year that they collect hazmat waste to get rid of this and other stuff. Call your city or county and ask. It's in our local paper, on the local radio and TV stations and in the case of where I live they mail residents a flyer when the day will be.
I recently had to change my five gallon bucket for a new one because the stuff ate the bottom out of the can. As said before you can use this stuff over and over and my batch was about ten years old before I had to change the can. Even after ten years and many many carbs and fuel pumps it's still good. I just recently cleaned a Q jet for one of my touring cars and it came out super clean.
FYI don't get this stuff on your skin unless you want what appears to be a severe case of sunburn and skin peeling that goes along with it. Use rubber gloves that are made for this stuff and don't use mechanic's surgical gloves because it eats them very fast.
Oil base paints, solvents, cleaners and thinners are blended into fuel mixtures used at facilities such as cement kilns or also used in boilers in ships etc.

Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:36 pm

Unless I'm mistaken Pinesol is based on pine tree sap and if you think of nature dried sap you can see that it would dry crystaline. When I started restoring distributors I used Berryman's. Not only did it give me headache left the parts with a strong odor you could smell an open can of the stuff for half a block. I love life too much to use the stuff regularly. I kept my can for about 8 years before disposing of it on our county hazmat day. Like your garbage you can never really "throw it way". The chemical industry mixes acids and bases until it's close to neutral and then they turn it into drinking water for you and me! :P

Tue Jun 20, 2017 6:31 pm

I'll stay away from the pinesol then, thanks. I'll just stick with standard carb cleaner. I haven't opened it up yet, waiting until the weekend. Unless the bowl looks cruddy I won't soak it. I'm just looking to clear the passages and exchange O-rings and gaskets.

When I put it back together do I need to refill the bowl with gas before trying to start the car for the first time or will that occur automatically?