Wondering if they will cause damage or issues for a rebuild.
Soaking them in carb cleaner isnt doing much after 24 hours

Im using this

https://www.autozone.com/fuel-and-e...-96oz/139313_0_0?searchText=carb+cleaner

Simple Green in an ultrasonic cleaning tank.

Just how bad are the carbs ?! (I'm assuming your Hemi carbs)
Guess "carb cleaner" ain't what it used to be - the old stuff would stink up the whole garage and attack human skin.
I THINK that CLR is OK on metal - FWIW, I was never all that impressed with it on porcelain.
Maybe Evaporust is the go-to now.

Thirty years back, I worked for a local auto parts store. I bought a 5 gallon bucket of Berryman Chem-Dip. This stuff really worked. A few years ago, I bought another bucket. It is NOT the same stuff. I didn't get the same cleaning as the old formula. I've started soaking stuff in a 50/50 mix of Castrol Super Clean and water.

Zep Driveway Cleaner contains sodium hydroxide aka lye. Be very careful using it on anything made from aluminum. May cause it to turn black if not washed off soon enough after it does it's work. Will EAT the whole thing if left in it for a long period of time.

Zep C-L-R contains Urea hydrochloride which is a salt formed from the simple mixture of urea with hydrochloric acid. Urea is the major chemical in p i s s, added to hydrochloric acid.

Not that I wouldn't use either of those chemicals, but I wouldn't drop a carb in either of them and walk away.

Just kinda yucky so to speak

Ive had this same carb cleaner in the past and it always cleaned them up better than this


Ive been reading on the net today and am not comfortable dropping a 1500 carb in it as a chance.

I'll live with the carb cleaner outcome and call it good.

This is what I do.

Before

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/T...TbNksM8XkFPJydHX7Y3JRjCIMhKc4ryIse=s1000

After

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5...LUo2u717yPNSPTJrlWa0ZMYJV_ZuLmujRS=s1000

Another reason to love those big dome air cleaners

Well, Im going to call it good enough.

An over nite soak in Berryman carb cleaner,
Followed by multiple scrubbings with said carb cleaner, and Dawn Power wash
and even a 50% diluted spray with clr / water mix and a scrubbing with a tooth brush.

I'll put it together this weekend while Im waiting on seals and gaskets.

Was that the metal bucket with the metal lid and came with a basket? Don't know about 30 years ago (1994) but the stuff we had in the late 70's-early 80's would strip the plating off a carb overnight and leave red chemical burns on your skin if you didn't wash it off right away. You could do a couple dozen carbs with the same bucket before it lost it's potency...

They used to sell a wheel cleaner for non coated, unpolished wheels that did well on Carterbrock type carbs.
Found this stuff that might work even better LINKY might find others with google

And Chem Dip. Was good stuff but as mentioned wreaked for days. Clothes, hands anything it touched. not sure on the newer version

Aluminum in those, are you KIDDING
If you try that PLEASE let us know the results

You only get so far with cleaning solutions and ultrasonic cleaner on a 50-year-old cast aluminum piece. Tumbling in a professional manner with proper media, or glass bead blasting is the only way to get a more correct finish and getting off the hard gunk. Any solution you put a carb in you need to look for the reaction, if you get heavy bubble gassing you need to remove it immediately. Even those brightener's and such do not actually brighten and are only soaked for 2 minutes for a passive coating.

What is the proper media?

I had thought about a tumbler. But would be concerned with contaminates getting in small ports / passages causing issues

And in the background is Berryman's B-12 aerosol LOL, Sorry just had to jerk your chain a bit LOL 🤣


To the OP, trying the aerosol carb cleaner on the residual black deposits should remove or soften them. if needed while wet with the aerosol stuff, Scrubbing with a wire brush would be helpful but will likely discolor/polish the aluminum. might try a shop towel / wash cloth. Wooden q-tips come in handy as well

This, https://www.harborfreight.com/6-lit...430.html?_br_psugg_q=ultrasonic+cleaners, plus Purple Power. Great results.

Be sure to use the aluminum safe simple green, Original simple green is caustic and corrodes/oxidizes aluminum and or pot metal. Heat is critical as well, get you solution in the ultra sonic to about 140-150F.

Picked up some today

Now shopping for an ultrasonic cleaner to give this method a try
I have a 727 to do next. so might as well pick one up.