Carburetor cleaner question

[dajohnson53]

I don't know if this is the right forum, but here goes.

What do you do with contamination in a gallon container of carburetor cleaner?

I bought this gallon a couple of years ago. I used it back then twice to soak a small carb from a 2 cylinder outboard. This carb. was not only small, it was not filthy.

I open up the gallon today because I'm cleaning and rebuilding another carb.

On the surface are a bunch of what looks like water or similar contamination floating around in little blebs on the surface.

When I dip the dip tray to the bottom of the bucket, it stirs up a bunch of gunk from the bottom.

Where did this crap come from? Certainly not from soaking a tiny little carb?

Is there any thing I can do to get rid of this contamination? I hate to waste this gallon if there's something that can be done.

It seems to me that if I dip/soak the carb. in this container, it will come out with more crap on it than when it started. I'm especially concerned with the surface contamination because when I remove the basket from the container, it will surely pick that stuff up.

 

[Mike722]

Re: Carburetor cleaner question

We had some years ago that was less toxic that would seperate and had to be shaken to remix. It was in a gallon paint can container.

Was it frozen, that might do it as well. Is the level lower, like part of it has evaporated off?

You might spoon off the floaters and shake the rest.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Carburetor cleaner question

We had some years ago that was less toxic that would seperate and had to be shaken to remix. It was in a gallon paint can container.

Was it frozen, that might do it as well. Is the level lower, like part of it has evaporated off?

You might spoon off the floaters and shake the rest.

The stuff on the bottom that gets stirred up is very fine, so it might indeed need to be shaken. I'll try that. I'll try to remove the stuff floating first.

I don't think it's been frozen (in my heated garage), and it's been sealed (it's in a paint type can), and nothing significant has evaporated off.

 

[pgdignan]

Re: Carburetor cleaner question

You can always strain the solids out of the cleaner by running it through a paper paint filter or something similar. If there really is water on the top of the fluid you could always take it off using a spoon or something similar.

 

[v1_0]

Re: Carburetor cleaner question

Hmmm.... I'm no expert on these things, but it might be less expensive in the long run to go out and get another gallon of carb cleaner and dispose of (properly) the one you have.

Just a far off hunch, but it would make sense that some parts of the cleaner evaporated away and left the junk you are finding at the bottom of the can - I'd guess that the can isn't really 100% hermetically sealed even with the lid on real tight.

So, three issues: (1) Junk in can could clog a jet. (2) Age of the stuff may affect how good it works. (3) Unidentifed 'blips' on top - who knows what that is.

Seeing how a gallon of, say B12 is 20$, Monster parts wash is 12.99, etc. - doesn't seem like a large cost in regards to having to do it twice.

-V

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Carburetor cleaner question

Hmmm.... I'm no expert on these things, but it might be less expensive in the long run to go out and get another gallon of carb cleaner and dispose of (properly) the one you have.

Just a far off hunch, but it would make sense that some parts of the cleaner evaporated away and left the junk you are finding at the bottom of the can - I'd guess that the can isn't really 100% hermetically sealed even with the lid on real tight.

So, three issues: (1) Junk in can could clog a jet. (2) Age of the stuff may affect how good it works. (3) Unidentifed 'blips' on top - who knows what that is.

Seeing how a gallon of, say B12 is 20$, Monster parts wash is 12.99, etc. - doesn't seem like a large cost in regards to having to do it twice.

-V

Yea, I looked at the can again this morning and read the label (duh!). The label says nothing about stuff floating around, stirred up by the basket. Looking at it again, it seems like a lot of stuff and I wouldn't want it in my clean carb. I'll probably just go buy another can. At least I'll see if the new stuff looks anything like the older stuff.

 

[F_R]

Re: Carburetor cleaner question

Carb cleaners typically have a layer of water floating on top to prevent evaporation of the working stuff below. Hey, you are going to rinse the cleaned carb with water and blow everything out anyway, aren't you?