Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

[baytonemus]

OK, this is weird. I was in the process of putting my carb back together (1963 Big Twin 40) and I decided that the float bowl didn't look clean enough. I had but it into carb dip then cleaned with carb spray a couple of weeks ago, but it seemed like there was still some discoloration in the bowl. So I put it back into the dip for maybe 90 minutes, then took it out and hit it again with carb spray.

I was going to set it down when I noticed milky white droplets all over the thing. I thought that maybe some crap had splattered up from the container over which I was cleaning it, so I spraying it again outside in the open. Same thing. White droplets and they seemed to be weeping right out of the metal. I thought that maybe there was something in my gloves that was being broken down so I set it on the driveway and sprayed it again. Milky white droplets started appear as before.

What the heck is going on? I've never seen this before. Could there actually have been something absorbed into the aluminum that is being drawn out by the spray? Should I soak it in something else or try a different kind of solvent?

Thanks.

 

[baytonemus]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

I know that the reason there have been no responses to this thread might be that nobody has any idea what the heck is happening, but I thought I'd try to jump start it just in case. By the way, the carb spray cleaner I was using is Gunk Carb Medic which I have used before on motorcycle carbs.

Thanks.

 

[oldcatamount]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

Definately a chemical reaction of some kind. I think I would use a different type of carb cleaner or maybe just a fresher can of what you have.

 

[lindy46]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

Hot and high humidity when you cleaned the carb? That spray carb cleaner really cools the parts down when you spray them, so condensation forms and can combine with any non-waterbased residue causing the milky appearance.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

Need to perform exorcism

 

[baytonemus]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll exorcise the old carb cleaner and try something new. I've been meaning to buy a can of Berry B-12 Chemtool carb cleaner anyway and give that a try. I'll post back with results.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

No idea. If it was mine, I'd wipe it clean and reinstall.

 

[jgriner]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

i agree with lindy, sounds like water/condesation

would like to see youtube video of you exorcising your carb cleaner tho....

 

[baytonemus]

Re: Float bowl weeping milky substance after cleaning

I thought I'd make a final report on this situation. I bought the Berryman B-12 Chemtool carb cleaner and sprayed the float bowl out today. I did not get the milky substance forming this time, so who knows. I was still not happy with the amount of staining in the bowl and I wasn't sure if it was rust or varnish but it certainly was stubborn. I decided to try a couple of other products.

First I scrubbed it with some CLR because the stains has a little bit of a rusty color. That helped a bit. I then soaked it in a solution of "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner and water for about 10 minutes. That kind of stuff can eat aluminum so you have to be careful. That removed a fair amount of what remained so I decided to call it good.

Thanks again to everyone who responded. Still kind of a mystery...