Best dunk degreaser for aluminum?
 

hey all
i'm rebuilding my carb, and i'm looking for something to clean 20 years of caked on crap. i bought some generic degreaser which did nothing, so i need something stronger. back in highschool, the shop had a bucket of industrial strength cleaner, dip anything into it leave it for 10min, then spray it with hot water and it was clean. does anyone know where i could get something like that?
thanks
later

Carb cleaner? Around here, you can buy it at auto parts stores in one gallon cans. It used to be more prevalent in commercial auto shops, who would buy it in very large containers, but environmental regulations and insurance make it almost impossible to use (nasty stuff to use and hard to dispose). Most engine building shops, for example, now use steam cleaning ovens. But, for the DIYer, carb cleaner can do miraculous things. That's what I'd use.

autozone has some stuff called chemdip which comes in a paint can...i used it and it worked good...

so no one sells the "nasty" stuff anymore? that sucks.

As I said, you can usually still find it at auto parts stores. I was just saying that it's not as common as it used to be because the commercial shops can't use it.

How good is Trichlorethylene? We get that at work in 5 gallon buckets for cleaning flux off of circuit boards.

well go and try some?

I am going to try mold cleaner with degreaser (I work at plastics factory). It is non flammable, and smells like no other. Also leaves no residue. I will let you all know how that works out.

Tric is really bad stuff. It cleans well but is very carcinogenic. We used to use it by the 55 gal drum for just about everything. I used to wash my tools in it at the end of my shift, and wash my hands in it. :eek: No one told us how bad it was. That was back in the 80's when things werent as saftey consious.

If you want the absolute best, most wicked stuff go to NAPA and get a gallon of their carb cleaner. Not the refill, get the one in the bucket so you have something to store it in. Dont ever put anything plastic or rubber in it as it will disintegrate. Always wear eye protection and rubber gloves when using it and NEVER get it on your skin, it will burn for hours even after washing it off. I have the 5 gal pail in the shop for dipping carbs and its the shit. Oh and use it only in a well ventilated area cause the fumes are nasty too.

thanks carl
i found a napa relatively close to my place, so i'm going to head down there tommorow and see what i can find.

I don't wash my hands in the TCE, and avoid getting it on me...

When I was a mechanic, I used to wash my hands in the Varsol from the parts washer till I heard that's bad for ya...

A few years ago circuit board manufacturers switched to cleaning with water instead of trichloroethane.

Water doesn't work nearly as well... Rubbing alcohol works pretty well though. It's what I use at home on my circuit boards.

I guess it depends on what kind of flux you are using, but my understanding is that water-based cleaning can be just as effective. There was an interesting article in Surface Mount Technology magazine a couple months ago and you may have already read it:
http://smt.pennnet.com/Articles/Arti...icle_ID=212078

An Air Force study found significant cost savings for cleaning with water vs. solvents.
http://www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/eq/mo...8&shop=id98622

For home use, I use 1,1,1 trichloroethane, methyl ethyl ketone, naptha, simple green, anything at hand,...often brake cleaner.