What is it ?

It's called "Carburetor Cleaner". Check out your local NAPA store. Not the spray can stuff....the good stuff comes in 5gal. pails.

Rex the Wrench

Fh wrote:

Percloralethelyne (sp)

It's been a long time since my knuckle-busting days, but I think I remember a Gunk product called Hydro-Seal that pretty well fits your description....

HTH

Uncle_Phil

"Uncle_Phil" snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com

It's been a long time since my knuckle-busting days....

Then jump back in with the rest of us Surrealists, err, survivalists. Frank Morrison (you get to take yer pick)

Trichloroethylene?

Methyl ethyl ketone?

Ethyl ether?

My favorite for carb stuff is the Berkible brand stuff, spray can.

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

Methylene Chloride.

The cheap carb cleaner sold at Wal-Mart is a mixture of acetone and toluene.

Methylene chloride, and other chlorinated solvents, are not 100% compatible with aluminum, and should probably be avoided.

Not to mention that methylene chloride is a carcinogen.

Some cleaners, like "purple stuff", is caustic. It is similar to Easy Off oven cleaner, or Drain-O pipe cleaner. It will cause chemical burns like you said, but is the opposite of acidic. Again, these types should not be used on aluminum parts, because caustic chemicals will readily attack aluminum.

Acetone, toluene, mineral spirits, MEK... all are fine.

Dave

On 1 Jan 2004 18:08:48 -0800, jim rozen brought forth from the murky depths:

Carb cleaner, the Gunk carb-dip stuff, is really nasty containing naphtha, butoxyethanol, and triethylolamine. It's said to have an "aromatic solvent odor". Har!

Here's the MSDS of a good one:

Berryman's B-12 has always been my favorite spray. It's the only one which would come close to clearing the little metering capillaries inside those damned Holley carbs I've always hated.

--- After they make styrofoam, what do they ship it in? --Steven Wright

I think what you want is Berryman Chem-Dip, available at auto parts stores that cater to professional mechanics as opposed to Pep Boys, etc. This stuff stinks and is very uncomfortable if you get it on your skin, but it does a fine job on carburetors. It comes in a one gallon can with a dip basket and a five gallon bucket without the basket, but you can buy a $15.00 large basket for the five gallon bucket. The ingredients listed on the label are: dichloromethane, monochlorotoluene, cresols, mixed zylenes, sodium bichromate and ethyl benzene. The label contains warnings against drinking, inhaling and known carcinogens. By the way, what you get at Pep Boys, etc is usually something like Gunk Carburetor & Parts Cleaner which comes in a one gallon can with a dip basket. This is milder stuff. The label lists: aromatic petroleum distillates, 2-butoxy ethanol, water, oleic acid, and monopholine. It also warns against drinking and prolonged inhaling of vapors. While the Chem-Dip does an excellent job of cleaning the crud out of carburetors, I have never had any luck using it to dissolve grease. Plain old mineral sprits work just a well on the grease and is much cheaper and more pleasant to use.