What are you guys using to soak carburetors that have been setting and gummed, or varnished up? I've always used a paint spray gun cleaner which is NLA due to the methylene chloride component.

This is from my R-190 IH crane truck w/RD-406 engine and it is progressing well. This effn ethanol gasoline we are blessed with has everything plugged up internally.....

After an hour soak as a first go round:

I need to run to the tool store and get a pail of fine glass beads as don't want to plug anything. All jets are now clear with air blast but the cast iron castings are rusted from the moisture this fuel draws. I will blast it all clean and need to order a master kit for the rebuild. Throttle plates are tight in their bores as I bushed them many years ago. I last rebuilt this carburetor in April, 1992 and have owned the truck since August, 1985.

Rough, but still serviceable for me:

 

I do it with a POS hand-held Harbor Freight blaster, I do it in my regular blasting cabinet

so I can have the vacuum running. Some kind of nasty otherwise. It's just abrasive enough to really get them clean with no damage at all

Soda does do a nice job on cleanup of soft materials without surface damage but really doesn't touch rust at all. It does very well at paint and coating stripping when there is grease and oil present, and where many other medias fail. I've never tried the soda blasting process with a suction style blast setup, but use the media often in both 600#, and 100# pressure fed Clemco blast pots. The only real difference in a conventional blast pot and one designed for either plastic, or soda blasting is the cone shaped bottom of the pot/vessel, and an additional pressure regulator for the vessel. One can run soda through a conventional blaster with some very basic modifications, but the rounded bottom of the conventional blast pot will require some agitation for consistent media flow. You do need absolutely clean, cool, and dry air when soda blasting for any length of time to avoid "caking" of the material. I used to paint strip a lot of automobiles and industrial equipment using soda, but never anything as small as a carburetor and have always used glass bead in the suction fed tumble blast cabinets.

I have two very small blast cabinets formerly used in the dental/denture manufacturing process I will try soda in. These utilize a pencil type affair for very intricate blasting and may be the ticket for this application if there is room. Have had these things for years but never really have found a use for them.

When I rebuild Carburetors, I use the real fine glass bead. The small Cabinet I have has the fine stuff for switches, Carbs etc. The large cabinet that I can stick a car fender in I have the medium glass bead. The trick I found with glass beading Carburetors, is the hot water soap wash that follows after they get tanked first to remove paint and muck. I soap wash them right after the dunk tank before the Carb goes to the glass beader. After the second soap wash (with hot water) then the compressed air comes out and I blow dry them and blow through the passages. The next step is to roto rooter out the passages with bore brushes. Make sure you always get the bore brush in the inlet of the Carburetors. The threads catch a lot of rust and debris, and even after all of that dunk tank/glass bead work, those threads and inlet still have crap in there. The bore brush on a hand drill will do the final cleaning and make the bore shine. Make sure you get all the way to the back of the inlet. You'll be surprised what comes outta' there even after all that cleaning!......

Steve@B&B

He cleaned up a few airplane carbs, Johnny Popper carbs and some others.  Looks like it does a good job.  

I would like to get one for myself but will have to wait until priorates are taken care of first.

I've not had any problems clogging jets with glass beads myself using a 120/270 mix of the glass bead media. This is probably about the consistency of A&H baking soda purchased on the retail level at a grocer. That fine of grind is a bit costly so it is a purpose use purchase when needed. I have two small tumble blast cabinets that have rubber lined baskets and were used to manufacture surgical instruments in the medical field. I also have a 100# unit used in the same purpose and is also rubber lined. These always used glass beads in the 100/170 or coarser mesh size which I feel could be a clogging mix in small passageways. There are finer mesh screenings available yet but they go more into polishing than cleaning.

Glass beads at the tool store were too coarse for my needs in this application so I mixed up another concoction of the banned chemical and gave the carburetor a good soak again in the fresh mix. As in days gone by it is now very clean.

I had submerged the old gaskets in gasoline laying flat in a shallow container so they were reusable. The carburetor went back together easily and with exception of two very small brass jets in the bottom of the dip basket after all parts and hardware were installed..... For the life of me I cannot remember where they came from but it had to be from this carburetor?

I spent almost an hour locating the box the carburetor kit came in from 1992 in the basement, (knew I had it still) and the instruction, or breakout sheet doesn't show these anyplace. An online search, along with visiting Holley's website offers no guidance. Playing the rebuild over and over between my ears yields nothing. Finally I remember a .pdf given me many years ago covering the series of the truck engine from IH and low and behold, these two jets are from the back side of the vacuum governor housing; but I sure don't remember pulling them out. Obviously I did but certainly don't remember it. You can see these little air jets in figure 62 here:

HTH's ~ Orangeman

Ultrasonic cleaners are great for small parts in my limited experience. I have one and it does a good job on what will fit in it. They however are quite expensive for heated, larger ones. Many times what I get involved with during a rebuild or modification uses heat to emulsify the oils and grease that are present. It is why I tend to stick with proven methods rather than biting on the newer environmentally safe garbage.

Of course I don't have the EPA breathing down my neck either like a big city atmosphere provides.

Removed the governor from the side of the carburetor and low and behold just behind the gasket are two threaded holes!! Looks and turns out those jets threaded right into them. Still don't remember pulling them but I'm old.....

Reinstalled the governor and truck started right up so let it idle about 10 minutes running smooth. I jump in and move the truck forward about eight feet and she starts missing on one cylinder, then two then running really bad before stalling out. No restart either. During cranking the engine sounds much different also. After about an hour or so of cussing and bitching I decided to pull the plugs and very low compression in cylinder #1, (25psi) #2 about 100psi, #3 about 40psi, #5 about 120psi, and #6 nothing. I'm thinking something must have stuck the valves or stripped the cam gear if fiber teeth? Off comes the rocker cover and standing on the tank while cranking the engine over I see all the rockers operating as they should full stroke. A wet compression test renders the same near results. Stuck rings probably so it is soaking in 50/50 acetone and ATF mixture now.

Hopefully if stuck rings they break free enough to get the engine to fire and come up to temperature. It sure was running well  before this cropped up but the truck has been setting a couple of years behind the shop not started.

Pulled the dipstick and way overfull on oil. Drained oil as suspected water and sure enough the crankcase was loaded. Drained out almost 20 quarts of sludge so the oil cooler has a leaking seal. Removed oil filter housing and the sealing gasket/ring is bad. Will replace later today and pick up a new oil filter. Hoping the stuck rings have freed up in the overnight hours but they are once again covered in the acetone/atf mixture to soak.

I had wondered why the starter motor started laboring to crank the engine over when it didn't have spark plugs installed. Seeing the drain oil answers that question.

Oil was checked before I started doing anything with it. Never has been an oil burner and both coolant and oil were in their respective full levels when I started. The short time running filled the crankcase pretty quick.

Made a new gasket and cleaned up oil filter housing in the solvent tank. Thought I have an oil filter for the truck but cannot locate it so ordered another which should arrive on Friday. I don't remember if the engine normally holds 12, or 14 quarts during a change, but I do have enough 10W-30 oil in a partial barrel that I'm going to use as a "flush" if everything checks out.

Thinking I'll run it an hour or so and allow to stabilize before going any further. I don't think the engine is hurt but it sure started to labor with the starter motor suddenly. Enough so I cleaned all the cable ends thinking it couldn't pass the current needed to crank the engine.

I poured off about a pint of this drain oil which was gray in color into a pyrex measuring cup and let it set a few hours. This was a homogeneous mixture when poured into the cup and within an hour the coolant was separating out forming a layer under the oil which could readily be seen. In four hours there was a definite layer separation between the coolant, and oil. Interesting for sure as slow enough you can't see it, but fast enough if watched in blocks of time, is apparent. 

Finally got back onto this project this morning as it was nice out. Here is a photo of the removed oil filter and the NOS Wix filter replacing it. The Wix filter imparts kind of a spinning, or centrifugal action as the oil flows through it which in this case will help further separate the effluent anti freeze contamination.

After installing and buttoning the engine back up the starter was still laboring to crank the engine. That is until the oil filter filled from the oil pump and started circulating the new oil through the engine. As oil psi approached 20 psi on the gauge, the engine took off spinning as always did prior to this ordeal. However, still no spark. Compression is up around 100psi in all cylinders now so it is returning as the piston rings break free. I'd wager they are cast iron rings although don't know for sure. Ran down to the parts store and got a tune up kit along with a new coil so now have spark again. The cylinders are once again saturated in ATF/acetone mix so engine will probably start tomorrow. I purchased the truck in August, 1985 in Memphis, TN to pull my 14X70 mobile home from the Millington, TN navy base to Decatur, IL, and then never sold the truck.

Upon discharge from the navy and prior to hiring on as a staff engineer at FAA maintaining/modernizing radar sites, I took a job at a manufacturing plant and they had this old 1956 IH crane truck they started their business with. I acquired this truck and using their bridge crane, swapped the crane body over to "Fred" which is where we are today.

Here is a photo where I turned old "Fred" over on his side when an outrigger punched through a former outhouse pit lid that had a gravel floored barn built over the top of:

Fred has not been road worthy since as I cut the driver's door off the cab. It was open at the time and the upset was so slow I was able to shut the ignition off and jump clear before he went over. Skid steer righted him easily. I was actually swinging that New Yorker car in the background onto a trailer and was going to put that Ranger truck on top of the car at the time.   

Older and smarter now !!    ........... but yes... sometimes CHIT HAPPENS , even when you start with a decent plan.

I've loaded a lot of cars over the years with that truck and after I took the barn down that was the staging area. When running rollbacks a lot of salvage wound up a the shop until final disposition of which I ran them to the scrap yards. Nobody knew that pit existed and I had cleaned up the demolition debris but didn't go below the gravel bed so had no idea about the weak spot which was located...... 

Old "Fred" did all the steel erection on my building too. Hard to live without that old truck and been around so long he's part of the family.

Running again with good compression in all six cylinders. Took a lot of cranking and over fueling to clear the penetrating oil which saturated the spark plugs, but with the new ignition parts and a good hot spark, he started and runs well. 

Moved him from in front of the shop door so I can install a new a/c condenser into the car. My wife doesn't like to be hot and my ears burn when she is that way.

Saved my own backside with this one. Condenser change went almost effortlessly as was mostly a slip fit. System was not completely depleted so only dumped an ounce of PAG46 oil into the system after evacuation along with a system charge measuring between 11, and 13 degrees of superheat at the evaporator outlet. Did not check subcooling as the condenser is new and clean.

Blowing cold air now so quite certain she'll be happy.

Can't win with a woman I swear..... 😋

Finally going to get this cylinder extracted later today for transport to the hydraulic shop tomorrow. The boom extension was tough to get moving and although it took almost three hours, a 4 ton port o power, and two pound sledghammer setting up a vibration though the tubes finally got it extended. Near everything on the crane part that normally moves was frozen stiff, but seemingly that is now corrected. All sheaves, rollers, and pivots that have zerks welcomed a fresh shot of grease. The bed hydraulically functions fine now.

Snapped these yesterday positioning the truck prior to quitting for the day. Hopefully will "pick" the cylinder out later this afternoon:

  

I'll elevate the boom sheave another three feet or so and lift the cylinder straight up and then swing it to the back of my awaiting pickup bed so don't have to manhandle the thing.

Sure would be lost without this old truck as it works so well for the tasks demanded.

I really enjoyed the time there but did not know it would be the launch pad for a career for me at the time.

Think I spent as much time at the "hobby shop" painting cars as did in class. 

I'll post up some photos in a bit.

Installed both cylinders today and after bleeding the main lift cylinder and stroking it full length eight times, actuation is very linear. Basket stays almost perfectly level through the arc of the boom raise and lower too. Leaks in these two cylinders are now history.

Spoke with the guy that rebuilt the cylinders directly when I questioned the cost which was higher than anticipated. He told me the cylinder barrel required honing, and the gland had to have a new bronze wear guide made as the old one was worn out. The cylinder rod looks good so was able to be reused. 

I had solvent washed all hardware and ran die stocks over the male threaded fasteners, and a tap through the female threads so everything went together with finger assembly easily. I let the boom stay self supported with it's cylinder for 2.5 hours with the winch chains still attached but loose to check for "creepdown" of the boom, but it didn't move, so calling it good. 

The reservoir is still a bit low so will grab a couple of pails of AW-32 hydraulic oil tomorrow morning and top it up. 

Overall a fun little job with granddaughter. We enjoyed it greatly.

Reman cylinders on the shop floor:

Cylinder bleed port at the top next to three punch dots:

Empty space cylinder goes back into:

Area cleaned up and mud, dirt, oil removed. This area was over two inches deep and the bottom row of bolts seen could not be as buried:

Dropping cylinder back in with "Fred" offering assistance:

Back in and hoses reconnected. Was really happy I snapped a photo prior to disassembly as most paint markings blasted off under the heat and pressure of washing:

Boom is supported by cylinder here but safety chains are still attached. I had just driven the main support pin home through it's bores:

Self supporting now. Safety chains are still attached but loose to check for main boom creeping down. None found after 2.5 hours so removed them:

Cycled lift several times through full stroke iterations purging system of air. This is the lift the next morning in front of the shop where I'd left it and no changes noted in positioning of elevation:

Cleaned up the work area and mowed under where equipment was located:

Happy as a pig in slop I am with this completed and serviceable again. Got a few trees to take down and some second story building maintenance and depainting to do shortly, (sandblasting) and the lift will come in really handy for that.

I'm not using it any kind of full time yet but when needed it's used a lot. So much easier than a ladder, or scaffolding. It's heavy, and very slow are about it's two drawbacks but I don't work construction sites so being only 2wd hasn't really been a factor. It gets stuck really easy but when new tires are installed, they will be weighted and that will help tremendously. I'm considering installing a couple of front driven hubs to make it FWA, but that would be a selectable tandem center solenoid valve actuated function via pressure compensated flow valve to match rotation speed.

Got some work to do in a small town on old "Rt. 66" where they want to put murals back onto two story buildings that are long painted over. Couple trees needing trimmed back that are encroaching upon a cattle loafing shed at my uncle's place, and a couple more that will seriously compromise our mobile home or newer Morton building if they fall at the family property. This is all high work so the lift plays handsomely.  

View from the top. All dry underneath so calling it good: