Cleaning 40 DCOE's

[Richard2]

And the latest update is...(drum roll) SUCCESS!!!
In addition to rebuilt carbs, replacing the head gasket twice and finally sealing a head leak with K&W sealer. I started it up a couple of times and adjusted the carbs once the head finally stopped leaking.
It sat a couple of days. Tonight I went out to the greenhouse to start it up...4 pumps and almost as soon as I hit the starter off it went. I couldn't believe it.
After it warmed up, I adjusted the carbs again to try and get rid of a stumble, roughness between 1200-1400rpm. Adjusting the throttle plate screw that connected 1&2 to 3&4 seemed to help. I need to get out the Unisyn and balance the airflow when I have more time.

I took the insurance off months ago, so I can't take it out, but it sure starts better than I had ever hoped and idles really smoothly. I may actually start to like this car again. I was getting pretty discouraged with it.

[asuppe]

I bought a small ultrasonic cleaner of my own. The aqueous detergent is completely non hazardous and fume free. (I stripped the carb to aluminum before soaking.)

The heated detergent bath is just as good at cleaning as carb cleaner - even without the ultrasound on.

But you are right, the cleaner should not be left on. It does not just loosen bearings, but eats away at the very metal of the carb body! See what happens if you put a piece of foil in the cleaner.

A few minutes should do it, but it still was not able to dissolve gum very well. That gum is really tough stuff, especially when its buried deep inside the carb.

[quote=beatle_bayly;335170]I'm very wary of putting carbs into an ultrasonic cleaner. I once saw a carb (not an Alfa carb) that had inadvertantly been left in a cleaner for about 3 days.