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BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:09 am
by TurbineHeli
There are several comments on this subject in the archives from years ago.
My question is whether cleaning the Weber bodies with a blast media of crushed walnut shells would yield good results? Has anyone here ever tried this?

Thanks,

AMA

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:00 am
by StressCraxx
Crushed walnut shells will remove most corrosion and preserve the original surface if the air pressure is not too high. I'd try shells with varying ranges of air pressure to get the desired finish on some other zinc parts such as a rear main seal cover or some other parts.

There is a fellow in northern California who restores Webers for Porsche owners and restorers. He uses old glass beads that are so fine, they look like powdered sugar. The finished result looks really good. I have no connection with him, nor have done business with him.

His contact info is below:
Paul Abbott
http://www.PerformanceOriented.com
530.899.8371

Regards,
Dan Wise

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:26 am
by twincamman
No no no do not blow anything at a carb simply take a can of Dunk and soak the carb for 24 hours ......comes out like new ...ed

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:08 am
by Tonyw
Twincaman,

Dunk? is this a product? I cannot find through Google, I though most of the carb cleaners that work were banned due them being toxic. I have on far to many occaisions to remember cleaned my carbs inside and out using fine glass beads, it is a tricky process to get all of the beads out and you really do need to be able run a tap down all of the threads to get them properly cleaned out. When you think about it carbs are alluminium and as long as you do not use a coarse abrasive like garnet there really is no reason not to use an abrasive.

Tonyw

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:05 am
by elansprint
Tony if you are going to blast cleaning use Soda blasting cleans castings a treat & disolves in water as it is practically impossible to get all glass bead out
Ian

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:18 am
by holywood3645
Its the same reason they tell you not to bead blast T/C heads. The possibility of a few beads getting into the combustion chamber and scraping bores.
It sure makes the things look clean, but at what price?

James

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:29 am
by alexblack13
My Carb's are about to go into the high frequency cleaning tank. Tested the process with some Scooter parts including a small dellorto. Very good. Hot tank with a solution of 'muck off' which is very good with alu' alloys. Vapour blasting I am told (G'teed!) also works very well. The Vespa engine cases I had done recently came out like new.

I personally would keep away from any type of aggressive media. But your choice. Its you who has to clean out the Carb's afterwards. Should be well do-able though.

Have fun... :wink:

Al' .... 8)

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 12:32 pm
by garyeanderson
I am old school, there is a caustic carb cleaner that comes in 5 gallon pails and costs about $100. This takes almost anything off and especially SKIN. I got a pail of 15 years ago and it is gone now, back then it was only $50. It will also dissolve the carb body if you forget about them being in the dip pail. Best to submerge a copletely stripped carb body (shafts, throttle plates, and bearing should be removed too) for 4 hours and pull them wash with clean water and inspect, repeat if necessary.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/searc ... Berryman(R)&mc=BRY

Napa had it back then, check you local auto parts store. I think there is still a ring on the garage floor from spillage, it is nast but it take off what they say.

more talk on carb cleaning
http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=114701

Google search images
http://www.google.com/search?q=B12+Chem ... l+dip+pail
Image
more google, a search for "B12 Chemtool dip pail"
http://www.google.com/search?q=B12+Chem ... CAYQ_AUoAA


If this does not sound like anything you want to deal with then maybe go and read Zog's post on his webers that he sent out to Mike Gue

elan-f15/very-clean-carb-rebuilder-t25837.html

Like most things there are choices and all cost, some more than others.

Gary

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:01 pm
by cabc26b
+1 on the sonic cleaning , there is a gent named Michael Gue (in the US) that sells Webers that have been cleaned in this manner they look really good. For a minor clean up , you can do acetone ( brake cleaner) and a tooth brush - that's what i did here on these .

george

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:15 pm
by Tonyw
Hi Gary,

Good to see you back by the way. I thought that caustic attacked alluminium making it go black?

Tonyw

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:30 pm
by SADLOTUS
Boiled mine in a strong lemon juice and water mix..... worked a treat, not shiney but clean and grease free.

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:59 pm
by MickG
Try taking a look at this http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/
No recommendations it's your decision but looks pretty good and cheap, assuming you have the required compressor :)
Regards MickG

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:37 am
by twincamman
mis type gunk an engine Cleaner -----under carb clean kit but dump the carbs in a can of the cleaner for 24 hours and it does the job --ED

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:05 am
by TurbineHeli
Thanks for your replies. I'm going to play around with baking soda and walnut shells and will post results here.

AMA

Re: BEST CLEANER FOR WEBER BODY CASTINGS?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:28 am
by twincamman
I would use baking sofa as it desolves ..but really I would not blast any carb or engine block ....but it is your equipment .....Ed