the best carb cleaner

[5030]

Not all states have non e gas available, we do but in limited places. I try to use non e gas in the small engines if possible. I've had zero luck with the canned stuff. My engines won't run well on it.

 

[newbury]

Check the MSDS for Seafoam;

1- Oil
2- Naphtha
3- IPA

Not much happening with Seafoam. Makes a good hand sanitizer.

Look at Homebrew Sea Foam (SeaFoam) Motor Treatment Recipe
He uses Diesel for the light oil.

<snip>
3. There isn't anything that you can put into the gas that will help if the carb already has the float valve and jets and passages clogged up with crud.
4. The only sure cure is to take the carb off & apart to physically remove the crud from inside the carb. Be sure to get all the passages clean.

I hate taking apart carbs. But because I run so many 2 cycle small engines and my schedule often gets interrupted SOMETIMES they get gummed up.
So I sort of "soak them in place".

Example 1 - About 2010 I had three chainsaws that I was running and my back went bad resulting in surgery and recovery that took months, the saws sat and gummed up solid. By the time I got to pull them I thought it was a lost cause. Dosed them with good fresh fuel with a proper dash of Sea Foam. I put them where I'd walk by them and I'd yank them about 5 times almost every day or every other day. After about a week one started and after a month they all ran.

Example 2 -
Last year about August we left Mississippi for a quick trip to Va. That quick trip took until January. I had left a Stihl FS55 and an Echo PPT280 I was planning to use in October. When I got back around to using them at the end April they didn't fire up. So I repeated my "fill er up, pull" try again the next day. At the same time I had a Stihl 660 that I had not fired up for years. But I had run the 660 dry before I put it up because I knew that was going to be set up for a while.. That wouldn't start either. Same process. Took about 3 weeks and they all run now.
If it hadn't been for Covid19 I would have taken them to a dealer to fix.

And I run all of them on alcohol free gas, in Mississippi there's a station about a half mile from me

I've got to learn to rebuild carbs.

 

[5030]

Think I'm gonna try the homebrew solution. I'm cheap.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I am thinking about going to the canned fuel for all of my 2 stroke stuff. It is expensive but may be cheaper in the long run.

 

[ArlyA]

Look at Homebrew Sea Foam (SeaFoam) Motor Treatment Recipe
He uses Diesel for the light oil.
I hate taking apart carbs. But because I run so many 2 cycle small engines and my schedule often gets interrupted SOMETIMES they get gummed up.
So I sort of "soak them in place".
Example 1 - About 2010 I had three chainsaws that I was running and my back went bad resulting in surgery and recovery that took months, the saws sat and gummed up solid. By the time I got to pull them I thought it was a lost cause. Dosed them with good fresh fuel with a proper dash of Sea Foam. I put them where I'd walk by them and I'd yank them about 5 times almost every day or every other day. After about a week one started and after a month they all ran.
Example 2 -
Last year about August we left Mississippi for a quick trip to Va. That quick trip took until January. I had left a Stihl FS55 and an Echo PPT280 I was planning to use in October. When I got back around to using them at the end April they didn't fire up. So I repeated my "fill er up, pull" try again the next day. At the same time I had a Stihl 660 that I had not fired up for years. But I had run the 660 dry before I put it up because I knew that was going to be set up for a while.. That wouldn't start either. Same process. Took about 3 weeks and they all run now.
If it hadn't been for Covid19 I would have taken them to a dealer to fix.
And I run all of them on alcohol free gas, in Mississippi there's a station about a half mile from me
.

We run oils that come with stabilizers in them that they claim is good for one year. By late fall, when I feel we're done with 2 stoke machines I simply dump the remaining fuel into a snow blower can to use it up. Doing this keeps carburetor gum grief to a minimum.

 

[5030]

I am thinking about going to the canned fuel for all of my 2 stroke stuff. It is expensive but may be cheaper in the long run.

I tried that stuff about a years ago. My engines didn't like it, especially my Stihl brush trimmer.

 

[MH8675309]

Gumout (or similar) sprayed into the carburetor while the engine is running will remove lots of junk from the carb and usually helps smooth out engine performance. You will want to throttle up the engine to keep it from flooding out. Spray off the exterior when the engine is cool just to keep dust and residue from building up. Have seen this work wonders.

 

[def38]

Gumout (or similar) sprayed into the carburetor while the engine is running will remove lots of junk from the carb and usually helps smooth out engine performance. You will want to throttle up the engine to keep it from flooding out. Spray off the exterior when the engine is cool just to keep dust and residue from building up. Have seen this work wonders.

I deliberately flood the running engine to stall with carburetor spray and then leave the residual carb cleaner to soak in the engine. Restart 30 minutes later. It also helps to add some carb cleaner to the fuel tank to clean up carb jets and passages.

 

[Cat_Driver]

BG Carb and Choke Cleaner | BG Products, Inc.

 

[def38]

BG Carb and Choke Cleaner | BG Products, Inc.

:thumbsup: Hard to find in some areas. The BG44K is what I have used with great success.

 

[Quickster2]

Techron or Redline S1 for the PEA.

 

[PILOON]

My 2 cents!
And I've cleaned many a carb this way.

Buy a spray can of oven cleaner, as cheap as a couple of $$'s from discount stores.

Spray all the parts and follow up with a good rinsing with warm water.
I guaranty U it works like a charm, just don't forget a rinse as it is caustic and will corrode aluminum parts.

ps: also a great de greaser for engine parts

 

[SPYDERLK]

My engine is hard to start and runs a little rough, was wondering what might be a good additive to add to the gas to help clean out the carb? This is on a John Deere 425 with a Kawasaki engine.

Thks Weeder

Seafoam is of limited benefit for 4 stroke engines. It was originally developed for 2 stroke outboard motors.

Use a fuel system cleaner that contains PEA. I prefer Gumout or Techron. Both work well, are available at Walmart. Pick the cheapest. Either will remove fuel system varnish and deposits as well as clean up the valve stems and combustion chambers of carbon. Don't overdose. Follow the directions and be prepared to change engine oil after 10-20 hours of operation due to carbon soot in the oil. Thereafter, quality engine oil should be used to help keep the engine clean. Your fuel filter may need a change after treatment. While your engine is water cooled (I believe), I run Mobil1 5w-30 in my B&S Vtek twin. Synthetic engine oil in these smaller engines provides measurable benefits. Don't overlook valve lash adjustments...keeping the lash in spec can improve cold starts, improve engine power and help the engine run cooler. Also, clean and gap the sparkplugs. I always run plug gaps a little tight (0.003"-0.005" under spec)...helps cold starts.

Two stroke engines are more sensitive to fuel flow and quality than their 4 stroke counterparts. Keeping fresh fuel in a two stroke and draining it when finished help keep small carb passages and orifices clear of restrictive deposits. If you want to restore a fouled carburetor passage or orifice, use a solvent made for the job. Seafoam is of little help.

Well Thanks to all the advice, the fuel filter was just changed this spring as always so I will try some sea foam and if that doesn't work I guess I will tackle the carb. The plugs are also new too. Now I have to find some????

Thks weeder

Apparently you dont listen.
​

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

The best, hands down, is this. But watch out, it is potent. It will burn the crap out of your skin and eyes if you get it on you.

https://www.autozone.com/fuel-and-e...VDHiGCh15EgU3EAQYAyABEgIsfPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

much better than Berrymans

 

[radios1]

Gumout always worked great.. some in the gas, some on the carb. sometimes running the carb on 100% gumout is needed.

 

[5030]

The best, hands down, is this. But watch out, it is potent. It will burn the crap out of your skin and eyes if you get it on you.

https://www.autozone.com/fuel-and-e...VDHiGCh15EgU3EAQYAyABEgIsfPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

much better than Berrymans

I'll give it a go next time I'm at AZ.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I'll give it a go next time I'm at AZ.

Just a heads up, this stuff will soak through blue nitrile gloves like they're not even there. It doesn't eat the rubber it just penetrates it.

 

[5030]

Just a heads up, this stuff will soak through blue nitrile gloves like they're not even there. It doesn't eat the rubber it just penetrates it.

I wear black ones.... I bet it sucks the oil's right out of your skin too.