Soaking Onan Carb in Acetone?

[lane_hog]

Assuming I do a tear down and remove the seals/plastics, has anyone had good or bad experiences with small engine carbs and acetone?

I've got what I suspect is a gummed carb on my Onan 4K, after it had an unexpected time out where I couldn't exercise the gen monthly and didn't have an opportunity to drain the bowl.

The gen runs, but surges under a load and dies usually after 20-30 minutes. I've tested the fuel pump and filter, and both seem to be fine, so I'm moving on to pulling the carb and doing a soak.

[John_Joey]

MW, you are a plethora of sage advice ;).

Seriously, thanks for the followup. A guy is never too old to learn something new.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Remember Holley carburetors?
Pretty golden plating? I would think commercial carburetor cleaner would damage fragile coatings but not touch a carb coating. As much Berryman Chemtool I poured over and into Holleys it never touched them. But acetone and the main plastic body of a Carter Thermoquad might have serious issues. Avetone would dissolve gummed petrileum like crazy and gasoline refinery additives like MDA Metal DeActivator.

[lane_hog]

There won't be a fire gutted shop -- I only work with flammables outside.

But, thanks for your concern.

I'll try the Q-tip suggestion first. Doing the tear-down later today.

[joebedford]

I, for one, want him to do it just to know how this story ends.

Hopefully not with a fire-gutted shop.

[John_Joey]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
... The process is used to minimize casting porosity.

Well I'll be danged, learned something today.

Now that you say it, I think I know what you're talking about. It's that slippery grey/green/??? look I see on some carbs. That would make sense the more I think about it.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The coating is for real on some carburetors and for that matter on aluminum and pot metal as well. It is an electrlytic irridite and whether it is chemically inert I do not know.

Use a Q-tip soaked in acetone. Rub it on an inconsequential area. If gold coating is removed or any coating gets gooey to the touch, stop. The process is used to minimize casting porosity.

[John_Joey]

nineoaks2004 wrote:
I just checked with my son who works in a large small engine shop, "do not use acetone unless you want to buy a new carb, there is a coating and acetone will remove it" ...

I guess I'm old school and never heard of a carb coating other then to make it look Purty (i.e. powder coat) Any chance your son might add light to what this coating is now-a-days. Can't even imagine what it could be or the usefulness of it other then for looks. I do know that acetone and aluminum are fine.

[Sailor321]

I used carb/injector cleaner with a low amount of gas in tank. I ran it without load for an hour or so then ran it for another hour or more with a load (AC). Cleaned it out well.

[jake2250]

I think your best bet as of now would be to throw out the old carb and buy a new one!! Hell its your money!! NO on acetone Yes on a new carb!!
Or you could soak it in Simple Green!!
Might not do a hole heck of allot but it sure will smell good!!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I'll try to stay on topic as a chenust. Light solventa as lacquer tginner, benzebe, methyk-ehtly-chloride, will effectively de-bond chenical depisits from metals. They are a poor choice for ecnomy reuse but they do indeed remove dissolved chemical deposits. Commercial carburetor cleaner acts faster has a much lower VOC index and is reusable mulpitle times. It is far less flammable. After a hours long soak the high evaporation rate would allow air drying. Commercial carb cheaner is best rined in boiling hot water. Approriate eye and skin protection is mandatory and treat opened solvemts like the great fire hazard they are. Knowing all this a decision to use acetone is pirely a petsonal one
But plese be careful!

[Sam_Spade]

Tom/Barb wrote:
Why is it so difficult to stay on topic and not reprimand the OP?

For the same reason that it is so hard to stay on topic and not reprimand the reprimand-ers. :R

[TEXAS]

I was not trying to reprimand the OP. But if you want a good answer you have to give good information. If you will notice there are no more generator techs on this site.They all got tired of trying to help. When people would not list proper information. So we all left.

Now as for his question. Pure acetone should never be used to soak carbs. It can and does attack some metals.Forget to remove any plastic parts and they will be gone. The ideas of using an additive. Is just trying some save time and labor.

I have cleaned many carbs by using some cleaner in a can of gas.Most of the time it works fine.But sometimes the carb needs to be soaked in a carb solution. Then blown out with air.

[Tom_Barb]

Why is it so difficult to stay on topic and not reprimand the OP?

[TEXAS]

I agree with Sam. All information up front will help.I have been working generators for over forty years. My advice don't use straight acetone. It will cause problems.

[Sam_Spade]

Gdetrailer wrote:

The problem you have is THE MAIN JET has gotten clogged.

Could be but not likely. In most cases, it is the pilot/idle/low speed jet that is plugged up. That tiny little jet is needed along with the main to get the proper mixture.

Then the problem is that the pilot jet is hard to get to and even harder to clean. Thus the recommendation to just replace the carb if it is really bad.

I don't think his is that bad yet.