Question about parts cleaner chemical

A

Alex Ethridge

Active Member
Back in about 1980 through about 1984, I serviced mowers and bought five gallons of carburetor cleaner in a six-gallon bucket with basket. At the time, it was the most expensive brand (about $60 in 1980 would be about $220 today) BUT it cleaned anything and everything and in four or five years, SEEMED TO NEVER WEAR OUT. It literally put Berryman and Gunk to shame and would make any part look like it just came out of the casting sand.

Here's my question: I don't remember the brand. Are there any here who can help with that?
 
Seems like I use to get the Berryman Chem-Dip in 5 gallon cans with the basket. The stuff would even eat the paint off of its own can. Had to use nitrile gloves to handle the stuff without getting nerve damage to your hands. Sometimes in the 2000's they changed the formula to be more EPA friendly and became absolutely useless.

Seems like I also would got the Napa brand which also worked well, but like the other one because EPA no longer effective.
 
I had some cleaner that smelled like creosote and it cleaned everything very well. It rinsed clean, and turned white when the water hit it.
It had been in my shop for over 10 years, and on a clean up craze one day, I discarded it. Cannot find a good substitute.
In days gone by, ('70's) we would boil the carburetor with a small amount(1drop/gallon) of dish detergent. They had brass floats, so no problem. It will get the carb spotless. I had an old pot and a hot plate just for that purpose. A lot of carb parts are now plastic so that is no good now.
Once in a while I get a tractor carb that is all metal, and that is what I use.
 
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