Ultrasonic cleaner

[OConnor Racing]

Anyone know anything about these things? I'm thinking this would be killer for cleaning carbs just don't know if it's going to be powerful enough. I know I'll have to clean the big stuff off first but I'm thinking this would be ideal for cleaning the passages and making the carb look new.

NEW 2.5L PRO DIGITAL HEATED ULTRASONIC CLEANER 250 W - eBay (item 290482571592 end time Oct-02-10 09:20:55 PDT)

 

[slipknot23]

it's a bigger one but looks like works good for carbs

 

[sicivicdude]

We use them at work. We use extrememly low flow MAFC's which have inlets screens in the Nm range. Ordinary dust will mess the low flow units so these screens have to be cleaned every so often (a few hours of operation can block them up).

There are a few drawbacks to ultrasonic cleaners that they don't tell you about... some could prove disastrous if not attended to.

They cause unusual amounts of wear between contact points of dissimilar metals. Like where brass rods pass through aluminum housings or brass screws are screwed into aluminum threads. The two metals don't vibrate at the same frequency and it left too long in the bath can wear apart.

The chemical bath he has that in is activated solvent. Aluminum in particular is susceptible to pitting from activated solvents. Add aluminum disintigration to the brass beating it apart and you can wear the housing out in a hurry...

The solvent's ability to hold more material is not a function of settling it out like it is in a parts washer. The solvent in a parts washer can usually be strained and put right back into use because the chemical does the work and large particles can settle out to the bottom of the tank and the chemical can continue to work. The ultrasonic bath is a physical cleaning and by it's design doesn't allow particles to settle out and if they do, they insulate the part away from the ultrasonic generator and significantly reduce its effectiveness. You basically have to recharge the bath with new solvent with each thing needed to be cleaned.

Those warnings aside, the ultrasonic bath is an EXCELLENT way to clean carburetor bodies with using xylene or napthalene (carburetor cleaner). It can also break crud down inside passages that carburetor cleaner can't always blat out easily. As long as the carburetor isn't left inside the bath too long it doesn't really receive any appreciable damage during its time in the bath. Just make sure you don't forget one in there!

 

[Awk08]

thats some awsome info civic, and i know someone on here has one they use for carbs

 

[timsyfz]

Great info sicivivdude ! !

 

[royalt67]

I'm blown away by sicicvicdude's level of detail, but simply, ultrasonic cleaners rock. That's a hell of a price too, only a couple year ago that would have been $400.

Another nice thing is that you can use non-flammable solvents and stuff gets just as clean. I use some stuff at work that is meant for cleaning condenser coils on A/C units (non-acid formulation) that is essentially very strong soap. Makes aluminum shiny clean. Serious degreaser.