Berrymans' Carb Cleaner?, Where to find in SoCal? Options

[KaptKaos]

I need to dunk and rebuild carbs.

I have been looking for Berryman's at Pep Boys, Kragen (O'Rielly) and a few local shops. No one carries it.

Anyone have a place I can get this stuff in LA?

TIA

[underthetire]

Last time I saw it was at a Napa car and truck parts store. Probably outlawed in CA now anyways.

[jmill]

Last time I saw it was at a Napa car and truck parts store. Probably outlawed in CA now anyways.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) If it works, it causes cancer in California. I haven't lived there in 10 years but I used to see it everywhere. I know Scherba's, Napa and Grand Auto had it. But that was back when you could buy paint that wasn't water based.

[KaptKaos]

Ok, so how does one dunk their carbs then? What else can I use?

[underthetire]

Just use the spray cleaner to get the snot off, then soda blast them. Looks killer when done, and you can make a home made soda blaster for next to nothing.

[VaccaRabite]

Do not use berrymans! It does not work and gums up all the bits. Use spray one carb cleaner and compressed air. Stay away from berrymans.

Zach

[KaptKaos]

I am not sure that I am getting the carbs clean enough without dunking and letting them sit.

Mind you, I would still blow them out with cleaner after the dunk. I just can't find the dunk.

[Eric_Shea]

Ok, so how does one dunk their carbs then?

Move to Utah... we could give a shit.

I agree with carb cleaner and compressed air. Should be fine. It's made to do the job.

[Drums66]

I am not sure that I am getting the carbs clean enough without dunking and letting them sit.

Mind you, I would still blow them out with cleaner after the dunk. I just can't find the dunk.

People in the know dunk them over night......do what you like! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
(disolves varnish&gum)

[Cap'n Krusty]

Do not use berrymans! It does not work and gums up all the bits. Use spray one carb cleaner and compressed air. Stay away from berrymans.

Zach

If you look real carefully at the pictures, you'll see it being used in the MFI manual from Porsche. They recommended at the Porsche training center as the product of choice for cleaning carbon from the idle air bleed passages in the throttle bodies. I've used it with great success for years. I no longer carry it in stock because I no longer see MFI cars in the shop (and VERY few carbureted cars, either).

The Cap'n

[Cevan]

I had good luck with Berrymans. Dunked the carb bodies and all the little brass bits overnight. Then shot everything with lots of carb cleaner and compressed air.

[VaccaRabite]

Well, in my experience, I tried dipping a set of IDF innards in Berrymans for 24 hours. When I put them in, they were dirty, but not horrible. Not the worst I have seen. When I pulled the bits out, they were literally so gummy that the jets stuck together. I figured it was varnish, and put them back in the dip for another day. When I pulled them after 48 hours, the brass bits were not only still very gummy, but turning green. It was actually more work getting them clean after dipping them.

I am sure at some point in the past 30 years it was a great product. But like every other volitle chemical in the past decade, I bet the formula has changed to make it more green. My expectation with Berrymans was that it was going to save me some elbow grease, and the actuality was that it ended up doubling the scrubbing time and increased my project time from a few hours to several days.

YMMV, but I highly doubt the product from even 15 years ago is the same product sold now - assuming it is still sold in your area.

Zach

[Cap'n Krusty]

My mistake. Forgive me, but I failed to see the word "dip" in the original question. I was referring to Berryman's Chemtool, a spray can product. Actually came in liquid form, as well. As for carb dip, you may be oput of luck. Shops have been prohibited from having carb dip on the premises in CA for at least 20 years, so I doubt it can be purchased for personal use, either. Back in the day, I used to buy it in 40 gallon drums and dip engine cases and components in it before a rebuild. Even removes Kuril ................. Nasty stuff, carrying chemicals that are absorbed through the skin, much like MEK, and cause liver damage.

The Cap'n

[Gint]

I just packed up a gallon can of carb dip. I think it was Berryman's. Too late to look now because it's in a big box that I'm not going to un-tape (labeled: This end UP - Liquids - of course). I bought it about 10 years ago. Still works as well as it used to. I used it a year or so ago. No gummy mess here...

[jmill]

My mistake. Forgive me, but I failed to see the word "dip" in the original question. I was referring to Berryman's Chemtool, a spray can product. Actually came in liquid form, as well. As for carb dip, you may be oput of luck. Shops have been prohibited from having carb dip on the premises in CA for at least 20 years, so I doubt it can be purchased for personal use, either. Back in the day, I used to buy it in 40 gallon drums and dip engine cases and components in it before a rebuild. Even removes Kuril ................. Nasty stuff, carrying chemicals that are absorbed through the skin, much like MEK, and cause liver damage.

The Cap'n

That's what I was thinking of too Cap'n. Red white and blue can. I used the stuff all the time. As far as dip goes, I think they state right on the can not to dip brass parts. I always disassembled the carbs before I dunked them and cleaned the brass bits by hand with carb cleaner.

[underthetire]

Yep, back in my HS days working in an automotive machine shop (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) we had 50 gallons of it. Leave stuff too long and it just melts away. It would get gummy when it got real old.

[Krieger]

So...how do you clean carbs at home now if we can't buy dip?

[VaccaRabite]

Carb cleaner in spray cans, and compressed air.

For the bodies, I made a soda blaster for them. Turned out looking like new, and took little time and less money then a can of dip - and not nearly as hard on the planet...
Finished result for the bodies:
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-1435-1277168045.1.jpg)

Zach

[Krieger]

Those look great! Maybe I'll spray them and let them sit for a while, then repeat, then compressed air.

[bandjoey]

Carb cleaner in spray cans, and compressed air.

For the bodies, I made a soda blaster for them. Turned out looking like new, and took little time and less money then a can of dip - and not nearly as hard on the planet...
Finished result for the bodies:
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/farm3.static.flickr.com-1435-1277168045.1.jpg)

Zach

Small Related HJ: I have the post on making a soda blaster. What kind of soda do you get? Grocery store kind or something else? Thanks. Those are sharp looking carbs.