Around here one often hears about a carb needing to be boiled out - usually in regards to lawn mower carbs, but. . . Google found me nothing about boiling carburetors. Is this something done on auto carbs? If so, what do they boil them in? Would odinary parts cleaner not get the gook out?

I really don't think soaking does much for all the little passages.

Just a general degreaser (or dishwashing soap) for a outside clean then blast the passages with an aerosol can with the little plastic straw......

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

In my experience, "boiling out" is a term used with regards to radiators and heater cores. This is because the solution that the cores are dipped i nis hot and boils and therefore cleans all the sludge out of the core. Engine blocks are "dipped" or "acid dipped" since usually a caustic acid solution is used to clean the blocks, but more frequently now blocks use environmentally friendlier methods and materials like media blasting.

Carb are "dipped" in a "dip tank." This is a little metal bucket, usually with a removeabel basket, filled with a high powered chemical that dissolved grease and varnish. It is not a boiling process, merely a soak.

Napa used to sell a good bucket filled with dip for about $30. I bought one about ten years ago and have only had to refill it once after numerous carb rebuilds.

Ive heard of some boiling a carb in water to 'soften' up tough deposits then dip in carb solvent to strip it clean probably an old technique carried from model T days.

I have yet to meet a deposit that an hour in my dip tank couldn't remove. Maybe in the old days the solutions weren't as strong and sometimes needed a boil.

Thanks to everybody!