Carburetor – How To Clean It In Two Ways
The carburetor is an important part of every car. To keep the car running smoothly and the carburetor durable, you must clean it regularly. However, not everyone knows how and when to clean it. The cleaning process is quite simple and easy to do.
In this article, we introduce two ways to clean your carburetor. We also instruct in detail all steps of the cleaning process. To know how to clean a carburetor, let’s scroll down.
What Is A Carburetor?
The carburetor, commonly found in most cars, is a device that supplies the engine with a mixture of air and fuel. It typically has six components:
- A liquid fuel chamber
- An idling (or slow) jet
- The main jet, a choke
- A venturi-shaped airflow limiter
- A booster pump
The carburetor mixes fuel with air to make an appropriate mixture to burn in the cylinder. Thanks to fuel injection technology, modern automobile cylinders are more energetic, use less fuel, and create less pollution.
The air goes into the carburetors from the car’s wind suction, passing through the filter to clean the dirt. In the middle of the tube, the air was forced through a narrow folding line called venturi. Air pressure decrease creates a suction force on fuel pipes, fuel suction.
The cylinders are filled with a fuel and air mixture. The floating material in the cavity falls when the fuel level declines, opening a valve at the top. Numerous fuels flow from the main fuel tank into the compartment when the valve is open. The float rises, as a result, closing the valve.
The working process of the carburetor may be difficult for you to understand. The most important thing we want to highlight for you is that you must clean it regularly to avoid clogging.
Carburetor – How To Clean It In Two Ways
Carburetor – Usual cleaning
The car can run smoothly and is durable, thanks to the carburetor. To guarantee the carburetor is clean and not blocked, you need to wash it both outside and inside.
You have to collect some stuff for the cleaning process. Some basic and important things are old rags, small brushes, and carburetor cleaners.
You need to buy the carburetor cleaner. We recommend the B12 cleaner. It is available in every auto supply store. The old rags and small brushes might be available in your garage.
The detergent and fuel from the car may harm you. Wear a mask, gloves, and safety goggles to keep yourself safe. Make sure you cover your nose, mouse, and eyes. Any accident can happen when dealing with detergent and the car’s engine.
After guaranteeing your safety, you can start reaching the carburetor. First, turn your car off and let the engine cool down for a while. You’d better remove the air filter and housing to reach the carburetor’s inside.
Spray the cleaner on the old rags, then carefully put it on the carburetor. The detergent might ruin the painted areas, so remember to put the rags only on the carburetor.
After you have done all the above steps, wait for a while. Then you need to wipe off both the inside and outside of the carburetor. For stubborn stains, use a small brush to clean them.
Once you are sure the carburetor is clean, install the air filter and housing back. Then drive your car for about 10 minutes to heat the engine and check if the cleaning process is successful or not. If everything is normal, you did it!
Carburetor – Clean Without Removing It
First of all, you need to prepare the carburetor cleaner. Just like the usual cleaning, you should use the B12 cleaner. Mix 113.40 g B12 with a full fuel tank. You may use a funnel to gradually pour B12 into the tank to avoid overflow.
To let the cleaner go through all parts of the carburetor, drive your car for a slow ride. Remember not to drive too fast. The increased number of revolutions per minute indicates that the cleaning process is active as expected.
To ensure the carburetor is clean, add some more B12 into the main jet. This part of the carburetor is in the hidden corner. You might not notice it. However, the main jet is easily clogged. It is crucial to clean it deeply.
After doing all the above steps, let’s check if the carburetor is clean as expected. Drive faster and pay attention to the performance of the engine. If everything is normal, the carburetor is well-cleaned.
In case the car makes weird noises, the cleaning process’s outcome may not be as planned. You may do all the cleaning steps again. You can also try another carburetor cleaner to find out the most suitable cleaner for your carburetor.
Why Do You Need To Clean The Carburetor?
As mentioned above, cleaning the carburetor regularly prolongs the life of both your car and the carburetor. So what will happen if you do not clean it?
Firstly, it will be blocked by dirt. This may cause many consequences. Your car might make weird noises or even not start. Or it might release too much dark smoke. This is when you know the carburetor is clogged.
The carburetor affects the car’s performance directly. A clean carburetor can help the car to start faster. This is because the dirt does not block the flow of the mixture of air and fuel.
This will also help save fuel. Cleaning the carburetor might prevent the dirt from going into the fuel tank. These deposits result in lower fuel efficiency and lead to a lot of waste. That’s why you need to clean the carburetor regularly to get rid of such things.
Cleaning the carburetor every six months will give you a chance to check the carburetor. If it has any problems, you can realize them as soon as possible and fix them.
FAQ
How Do You Clean A Carburetor Without Opening It?
You can clean the carburetor without removing it. The cleaner is the same as the usual cleaning, but the process differs.
You need to prepare the carburetor cleaner and pour it meticulously into the fuel tank. Next, drive your car slowly to let the cleaner go to all parts of the carburetor.
To check if the carburetor is clean, drive faster. The cleaning process is successful if the car does not make any noise.
How Do I Know If My Carburetor Is Clogged?
Realizing the signal of a clogged carburetor and trying to clean it as soon as possible will prolong the lifetime of your car and carburetor. Here are some problems caused by a blocked carburetor that we want to show you.
When your car makes some weird noise and doesn’t start, that is because the carburetor is blocked by dirt. This will limit the flow of the mixture of fuel and air.
Another signal is the dark smoke. If your car releases too much dark smoke, you know that the carburetor is clogged.
Last but not least, when the fuel tank overflows, it is because of too much dirt in the pipe, which makes the valve unable to close. When the fuel flows into the carburetor, the unbalance between air and fuel happens.
How Often Should A Carburetor Be Cleaned?
It would help if you cleaned your carburetor as usual as possible to keep it durable. In case of not have time, you can try to clean it every six months. This is the perfect period to prolong its lifetime.
How Much Does It Cost To Rebuild A Carburetor?
The carburetor can wear out over time and need to be rebuilt. If your car makes weird noises, releases dark smoke, or can’t start even when it is clean, that is when you need to rebuild it.
Carburetors in the market usually cost Php 5.897 to Php 29.485, depending on the model of your car and the carburetor. It also depends on the function that you expect the carburetor to have.
Other costs like the price for installation and for shipping. This amount of money is much larger than the cost of periodic cleaning. To make sure you don’t have to waste money, clean the carburetor regularly.
Please notice that everything for the cleaning process is just our recommendation. You can choose any cleaner brand that suits your car and your budget.
Conclusion
We have suggested 2 ways to answer the question of how to clean carburetor. This article also gives some information about the carburetor and some problems you may face. If you still have any questions, feel free to contact us. We are willing to answer them all.
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