Cleaning the carburetor with the wrong cleaner

Tiny
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  • 1990 VAUXHALL NOVA
  • 1.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 255,000 MILES
Hi.

I used by accident a quick dry electronic cleaner to clean my carburetor instead of the carburetor cleaner.I was spraying the quick dry electronic cleaner into the running carburetor for about 2 minutes (spraying it in short bursts while increasing the engine rpm to prevent the engine from stalling). While I did that I have noticed
that I am using the wrong spray-can. So I stopped using it at once and I continue the spraying with the carburetor spray. But, as you may see I sprayed into the carburetor quite a lot of electronic cleaner.
Can the dry quick electronic cleaner spray do any damage?
Wednesday, May 13th, 2020 AT 11:33 AM

23 Replies

Tiny
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Good afternoon,

No pictures came up. Can you resend?

As far as the carburetor cleaner, it will cake up and clog the jets and the air bleeds.

When you start to have issues, you will need to have the carburetor overhauled.

Roy
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Wednesday, May 13th, 2020 AT 11:40 AM
Tiny
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Thanks for your reply, Roy.

But I didn't understand, what do you mean? My question was, if the dry quick electronic cleaner (btw, cyclo brand)can cause any issue, since I used it by mistake instead using the carburetor cleaner. Did you mean that it will clog the jet and the air bleeds? Did you mean that even the carburetor spray is as bad as the electronic cleaner?(". As far as the carburetor cleaner, it will) I don't understand how could it clogs them, if the spray doesn't go through them, the spray just go through the carburetor throat the throttle to the pistons. The liquid of the electronic spray dry fast as it says and it is intended to clean grease, oil, dirt etc. Without leave any residues. Maybe it is not efficient to use it on carburetors. May you explain it? Please.
By the way, I wasn't attached any picture only the details about my issue.

Thanks.
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Thursday, May 14th, 2020 AT 12:56 AM
Tiny
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Okay, the cleaner is not the same as carburetor cleaner at all. Even though you spray it into the throat, it gets into the carburetor itself and when it reacts with liquid fuel, it changes state. When it does that, it can solidify and clog air bleeds and jets if enough gets into the carburetor itself.

I hope this answers your question. I know they put all kinds of things on the can for use, but they are not always true.

Roy
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Thursday, May 14th, 2020 AT 3:25 AM
Tiny
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Yes, I agree, the carburetor cleaner is not the same as the electronic cleaner, I didn't mean to say otherwise.
Please, forgive me, but I just don't understand how it could clogs the air bleeds and jets.
As far as I know, when I increase the engine rpm, the vacuum in the carburetor throat is increase, the fuel flow get-out stronger
caused by the stronger vacuum. At that point I spray the cleaner inside the carburetor throat. You said that the cleaner will react with the fuel, solidify and clog the air bleeds and jets, how the cleaner can solidify on the jets, while the vacuum pull it to the intake manifold(and to combustion chamber)while the flowing fuel that get out of the jets are in a flow momentum, that prevent from the cleaner spray to get inside it or solidify on it.
Can you explain that?
Before I asked my question here, I was pretty sure that the electronic cleaner will do no harm, maybe(i thought)it won't do anything useful, but definitely no damage.I just needed strengthening to my thought, so I was surprise to hear that it can make damage and I still don't understand, according to my description above, how exactly it can be clogged?

Thanks.
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Thursday, May 14th, 2020 AT 6:45 AM
Tiny
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I am no engineer. All I know is from my experience with all the chemical cleaners that we use.

The orifices are so small that a speck of dirt can block either an air bleed or a jet itself.

Roy
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Thursday, May 14th, 2020 AT 7:12 AM
Tiny
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If I can jump in here, you should be okay with the electrical cleaner they are pretty close to each other. So you use the cleaner to make the engine run correct? Can you remove the fuel line to the carburetor and crank the engine over to see if fuel is present? Can you please shoot a quick video with your phone so we can see what's going on? That would be great. You can upload it here with your response.
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Thursday, May 14th, 2020 AT 12:53 PM
Tiny
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Hi Ken.

Refer to your question, there is no problem with the fuel flow in the fuel line and I didn't mention any special problem in my carburetor. Once a while I spray some carburetor spray before I go to annual vehicle inspection and since I sprayed the wrong cleaner. I was just trying to understand if my mistake, by using the wrong cleaner, may cause any damage or adverse effect. And if yes, I will glad to hear a good explanation how it may cause a damage considering the several points that I detailed before.
According to your answer Ken, you say that the electronic cleaner is pretty close to the carburetor cleaner so, I don't need to be worry about a damage. Roy says that from his experience it may clog the jet and the air bleed. These opposed opinions make me more difficult to solve the issue. May you help me to clear my doubts?
Thanks.
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Friday, May 15th, 2020 AT 5:06 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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You are okay, I don't think there will be any damage.
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Friday, May 15th, 2020 AT 11:51 AM
Tiny
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Okay, thanks you both for your help.
I guess, that next time I will double check that I use the right spray can.

Thanks.
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Saturday, May 16th, 2020 AT 10:39 AM
Tiny
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You are welcome.

Always glad to help.

Roy
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Saturday, May 16th, 2020 AT 10:56 AM
Tiny
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Hi, again.

I have 2E3 pierburg carburetor and I would like to add another question about the cleaning. Besides just spraying the carburetor cleaner (as the instruction says) on the top of the carburetor when it cold and inside the throat while the engine is running.
Is it a bad idea to spray the carburetor cleaner inside the 3 jets as you may see at my attached photo with 3 red arrows?(The idling jet/air corrector jet primary venturi/air corrector jet secondary venturi).
I guess it is a bad idea, since, I think it will contaminate the fuel inside the carburetor or will clog something else, but I am not sure.
If not, can I screw out the three jets, clean it with the carburetor cleaner and screw it back?
Refer to my blue arrow at my photo, is it normal that I can see through that hole the fuel inside the carburetor?Is this hole intended for visual inspection of the fuel level or something?
Thanks.
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 2:55 AM
Tiny
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You can spray it through those ports with carburetor cleaner. It will clear the ports of any debris unless there is something hard in the port.

Is there any issue that you have removed it for cleaning?

Roy
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 3:33 AM
Tiny
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No, I didn't remove the carburetor. I took this photo from the web, it is the same as mine.
So, when I asked about spraying the carburetor cleaner into those ports, I meant doing that while the carburetor is not dismantle.
Isn't there a problem that this spraying action will contaminates the fuel with debris that will fall inside the fuel chamber and cause issue/clog something?After all the other side of those ports are immersed in the fuel chamber which provides fuel for all the system.
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 4:45 AM
Tiny
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Okay, makes sense.

Yes, you can spray into those ports. Do not do it with the engine running. It may spit back at you and you do not want to run the risk of a fire.

Roy
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 5:10 AM
Tiny
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I understand that I can, but may you give some explanation to support your advice? May you please explain what will happen to all the dirt and the debris that will fall into the fuel chamber(together with the cleaner itself)while I will spray the carburetor cleaner inside those ports (see attached photo)?
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 8:36 AM
Tiny
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I would like to verify if I understand your answer, since I want to be careful and don't do any stupid damage. Is there any risk that the dirt/debris that will be collected at the bottom of the bowl will eventually flow through the carburetor passages and clog something?(As you may see in my last photo, the fuel flows from this bowl to every point in the carburetor)or I don't need to worry, the dirt/debris will stay in the bottom of the bowel and they don't have any chance to move from there and clog something?
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 10:07 AM
Tiny
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There is always a chance that the dirt can go or get sucked out and into the motor but under normal driving conditions, it is doubtful.

When it does happen is when you run out of fuel. At that point, everything on the bottom of the bowl will be drawn into the engine.

There will always be a certain amount of dirt in the bowl just from the gas itself.

Roy
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 AT 10:14 AM
Tiny
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Okay, it makes sense.
I was familiar with the fact that it is not a good idea to drive until the fuel run-out, since the dirt can clogs the carburetor, but I thought that it was refered to the dirt on the bottom of the fuel tank, while I am understanding now, that it is refered to the bottom of the carburetor bowl.
As I mentioned before, will it be more efficient to screw out
the three jets and clean them outside or I better not do that since trying to screw them out may cause problems?
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Thursday, May 21st, 2020 AT 6:25 AM
Tiny
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Yes, remove them and clean them out.

Use 2+2 carburetor cleaner or Brake Kleen. Both are good products.

Roy
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Thursday, May 21st, 2020 AT 6:34 AM
Tiny
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Thanks, Roy.I guess I better remove them for cleaning.
Do you have any highlights or warning about removing and returning the jets?For example:when I screw back the jets, does it matter how much I screw them in?Is there any spec that I need to be aware of?
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Friday, May 22nd, 2020 AT 4:44 AM

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