Ultra Sonic Cleaner

[T. Cotten]

Steve!

If air can be blown freely through all other passages, then a blockage is unlikely.
The only holes actually tiny enough to be a concern are the idle bleeds.
These are accessed when the large plug on the idle side of the carb is removed.

Normally a large safety pin or needle will SAFELY clean any obstructions from the holes, and a .009" feeler gauge sharpened quite narrow will purge the slot.

....Cotten

[JohnR]

I have never run the carb I cleaned shown in the link below. Occasionlly I clean some handgun brass cases with my Ultra Sonic. Works great with the correct brew/soup. (Gun Brass)

http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/bbo...ad.php?t=13112

[Steve Swan]

I'm considering buying an ultrasonic cleaning unit and would appreciate hearing your experience.

Also, what you use for cleaning solution(s) in your ultrasonic... ?

Prices are all over the map ! Seems most have same or very similar specs as far as wattage, HZ....

I'm considering this unit - http://www.ebay.com/itm/331162960173...84.m1423.l2649

Thanks !

[jellywrestler]

DO NOT put your fingers in them while they are going to move parts, word has it it's not good for your bones. dunno whether this is fact but i'd err on the side of caution. i've got a small one for jewellry and it works a treat for cleaning out blocked hidden carb tubes etc, i use meths. it's not so much about the right solution, more about using the wrong one for the metals. the untrasonic vibes vibrate the residue off the metal as i understand it.

[MassHarley]

I have had the HF one for a few years now, and have been surprisingly happy with it. For a medium I use water and dawn dish soap or simple green. When you are choosing the right machine for you make sure you get one with a heater. I always start with hot water just to speed up the process, then the heater just maintains the temp. This is not a fast cleaning process, it requires patients, but in the end it works great! I have used my cleaner on many different types of carburetors, including brass Linkerts with no issues.

[sirhrmechanic]

I don't have one, but can access a really high-end one at a nearby shop.

I tend to use it for final cleaning. Put anything dirty in it and it will just create a nasty dirty mess.

But to dislodge that last little bit or do some really neat cleaning of passages, etc. Pretty good. Beware the really low end ones. To get a good one takes a few bucks. In other words, Harbor Freight units aren't worth the shipping. But you can get higher end units, including used ones, for reasonable $$ on eBay, etc.

BTW, most of the time I use it for things like... carb parts. Jets, needles and things I don't want to go at with aggressive cleaning methods.

Short version. They have a place. They are great at some things but not a cure-all. I've lived a long time w.out one. But when I really want one, it's nice to have one nearby. Perhaps that can inform a purchase decision.

Cheers,

Sirhr

[BoschZEV]

cleanning the lead fouling ... I don't know what flavor soup was used, it came with the Ultra Sonic and the instructions were followed. There wasn't much nickle left on it when it came out.

I've been using ultrasonic cleaners in my work for 45 years so it's not exactly a new or unproven technology. If an ultrasonic cleaner plus some unknown chemical removed nickel, it's because the unknown chemical removed the nickel. The ultrasonic cleaner had nothing to do with it. If you use, say, nitric acid in your ultrasonic cleaner, the reason the part was damaged isn't because of the ultrasonics.

An ultrasonic cleaner is great for carburetor parts. The one I have at home is a high end unit that I've had for years, but if I didn't own it I wouldn't hesitate to consider a Harbor Freight unit if their specs told me the power and frequency. I just looked at the on-line manual of their 2.5 liter cleaner (the only one that came up with a search for "ultrasonic") and neither spec is mentioned. To actually clean something an ultrasonic cleaner has to have enough power to induce cavitation in the liquid, otherwise it is just making noise. However, beyond that, the ultrasonic cleaner won't damage any motorcycle part as long as it is placed in a liquid that wouldn't damage it anyway without the ultrasonic aspect.

[Steve Swan]

Well, i splurged and bought this unit off ebay. i do enough work out of my little shop, which helped me justify the purchase.

After doing some reading, seems the good units have "sweeping" kHz frequency to yield uniform cleaning and quiet operation. Also, ceramic enhanced transducer for longer operating life. The other nice part about the distributor of this unit, i made an offer for $1k and they accepted, direct from Crest, is na $1.8k retail unit.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201072718463...ht_2295wt_1314

As for cleaner, i went with some solution by Branson, one is a general solution, compatible w/ all metals. another solution is supposed to remove rust.

The shop i work at has an u.s. unit used all the time for gummed up carbs setting for years or decades. Another guy i know uses his u.s. for cleaning plastic wiring harnesses. The harnesses look new when they come out of the bath, makes the yellowed plastic terminal covers clear.

Once i get the unit, i've got a DLX38 that needs a good cleaning, i'll take before and after pics and give an update.

[BoschZEV]

After doing some reading, seems the good units have "sweeping" kHz frequency ...

Different frequency ranges do have different advantages, which is why the best units sweep. They don't actually have to sweep, they could hop to several different frequencies, but I suspect the sweeping circuitry is cheaper to implement.