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how do you clean out a rusty carb

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Put a new carb on my H a year ago. Ran fine and parked it for the winter. Now I need it to rake hay, and the &$%#@ ethanol gas that was left in it has rusted up the inside of the carb, float, needle, and everything covered in rust. How should I clean it up?
 
I don't think the ethanol gas had anything to do with the problem. the only time ever had a problem like that was before ethanol and the water removers they sell are ethanol. So if it is a water remover (gas line anti freeze) how would there have been any water in there to cause the rust? Now methanol (wood base) will cause rust.
 
if it rusted the needle and seat you need to clean it and kit it, you might be able to temporary clean it to use the tractor but you'll probably start haveing problems with it , the needle ans seat will be sticky and either not open causing you to run out of fuel in the bowl, or not close all the way and flood the engine, dissassemble the carb soak it in carb cleaner and re build it, also clean out the fuel tank, ans sediment bowl, rust is from water, so your tractor has or had water in the fuel system somewhere
 
I've got the float and needle freed up with PB blaster. Just want to get rid the rust accumulated in the bowl. I'll try the toilet cleaner, I figured someone would know of a fast, easy way like that. And ethanol does attract moisture, that's the purpose of fuel additives like heet. What happens to the moisture, just magically disappears? I've worked in an ethanol plant and have seen the hype amd promotion of ethanol. And people think that big oil companies are criminals.
 
Best stuff I have seen is some stuff my brother picked up at the flea market a year ago. White aerosol can with a piece of white paper taped around it with the words "Penetrating Oil". Workes great for cleaning rust off any thing. He bought a case of 12 cans for $10 and it works great as long as you don't breath too many of the fumes. :)
 

You did not put a "new" carb on your H because such a thing does not exist. You may have installed a "rebuilt" carb, and my guess is that whoever did the rebuild was not very thorough and did not get the rust out that was already in there, and no, the ethanol had nothing to do with it. Only way to get rid of the rust is to bead blast it.
 
Couple things you need to do is make sure you turn off the gas and drain the carb if your going to park it for very long. That or make sure you have some MMO or ATF mixed in the gas. Yep between this new gas and the fact it has been so humid it has been hard on carbs. I soak my carbs in berry-mans chem dip and then use a tool like a dremal tool to clean them up inside and out and also use a torch tip cleaner tool to make sure all passage ways are open
 
I use muratic acid to soak a rusty carburetor, about one part acid to maybe three parts water. It will get the rust but will not touch grease or oil. Then you have to really rinse to get the acid out of course, best to soak it in carb cleaner after that also. Don't put any pot metal carbs in it though. The idea of isopropyl alcohol use in gasoline for moisture is that it absorbs the water like water does sugar so it then doesn't settle out , therefore is burned up. Only problem I have for certain with ethanol fuels is severe hardening of hoses and some tips on needle and seats. It is mandated gasoline has an oxygenating additive for emisions control in most states now and ethanol fits in quite well for doing that compared to other additives that are used.
 
Rust is coming from your gas tank, not from the ethanol. I have no problems with any of my old tractors from the gas but I have had pleanty of problems from the rust in tanks. Red Kote tanks and no more problems.
 
(quoted from post at 08:53:46 08/21/10) I use muratic acid to soak a rusty carburetor, about one part acid to maybe three parts water. It will get the rust but will not touch grease or oil. Then you have to really rinse to get the acid out of course, best to soak it in carb cleaner after that also. Don't put any pot metal carbs in it though. The idea of isopropyl alcohol use in gasoline for moisture is that it absorbs the water like water does sugar so it then doesn't settle out , therefore is burned up. Only problem I have for certain with ethanol fuels is severe hardening of hoses and some tips on needle and seats. It is mandated gasoline has an oxygenating additive for emisions control in most states now and ethanol fits in quite well for doing that compared to other additives that are used.
Click to expand...

The muriatic acid is a good trick for MOST carbs, but the Farmall H and M carbs have a brass main jet that DOES NOT come out without destroying it, and the muriatic acid WILL attack that brass.
 
The WORKS toilet bowl cleaner will get that rust in about 1/2 hour. Only soak a cast iron carb. if pot metal a quick dip and rinse or it will dissolve the carb.
 
I didn't think it hurt brass, soaked out an H carb several years ago and it is still on guys H. Can't remember what other ones were off from but do remember they were badly rusted from sitting for years. You know what, I have the H carb I traded the soaked out one for , I am going to throw it in some acid and see what happens. Live and learn they say.
 
Keep your tank full over the winter and add staybill. This will keep the water out. Some think turning the gas off and emptying the carb is a good think. I never do that and have never had a problem. However, I will empty a 2 cycle.
 
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