Engine Cleaning

[Steve C]

Don,

Might you share some of your secrets as to how you clean off the gunk on the mechanical fuel pumps? I am in the middle of an overhaul and need to clean the crud off the fuel pump and carb. before I repaint them.

All the best,
Steve
s/v Juno
Alameda CA

[Don Moyer]

Steve,

Unfortunately, I know of no magic potion that will cut through the very tenacious stains left behind from years of fuel scum.

We don't rebuild carburetors, but when we clean them during the course of a rebuild, we rely on one of the standard aerosol carburetor or choke cleaning products.

I can actually relate well to your question. Many years ago, when I was growing up, working in a local automotive repair facility, they were using a carburetor cleaning solution that would practically singe your eye brows whenever you simply walked past the urn where carburetor parts were being soaked. The environmental industry has outlawed all of those products (probably for good reason). Use of such remedies may be the reason we don't find more old mechanics around that can remember the Atomic 4.

Don Moyer