Part of my carburetor cleaning regimen is a 40-minute swim in the ultrasonic cleaning tank…but there's an alternative. Back when I was cutting my mechanical teeth, in the era of muscle cars and dinosaurs, the word ultrasound wasn't in our vocabulary. We simply "dipped" 'em. This involved a metal bucket, large enough to hold an entire Carter AFB 4-barrel carb, with an included screen basket to lower the carb into a liquid in relative safety. The dark amber solution was an unknown caustic, likely banned from the earth decades ago for multiple health concerns. But it worked, and whatever you soaked in there would eventually emerge clean and ready for reassembly.
Well, that concept is alive and well today in the form of carburetor and parts cleaner dipping products from Berryman, Gunk and probably others. I recently picked up a container of Berryman Chem-Dip to see how it compared to the ultrasonic cleaner for carbs and other various parts.
Of course, technology has moved forward and the ultrasonic concept does more than just clean surfaces — its microscopic bubbles will find their way into passages and crevices, vibrating furiously, abrading anything in its grasp. I'm assuming that the dip cleaner is simply a surface surfactant which will effectively dissolve and remove dirt and grease.
I don't have a scientific methodology to compare the effectiveness of the two options, but the cleaning results were visually similar — the main difference being time. The ultrasonic machine takes 30-60 minutes while the dip requires substantially more time — I soaked the parts for hours. Other than a general darkening of the aluminum carb bodies when using the dip, the various parts (aluminum, brass, steel, plastic) emerged looking the same. Both the 96-ounce Berryman container and my 6-liter ultrasonic cleaner can just fit two VFR carburetors.
Of course, technology has moved forward and the ultrasonic concept does more than just clean surfaces — its microscopic bubbles will find their way into passages and crevices, vibrating furiously, abrading anything in its grasp. I'm assuming that the dip cleaner is simply a surface surfactant which will effectively dissolve and remove dirt and grease.
I don't have a scientific methodology to compare the effectiveness of the two options, but the cleaning results were visually similar — the main difference being time. The ultrasonic machine takes 30-60 minutes while the dip requires substantially more time — I soaked the parts for hours. Other than a general darkening of the aluminum carb bodies when using the dip, the various parts (aluminum, brass, steel, plastic) emerged looking the same. Both the 96-ounce Berryman container and my 6-liter ultrasonic cleaner can just fit two VFR carburetors.
Click on image for the Amazon link Both options claim to be safe for plastics and rubber but the Berryman cautions to keep aluminum parts to no more than four hours total exposure. While there's no shortage of ultrasonic cleaning agents, I use the product shown here from Clean 2020, which I dilute 10:1 with water. Both options are similar in price and both are reusable till they're just too dirty. I extend the life of both of the solutions by pre-washing/rinsing the parts with a water-based degreaser.
Bottom line? If I were in need of a carb cleaner for one-time or occasional use, I would be fine with the Chem-Dip. But I do this regularly so I'll stick with the newer and faster ultrasonic technology.
P.S. I found the best price for Berryman Chem-Dip at Walmart.com, of all places: $43 including tax & shipping.
Bottom line? If I were in need of a carb cleaner for one-time or occasional use, I would be fine with the Chem-Dip. But I do this regularly so I'll stick with the newer and faster ultrasonic technology.
P.S. I found the best price for Berryman Chem-Dip at Walmart.com, of all places: $43 including tax & shipping.
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