Vinegar ate my carb!

Go get yourself some BERRYMAN CHEMDIP and soak those babies overnight. I bet that'll get that crud off for ya. I've used it many times. Just make sure ya pull the seals and any rubber or plastic parts off before soaking.

 

Now THAT'S funny! Quote of the month!

Thanks to all the fixtures that have helped me so far... :wink:

I know this is a radical concept, but what about contacting Mikuni directly to ask them about the composition of their carbs?

http://www.mikuni.com/fs-profile.html

 

I don't think they're genuine Mikunis; they aren't "branded" like the Mikunis on the XJs. I suspect they're "license manufactured" Mikunis, and Suzuki (or a supplier) used a different metal.

 

I like Chemdip too, especially when things are caked with varnish. Removes it quickly, but destroys rubber and plastics.

I have a suggestion; I've done this to other carbs with success. Get an ultrasonic cleaner.

Here's a half-decent one from harbor freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-u ... 95563.html

It's kind of small, and not super powerful. However, professional and commercial ones are stupid expensive.

The cleaning powder that is also available probably should not be used. It says right on the bottle that it's not for aluminum or magnesium. I've used it anyway, and have seen no damage, but use at your own risk.

Use the heater on it, or fill with hot water, get it real hot, put some sort of cleaner in the water, and throw the carb in. Take it apart first. plastic and rubber will be ok as long as the cleaner used is compatible. Do not use with flammable liquids. Let it run for about five minutes. Check. Do it again. Put the carb in different positions; the machine has areas inside that provide more ultrasonic action than others. I've run carbs in there for about 15 minutes, with breaks in between to not kill the machine. They are rather light duty, I've abused mine but it hasn't quit yet.

Something to consider. I've also used it to clean corrosion off of small delicate stuff without damage. Will not remove scaley rust. WILL remove corrosion from small passages given enough time and careful positioning in the machine to find the most active areas.

 

Also, read the reviews on the machine before you buy; there are a couple things to note. Seal the tub against the plastic cover to avoid condensation from getting into the machine. Greasy, varnishy deposits are better removed with a chemical solvent before a trip through an ultrasonic cleaner.

 

OK, I got the valve bodies in the mail today.

This was not a case of the corrosion being eaten away; the vinegar attacked these big time.

My 16 year old son was curious as to what came. I showed them to him; and he said "what the heck happened to these?" I explained that they'd been soaked in vinegar, maybe a bit too long. He said "why would you soak them in vinegar?" I explained that to remove corrosion I often soak zinc-plated or other hardware bits and sometimes even aluminum in vinegar.

He looked at me and said "these aren't aluminum, DAD; they're way too heavy."

D'oh...

We'll find out what they're made of.

 

pics?!??

 

i'll bet their not rhodium

 

Raven, he posted pics back on the first page.

 

This is like an episode of NCIS.
I can't wait for the next episode when Fitz tells us the composition of the mystery metal!
Well done fellas. I love this site

 

Fitz. If I may make a suggestion.
Could you try do a bit of a polishing test on one of the pieces. It would help give some visual reference once the true material composition is identified.

My thought is that they are as was suggested made out of pot metal. In which case it should retain the dull gray appearance when polished. Not the shiny appearance of polished aluminum.

Ghost

 

Hey, good idea. Maybe file a spot, sand another spot, polish a spot.

Bay already sanded/polished one of the mating surfaces in an attempt to salvage one of them, and although smoother than the eroded surfaces, it isn't particularly shiny.

It's been my experience with pot metal that you can get it VERY shiny, almost chrome-like, but it won't "hold" the shine.

 

Fitz
Any update on the material in question on these parts?

Ghost

 

Preliminary results are that they apparently contain no detectable aluminum (chemical reaction test) and a high percentage of zinc.

I don't have any "official" results yet though.

 

Another interesting thing from the pics posted....
The Suzuki BS34 looks a LOT different than My BS34 on the baby max...
I have my old body here... I'll grab a shot ans post it later

 

HEY EVERYONE! wikipedia has a real good article on the composition of "pot metal" after reading it you can see how vinegar could do this damage.