Previous in Forum: Crystalline Order at 40,000K   Next in Forum: Supervolcano on the Discovery Channel
Close
Close
Close
15 comments
Rate Comments: Nested
Friend of CR4

Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1776
Good Answers: 35

Cola and carburetors

04/10/2005 12:41 PM

A friend of mine has a clogged carburetor and is looking for a way to clean it out. He has tried a number of convential cleaners, but to no avail. A while back, another friend told me that cola beverages, because of the carbonation and acids can be used to clean engine parts. Is this true? Has anyone successfully tried it?

__________________
Off to take on other challenges. Good luck everybody! See you around the Interwebs.
Register to Reply
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
The Architect
Engineering Fields - Software Engineering - S/W Architect Popular Science - Evolution - Fascinating! Fans of Old Computers - TRS-80 - A fine computer United States - US - Statue of Liberty - NY

Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: GlobalSpec, Troy NY
Posts: 386
Good Answers: 5
#1

It also does windows

04/11/2005 8:58 AM

I've hard a similar suggestion for getting old wax and stuff off of a car's windshield. Haven't tried it yet, but I do keep thinking I'll try it someday.

__________________
Mark Gaulin
Register to Reply
The Feature Creep

Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 990
#2
In reply to #1

Re:It also does windows

04/11/2005 9:34 AM

The best way to get way out of almost anything is to put a papertowel over it and use an iron on it loswest setting to heat up the wax. The towle then wisks it up and way.
Why do I feel all Martha Stewart right now?

__________________
"The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." -William Gibson
Register to Reply
The Architect
Engineering Fields - Software Engineering - S/W Architect Popular Science - Evolution - Fascinating! Fans of Old Computers - TRS-80 - A fine computer United States - US - Statue of Liberty - NY

Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: GlobalSpec, Troy NY
Posts: 386
Good Answers: 5
#3
In reply to #2

Re:It also does windows

04/11/2005 10:49 AM

Sure, but how fun is that compared to pouring a can of Coke on your car, standing back and grunting "Yeah, I'm cleaning it!"

__________________
Mark Gaulin
Register to Reply
Guru
United States - Member - New Member Technical Fields - Technical Writing - New Member Popular Science - Weaponology - Organizer Hobbies - Target Shooting - New Member Engineering Fields - Nuclear Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2969
Good Answers: 33
#4

pH of Coke

04/11/2005 11:07 AM

Allegedly, state highway patrols carry two gallons of Coke in order to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. This sounds like an urban legend, but Coke does have a pH of 2.8 (or so I've read). I imagine it works quite well on a clogged carburetor.

Register to Reply
Associate

Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 27
Good Answers: 1
#5

The only real way to do it...

04/11/2005 11:12 AM

I've cleaned a carburetor and while I didn't use Coke there is really only one way to do it right and that's to take it entirely apart, and use a carburetor dipping bath. You can get em at parts stores, usually comes in a paint-can with a strainer. You'll want to replace all the spring and floats too and you can usually just get a kit with everything you need if you can determine the exact model carb you have. If you're at all mechanically inclined it's not as big a deal as people make it out to be, and I don't remember the kits being too expensive either-- unless you've got a six-pack on the top of your motor or something :)

Register to Reply
Associate

Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Saratoga NY
Posts: 35
Good Answers: 2
#6

Done that and it works

04/11/2005 11:47 AM

I had an old 2 cycle SnoScoot that hadnt been run in years. I spray cleaned the carb. but it still ran bad or wouldent run at all. I compleatly took the assembly appart and soked in pure coke overnight. I then just cleaned with water and blew dry. It was amazing how many small cavities were visable and cleared after this treatment. I remounted in the sled and it ran great. Good luck

Register to Reply
The Engineer
Engineering Fields - Engineering Physics - Physics... United States - Member - NY Popular Science - Genetics - Organic Chemistry... Popular Science - Cosmology - New Member Ingeniería en Español - Nuevo Miembro - New Member

Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Albany, New York
Posts: 5060
Good Answers: 129
#7
In reply to #6

Re:Done that and it works

04/11/2005 12:07 PM

I can't believe I drink 4 cans of this stuff a day.

Register to Reply
Friend of CR4

Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1776
Good Answers: 35
#8

One more question

04/11/2005 4:22 PM

Do you think it needs to be cola, or could another flavor (or seltzer for that matter) work?

__________________
Off to take on other challenges. Good luck everybody! See you around the Interwebs.
Register to Reply
The Feature Creep

Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 990
#9
In reply to #8

Re:One more question

04/19/2005 8:08 AM

I think it has to be cola. The reason it works is that the carbonic acid content in the soda.

__________________
"The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." -William Gibson
Register to Reply
Anonymous Poster
#10

coca cola

04/19/2005 10:38 AM

Coca cola may clean you're carberator when it's off the car.Do not use it while its on the car.Coca cola contains sugar and will eat away at the valves and rings.

Register to Reply
Anonymous Poster
#11

Coca Cola Doesn't work

04/19/2005 1:19 PM

Coke will not clean a carburetor. In fact the sugar will leave a sticky residue if not cleaned with soap and water. As for the Highway Patrol, they usually use Clorox Bleach to clean up any blood, or bodily fluids as it will kill just about any pathogen known including Aids and Hepatitis B and C

Register to Reply
Anonymous Poster
#12
In reply to #11

Re:Coca Cola Doesn't work

04/19/2005 6:26 PM

I used to work as a aircraft tech and when the pilots used Rainboe a rain repellent system on passenger jets at to low a forward speed the stuff would stick to screens and smear. There was a special pad that cleaned it off, because normal cleaners would not touch it, but if you were caught in the field without the pads then a can of coke from the galley would work just as well. BTW Rainboe is now banned because it was ozone depleting. Justice Bros makes a excellent carby spray cleaner that is cheaper that coke I think the main ingredients are acetone and paint thinners.

Register to Reply
Power-User

Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Scotland
Posts: 164
Good Answers: 8
#13

Using Coke as a cleaner

04/20/2005 4:11 AM

We maintain point of sale terminals and have had several with spilt coke into the keyboard. Within 24 hours the coke eats through the copper tracks and destroys the board - never use Coke on anything metal unless you want to ruin it! If you do accidently spill it on anything electrical disconnect the unit and wash it out thoroughly with water, (it's probably beyond repair anyway). Dry it afterwards using the hand dryer in the washroom.

Register to Reply
Participant

Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1
#14

cola for cleaner

04/20/2005 1:30 PM

Be careful Bud, I used that 35 or 40 years ago with limited results, it's not that strong, and the danger is that your friend will try to add the cola into the gasoline to clean the carb while the engine is running. The problem with this is the sugar in the soda, or more accurately, the sugar in the gas tank now. As you probably know, sugar and gas are the last problem he would want, and if he has just a plugged carb, why not just pull it apart, clean it with gumout or other carb cleaner, blow it out good, and reaasemble. As often as not you don't even need any new parts or gaskets to do this, at least if you are careful disassembling it in the first place, and the valve and piston dome damage he is risking by running the engine lean (hot) are not worth doing anything less for.

Register to Reply
Anonymous Poster
#15

Re: Cola and carburetors

02/22/2008 3:42 PM

This is soooooo true...my dad's carbureator was clogged and the coke cleaned it right off! So GROSS!!!

Register to Reply
Register to Reply 15 comments
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

Anonymous Poster (4); Bayes (1); BRodda (2); Chris Leonard (1); HullRider (1); laserdaze (1); mgaulin (2); Steve Melito (1); tom (1); xzi (1)

Previous in Forum: Crystalline Order at 40,000K   Next in Forum: Supervolcano on the Discovery Channel
You might be interested in: Air Cleaners, Web Cleaners

Advertisement