Harbor Freight Steam cleaner to free carb stiction.

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raiddrten
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Harbor Freight Steam cleaner to free carb stiction.

#1

Post by raiddrten »

Harbor Freight is now selling a little steam cleaner for $99.00. Of course you can always get a 205 off coupon easily so it is more like $80.00. it sure looks like a winner for carb work and also for detailing the nooks and crannies .

At 1500 watts of power, the steam is made pretty quickly and the unit is definitely cost competitive with other steamers on the market. It has various attachments including a Swiffer looking affair that probably would work OK on floors and such.

On my bike that has sat for 20 years plus, the bowl drain screws were just plain stuck. About a minute of steam fixed that a treat. I wish i had the machine for the float pins. I worked on them for an hour at least [plus wait time] just getting the floats to finally free up. I am pretty sure that this thing would have worked out fine for that. If purchasing a steamer like this could prevent one broken pin post--well, you get the idea.

Today, i needed to pull the seats as in "needles and seats". The solvent I use got two of them out, but the other two loosened and spun around in the glued on o-rings. A two minute blast all around the carb casting and they came right out, preserving the little filter screens. I also used W-D 40 as a solvent to clean the carbie bodies and the little steamer chased the dissolved grundge off pretty well.
This tool is one i did not know existed at HFT. I found it by doing an internet search. One thing I found out using it on carb work is that you really cannot see through that cloud of steam unless you take a little HFT flashlight and hold it right in the cloud close to where you are working. My only complaint, if you want to call it that, is that when you first heat it up or take a break, water shoots out the spout. i have learned to just shoot the water back into the distilled water jug that I fill it from. Bottom line is that i would buy it again and worth the price just for carb work.
raiddrten
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Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:14 pm

Re: Harbor Freight Steam cleaner to free carb stiction.

#2

Post by raiddrten »

I probably should mention that it really is nice to put steam at the various jets and see the steam emerge elsewhere as a proof of the passage being open. I used Freeze-Off penetrating oil as my carb cleaning agent for the most part. it might be an unconventional choice, but it does a great job of producing a stream of tiny bubbles as it softens the hidden stuff in the tiny passages. it works slow, but does not swell the rubber bits. Anyway, the carb internals that show are spotless with a bit of help from a rag
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gltriker
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Re: Harbor Freight Steam cleaner to free carb stiction.

#3

Post by gltriker »

An interesting approach, fer sure! tumb2
Cliff (74yrs ;) )

Keep your eyes and ears open and you'll learn something new, everyday. tumb2

New users please visit our "Shop Talk" for common tips and help: <---jdvorchak
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^^^^^^^click up here^^^^^ :oldies

RE: a thorough fuel tank cleaning
"And your carbs will thank you. They no longer live down stream from a sewage plant." -gregforesi tumb2
"Can't see the paint when your looking thru the handlebars..........." -Oldewing ;)
"I'd rather Ride than Shine" -RAT tumb2 Me Too!!

Cliff

'75 GL1000 home built trike; http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=39996
October,2017 BOTM :shock: https://nakedgoldwingsclub.com/forum/page/Welcome

previous rides:
1953 H-D Servi-car, naked, 1969-1978 (serial#53G1559 committed to memory!)
1980 CB900 Custom (triked) 1997-2003 .... R.I.P.
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