# Ultrasonic Cleaner Recommendations



## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

I think I need to take the leap on a ultrasonic cleaner. I’ve had a few carbs lately that have given me grief. I currently have a EB6500X1 AT that just won’t clear up after THOROUGHLY cleaning it. A little choke and it smooths out nicely. It has ~60 hours on it. 

This generator has electric throttle control on a standard carb like the EU generators. Stock main jet s a 105 (.41), I upped it to a 108 (.42) and it runs perfect. I don’t like upping jets on generators considering the role fuel economy plays with generators. I’d like to have an ultrasonic cleaner to just confirm a totally clean carb before making fueling adjustments. Better then dropping 50-70 bucks blindly on a new carb. 

It’s a CARB compliant engine but came with a 105 jet which is better then the 102 jets the GX390 snowblowers ship with. Also how odd a cold weather snowblower 390 engine came with a 102 (.40)and a general purpose generator 390 has a 105 (.042). I have a 110 (.43) on my HSS1328 and it runs amazing, starts effortlessly cold, and has gobs of power over stock.


----------



## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

If you're only doing carbs and similar sized items, a small one like the Harbor Freight unit works well (20% off this weekend, too): https://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-63256.html
If you also want to do large items like auto cranks, etc., the price goes up pretty quickly... https://www.amazon.com/Branson-CPX-952-817R-Mechanical-Cleaning-Capacity/dp/B00DV7KTCS/ref=sr_1_104?qid=1582337156&s=industrial&sr=1-104


----------



## wingless (Oct 29, 2019)

This reply shows my 6 liter ultrasonic cleaner. 

It is a very handy tool.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Aug 8, 2018)

I bought a used Branson off eBay for under $100. It's 6L (1.5 gallons), digital controls, and adjustable heat. It does cycles up to 99 minutes, and temps up to around 60C (or at least that's what I typically use, it might go higher). 

I've been very happy with it. I debated an eBay Chinese machine, but not knowing anything about the companies made me kinda nervous. Mine is used, but Branson makes a lot of industrial ultrasonic equipment (we have some of their ultrasonic cleaners, and ultrasonic welders, at work), so they're hopefully built fairly well. 

A friend has the 2.5L Harbor Freight one, he let me borrow it to compare. I'm glad I spent a little more on mine. It can hold significantly larger items, and the HF only does cycles up to 8 minutes. I usually do 60-90 minutes when cleaning a carb. Don't know if that's needed, but it's no skin off my back to let it run longer, so I figure why not.

I use Simple Green HD as my cleaning solution, it's safer for aluminum than regular Simple Green. I put the carb parts in a glass jar, with cleaning solution, and fill the rest of the tank with hot water. You use less solution, and you don't gunk up the tank itself.

Mine has cleaned something like 8-9 carbs so far, and has definitely paid for itself, IMO. It's also great for cleaning other things with nooks and crannies that are tough to reach. Metal watch bands for me, my friend uses his to clean chuck parts for his woodworking lathe, and gun parts are apparently another popular application.


----------



## FOrdtrucksforever (Feb 23, 2020)

I have a big commercial Bendix floor model ultrasonic. It is a dinosaur that uses vacuum tubes. Quit working a long time ago. Then I traded a huge variac to an old retired electronics guru. He replaced some resistors. Now this thing vibrates in extreme mode and so loud will run you out of the shop. Very old school, but not likely ever to wear out anytime soon.

But for dirty carbs, I had better luck with removing any welch plugs and cleaning the orifices with correct size drill bits using lacquer thinner. Almost necessary with older Tillotson carbs on late 50's and early 60's chainsaws. The ultra sonic works up to a point, but doesnt always clean layered dead gas and moisture residue so well. Or built up corrosion.

On some float carbs the low speed passage is cross drilled and plugged with a ball. Next to impossible to get access. I ended up using small wire bent at the end to clean them.

The removable jets need to be cleaned with a smaller drill bit, so they dont end up oversized. Same for the idle, transition and air bypass orifices that are usually under a welch plug.


----------



## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

wingless said:


> This reply shows my 6 liter ultrasonic cleaner.
> 
> It is a very handy tool.


Looks like a nice unit especially for the price. 

I’m a bit weary of the harbor freight cleaner, the basket seems a bit shallow. Do you happen to own one Of these @tabora?

I’ll look into the branson unit 100 bucks is about what I’d prefer to spend. The glass jar is an interesting idea, rather brilliant. Any loss of efficiency? Over being directly in the tub?

I appreciate the suggestions, I’ll probably use simple green as the cleaning solution. Had no idea that regular simple green is tough on aluminum. The dedicated solutions sold by the gallon are pretty expensive and would add up over time. Can the cleaning solutions be used more then once? Or should it be discarded after each cleaning?


----------



## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

drmerdp said:


> I’m a bit weary of the harbor freight cleaner, the basket seems a bit shallow. Do you happen to own one Of these @tabora ?


 No, I used to have one of these big guys (below) for cleaning large photofinishing processor racks. I have a friend with a smaller version of it that I can use...
You could run virtually any ferrous or nonferrous metal through it without damage using SC52 Cleaning Concentrate, which is moderately acidic & formulated to strip metal oxides and metallic coatings. https://www.sharpertek.com/shclsoforreo.html 


 May be used on all ferrous and nonferrous metals:
Aluminum
Iron
Brass
Copper
Pewter
And other metals
 
https://catalog.upcorp.com/item/ultr...tems/up-5424-3


----------



## RedOctobyr (Aug 8, 2018)

drmerdp said:


> Looks like a nice unit especially for the price.
> 
> I’m a bit weary of the harbor freight cleaner, the basket seems a bit shallow. Do you happen to own one Of these @tabora ?
> 
> ...


I've cleaned at least one carb where I had to go to a larger (taller) container than my usual Tostitos salsa jar. That might have been a tight fit in the HF 2.5L. Note that you can't rest stuff directly on the bottom of the tanks (it's bad for the transducers, which are vibrating that surface), so you lose some usable volume. 

Mine is a Branson 3210R-DTH. 

This is the cleaning solution I use. It's a concentrate, I think I use it at around 1:5 or 1:10. 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simple-...de-Heavy-Duty-Cleaner-2110000413421/100550784

I will sometimes re-use the solution a few times, depending on how dirty it is. If it's looking yucky, I will pour it through a coffee filter, when pouring it back into my storage jar, that gets the floating stuff out of it. 

I haven't tried to do a direct comparison, but I certainly have no complaints about the performance, while cleaning in the jar. I really have no interest in doing it the other way, it would coat the tank with the junk coming off the item, and I'd use up way more cleaning solution. I have a few different glass jars I can use, depending on the size of the stuff. But even using a quart jar still uses 1/6 the cleaning solution, vs filling the tank directly. Plus with the jar, it's much easier to pour the solution through a filter, for re-use. 

It's amazing to me how well it can work. I had a chainsaw carb that was coated in years of 2-stroke oil and sawdust. The air filter element case was the same way. Ran them both through the cleaner, and they practically looked new. And it ran properly again.


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

drmerdp said:


> I think I need to take the leap on a ultrasonic cleaner. I’ve had a few carbs lately that have given me grief. I currently have a EB6500X1 AT that just won’t clear up after THOROUGHLY cleaning it. A little choke and it smooths out nicely. It has ~60 hours on it.
> 
> This generator has electric throttle control on a standard carb like the EU generators. Stock main jet s a 105 (.41), I upped it to a 108 (.42) and it runs perfect. I don’t like upping jets on generators considering the role fuel economy plays with generators. I’d like to have an ultrasonic cleaner to just confirm a totally clean carb before making fueling adjustments. Better then dropping 50-70 bucks blindly on a new carb.
> 
> It’s a CARB compliant engine but came with a 105 jet which is better then the 102 jets the GX390 snowblowers ship with. Also how odd a cold weather snowblower 390 engine came with a 102 (.40)and a general purpose generator 390 has a 105 (.042). I have a 110 (.43) on my HSS1328 and it runs amazing, starts effortlessly cold, and has gobs of power over stock.


there is emulsion tube differences...
yea honda has soooo many different carb setups... the all look the same …
\just look at the letters differences when you pull up the carb data...

go to this site I have a few good choices for manual dial ultrasonic units that are high power.
and links for the solution I like as well
ULTRASONIC PAGES
that berryman solution is good stuff for pre soak and post soak
I use 2 cans... the pre soak is just for that.. the post soak is for after the ultrasonic clean after the carb is blow dried
then dip in the fresh solution to seal the aluminum..
every month I toss the presoak and bump up the post soak to the pre soak step. and then buy a new can for the post soak.

the ultrasonic method works for all those pesky hidden passages...
I do the clean for 45 min total not including the pre and post soak time.

that plastic idle air jet is often the issue...
but the feeds and bleeds berried in the casting has been for the long term stored units that will not idle right..

when ever you can if you can source the carb cheap... just replace the carb..
I stock a spare for each of my gens... you never know when you need it fast!!
that way you are only down for 1/2 an hour not days waiting for ups or usps!!

and as always save your old carbs!!
send them to me!!:tango_face_grin:


----------

