Gravity Feed Carb Cleaner
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,941
Likes: 35
From: El Cajon California
Gravity Feed Carb Cleaner
Maybe I am losing my mind so here is the situation....
1978 Vette has been sitting since 2006 with 1/8 tank of gas.
This past weekend I changed oil, put water in it and started it up and drove it around the block once.
Gas smells awful and carb is probably gummed up.
Car would run and idle but definatly ran rough.
Can I disconnect the fuel line at the carb, fill a funnel with carb cleaner, start the car hence filling the carb with cleaner?
I really don't want to rebuild the carb unless I have to. Would it harm anything? Have I lost my mind?
1978 Vette has been sitting since 2006 with 1/8 tank of gas.
This past weekend I changed oil, put water in it and started it up and drove it around the block once.
Gas smells awful and carb is probably gummed up.
Car would run and idle but definatly ran rough.
Can I disconnect the fuel line at the carb, fill a funnel with carb cleaner, start the car hence filling the carb with cleaner?
I really don't want to rebuild the carb unless I have to. Would it harm anything? Have I lost my mind?
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 860
Likes: 0
From: Stratford Ontario
I would try to get rid of all the gas You can and put fresh gas in it. Gas drops in octane rating as it sits. I wouldnt run carb cleaner through the fuel lines at all.If You can get all the gas out, new gas may clean it enough to get it running good again.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 5
From: Aptos, CA
Don't put carb cleaner in your gas tank.
Attack the problem at the source. Unbolt the carburetor, clean it with compressed air and carburetor/choke cleaner and replace all of the parts that typically come in a rebuild kit.
It's not that hard.
The only way to get the crud out of the metering block passageways that can build up in there is by taking apart the carb.
Put on a good movie, order a pizza, crack open a beer and rebuild it on your coffee table......
Attack the problem at the source. Unbolt the carburetor, clean it with compressed air and carburetor/choke cleaner and replace all of the parts that typically come in a rebuild kit.
It's not that hard.
The only way to get the crud out of the metering block passageways that can build up in there is by taking apart the carb.
Put on a good movie, order a pizza, crack open a beer and rebuild it on your coffee table......
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,384
Likes: 6,409
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
- You can't run the engine on carb cleaner - you will destroy the engine if it will run at all.
- In my 40 years of working on carbs, I've never seen a "carb cleaner" gas additive that did anything at all to the condition of a carb.
- If your gas smells bad, it's because it has turned to shellack. If you continue to run this gas through your engine, you will lock the pistons up solid in their bores from the varnish in the fuel. No additive will cure it. You need to remove the fuel tank, drain all that crap out of it, blow out your fuel lines, rebuild your carb, and put new gas in the system.
Lars
Instructor
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 172
Likes: 3
From: Hesperia California
comment.
If everyone will notice,98MustGT. This is why he can not work on a corvette, obviously he is a Ford guy, and he is trying to get his corvette found on the road dead. Please 98MustGT have a corvette mechanic work on your corvette, it is not like a ford. It is much better than that. Sorry had to comment, IM a chevy guy. LOL firstvett69 
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