Carb Cleaner vs. Brake Cleaner as a parts cleaner

[chefwong]

When you're degreasing let's say a drive spline, axle, etc or just a quick down dirty way to clean off grease off a chrome wrench before putting it away.......any of ya'll use carb cleaner which is a lesser expensive product than brake cleaner. I've never used anything other than red can CRC brake cleaner and berrymans carb cleaner. There is a difference in these products.....as I purchased a can of Gumout Can Cleaner and it did not remove varnish like the Berrys can.

What are ya'll using as your down and dirty ~cheap per ounce~ parts cleaner

 

[40Deluxe]

Super Tech at walmart,when i do a oil change i spray around the drain plug and oil filter area when done so i dont have oil dripping,i always use the carb cleaner for this.

 

[qdeezie]

I generally try to stick with Brake Cleaner whenever I'm not working with fuel/air intake parts. Its really a judgement call to be honest with what's needing to be cleaned. I've always been a fan of SuperTech brake cleaner, but I recently tried the Valvoline Brake Cleaner and like that much better than SuperTech and since Advance Auto had it 2 for $5, it was only about 13 cents more a can. I do like Berryman's carb cleaner for fuel/intake cleaning.

 

[Pablo]

I'm no green weenie, but you guys use this solvent based stuff to clean your wrenches?

Sure I use solvent junk and particularly brake cleaner for brake work, but I just wipe down my wrenches with a rag or paper towel. For big nasty jobs, aqueous based cleaners and maybe the pressure washer. Just sayin'.

 

[Bluestream]

Just wipe your wrenches off with a cloth. A small oil film on them will be beneficial.

 

[Rick in PA]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Just wipe your wrenches off with a cloth. A small oil film on them will be beneficial.


ditto

I'm leery of using carb cleaner for anything other than cleaning carbs (come to think of it, I haven't cleaned a carb in quite a while...). Carb cleaner can have some pretty wicked solvents in it, dissolves some plastics, carcinogenic, I'm not too fond of the stuff.

Since I don't have a proper parts cleaner, I'll use spray brake cleaner or non-residue electronics cleaner for a small job.

 

[willix]

I prefer brake cleaner due to being less harsh & quicker drying. Some brake cleaners smells like carb cleaner. I would rather use the stuff with PERC, that smells like dry cleaning fluid.

Carb cleaner works well for many things

 

[chefwong]

Heh...I just make sure anything I pick up these days does not say it's a 50 state formula can....

My buddy tells me the brake cleaner puddles like water these

 

[TLMjared]

from what I understand Carb Cleaner has a lubricant in it and brake cleaner does not?
I've noticed a white film after carb cleaner drying and not with brake cleaner.
anyone else notice that or just me?
I use brake clean for a cleaner, carb clean for carbs

 

[SteveSRT8]

yeah, all my cheap carb cleaners leave a residue.

That's why they make brake cleaners... no residues.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
yeah, all my cheap carb cleaners leave a residue.

That's why they make brake cleaners... no residues.


A lot of carb cleaners leave residue on purpose - to lubricate springs, linkages, whatever. The can even says so on any carb cleaners I have. It has nothing to do with being "cheap".

 

[SteveSRT8]

Yeah, I guess I forgot to say that the expensive carb cleaners did it, too.

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with it being Tuesday!

 

[tom slick]

Where's the lubricants or "residue"?

CRC Carb Cleaner ingredients:
Acetone 20-30%
Toluene 35-45%
Methanol 25-35%
Carbon dioxide 5–10%

Berryman's B12 ingredients:
Toluene 40-50%
Methanol 20-30%
Acetone 20-30%
MEK 1-5%
2-Butoxyethanol 1-5%
Isopropanol 1-5%
Mixed Xylenes 1-5%

Supertech Carb Cleaner ingredients:
Acetone 47.2%
Toluene 44.7%

Gumout Jet Spray Carburetor and Choke Cleaner ingredients:
Acetone 60-100%
Propane 5-10%
MEK 1-5%
Distillates (petroleum) 1-5%

Prestone Carb and Choke Cleaner ingredients:
Acetone 60-100%
Solvent Naphtha Petroleum Distillates 10-30%

 

[SAATR]

Usually use brake parts cleaning for small, generic degreasing and cleaning. I purchase by the case under a commercial account when it's on sale, usually at 1.50 to 2.00 per can. Carb and throttle body cleaner on intake parts, MAF cleaner on MAF's, Deoxit for electrical, and water based degreaser or my Varsol vat for big jobs.

Oh, and use gloves. This stuff doesn't just cause cancer in California you know.

 

[PandaBear]

Can anyone tell us what is the difference between the RED and GREEN brake cleaner? I looked at it and everything on the label is identical.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Can anyone tell us what is the difference between the RED and GREEN brake cleaner? I looked at it and everything on the label is identical.

The California stuff cannot have perchloroethylene. Outside of CA, red label has perc and green label is hexane/acetone or toulene/methanol/acetone.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Can anyone tell us what is the difference between the RED and GREEN brake cleaner? I looked at it and everything on the label is identical.


CRC brand?

Red is chlorinated, green is non-chlorinated.

There's a thread in the solvents forum about which people prefer. I prefer chlorinated.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1441336#Post1441336

 

[PandaBear]

Yes, the CRC stuff. So the red/green are the same in California?

 

[defektes]

When I clean engine barts I use a brush with mineral spirits and hit it with a wire brush to get tough stuff out, then I use ST brake cleaner to clean it all off as it dries quickly.

 

[rslifkin]

I agree with Craig, the chlorinated stuff works better.