Brake Cleaner vs Alum. ?

[sm]

Mike I think the stuff removed was T I-I-I ( forget the actual name).

You guys are probably right about the carb cleaner, its just one of those associations that stuck with me. This goes back to the '70s and the bucket of stuff came from a speed shop, I don't recall the name. Probably lost some gray matter breathing that stuff and the inhibbing I was doing at the time.

 

[Matt G]

Generally, brake cleaners are all made of the same formula. Carb cleaners are of several different types of formulas, some of which are very agressive, especially against synthetics. I've also found that many carb cleaners leave a residue that may be great for preventing varnishing on carbs, but suck eggs in my guns. Brake cleaners leave zero residue.

I've been occasionally using brake cleaners for cleaning my guns for about 10 years, now, and have been intensively using brake cleaners (meaning, every time I clean a gun) for about 4 years now. Every time I've cleaned my well-worn Kel-Tec P-11 over the last 5 years, I've used brake cleaner. That's probably 20 to 40 cleanings or so, with several cans worth having been sprayed liberally on the aluminum and plastic frame, without incident. I've spray ed a couple of AR's with them, and a Colt-trained AR armorer with a local P.D. asked me if he could borrow a can the other day to clean his student's AR at the range. He likes to use them himself, without problem. I use whoever's brand of brake cleaner is on sale at the auto parts store, but am careful NEVER to use carb cleaner-- they're NOT the same.

YMMV,

MG

 

[Mike Irwin]

That's good to know, Matt, as my Remington 81 is getting a good bath tonight!

 

[sm]

Matt G
Your experience mirrors mine and my buddy. The CRC Brakleen we just split a case, from a buddy we know at a NAPA. It doesn't leave a residue. Like you we used it at the range on some student's guns for years, yes even the P-11. Never seem to have had an effect on AL, polymer, anything. I just recall Shuemann's concern about bores...I tend to chambers and extraction more than I do bores.

 

[Navy joe]

Thanks for the correction on the Cresol Mike. The funny thing about methylene chloride is the Navy is regulating it out of existence, the EPA is very near getting it away from airlines and yet you can walk into an advance auto and buy an aerosol! can of the stuff that is stronger than what I use in the military. Paint bubbles in 10 or so seconds. Skin faster.

 

[Bigjake]

sooo.... break cleaner is good for guns, chlorine doesnt matter, just don't use it in bores.... is that all right?? what does it do to wood??

 

[P95Carry]

Purely to add a small point to what has been well covered .........

IIRC the solvent that is pretty much banned now is CCl4 ...... carbon tetrachloride. VERY much a carcinogen and causes liver damage all too well. TCE . (or Triline as I think it was also called) is ''safer'' but in general terms ........ ANY chlorinated hydrocarbon is potential bad news .. and worth treating with respect .... and in open air too.

Another group to be aware of is the benzene ring hydrocarbons ... nitro-benzene was used in one of the gun cleaners and the ''almond'' smell was very distinctive ... that stuff is a cumulative, thru inhalation, skin absorbtion and ingestion .... keep adding little bits and you'll possibly acrue the fatal dose one day!

Safest IMO is to treat most solvents and cleaners with more respect rather than less ...... some once regarded ''safe'' things were later found to be far from safe.

 

[Mike Irwin]

P95,

Carbon Tet has been banned for most applications for years -- degreasers, dry cleaning, fire extinguishers, etc. Nasty habit of forming phosgene gas when it's heated.

And yes, TCE 1,1,1 is what I was thinking of. Another nasty solvent, but an excellent degreaser.



Navy Joe,

I was doing some paint stripping a few weeks ago with a methylene chloride stripper (ZipStrip, IIRC). Didn't wear gloves. Got lots on my hands. No blisters. Maybe the concentrations are a lot lower in paint strippers.

 

[duckfoot]

slip 2000 carbon cutter is great stuff but like said warm wash and dry relube

 

[P95Carry]

Nasty habit of forming phosgene gas when it's heated.

Oh my .. forgot that lil goodie Mike .. indeed ... just a bonus!!

Couldn't help but think back to a family I knew back in early 70's .... ran a dry-clean business .. am sure then they used CTC ... always wondered whether it ''got em all'' I know the damn clothes carried vapor for ages after too .. nasty.

 

[AZ Jeff]

Just a point of clarification here:

A couple of guys in this thread have posted that Carburetor Cleaner is bad for aluminum, and that's plainly NOT TRUE.

For those of us old enough to remember carburetors, they were made predominately of ALUMINUM DIE CASTINGS. The cleaners sold at the time ("Gumout" was a popular brand) did a wonderful job of cleaning off varnish, etc, with NO HARM to the aluminum pieces.

Of course, I cannot say that the plastic parts would fair very well when soaked in Gumout or the like........

My point to all of this is that, while carburetor cleaner is perhaps not the best gun cleaning solvent around, it's NOT harmful to aluminum, per se.

 

[Bigjake]

i second rick with the carb cleaner. i got curious about that, and noticed that the 2 i did were indeed aluminum, and it wouldnt make a whole lota sense for the cleaner to be eating the carb its supposed to be cleaning, unless of course the carb people are in bed with the aresol cleaner folks

 

[P95Carry]

For those of us old enough to remember carburetors, they were made predominately of ALUMINUM DIE CASTINGS.

jeff .. I am almost TOO old to remember!!!

IIRC however ... carburettors have mostly been made using a Zinc based alloy for casting (particularly the fixed/progressive jet types) ... due to its inherent casting ability and ease of machining, tapping etc ... strength being adequate for the purpose.

That is not a comment re carb cleaner's safety on Al or any other material .... just an observation re the carb' metal used..

 

[AZ Jeff]

Chris,

Now that I think about it, you may be correct. I know that there were aluminum parts on the carbs, but I also think you are right that the main bodies may have been Zamak, a zinc die casting alloy.

The easiest way to tell would be to pick one up. Zamak is relatively heavy. Aluminum, of course, would be light.

I just don't own a car with a carb anymore, and have not played with one in about 10 years......

 

[Bigjake]

hmm.... MY holley here looks to be almost completely made of aluminum. New edelbrock carbs on the otherhand, are of that zamak stuff, which holds up quite nicely to the wear and tear, IMO.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I remember caruberators very well.

Worked on many.

I also remember warnings on carbuerator cleaner dunk tanks to never let the carb in the solution for more than the recommended time, or pitting of the aluminum could occur...


Me thinks a carb and a pistol frame are different alloys.

But, I agree with AZ Jeff that a SPRAY on carb cleaner, or brake cleaner for that matter, should pose no threat to either steel or aluminum guns.