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TIL a trick for cleaning old fuel nozzles that saved me a whole afternoon
I was stuck between using the ultrasonic cleaner or just soaking them in solvent overnight. I went with the soak, adding a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil to the mix. Has anyone else found a better way for those really gummed up ones from a 172 that sat for a year?
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jordan6532mo ago
Remember when carburetors were the norm and a simple soak in pine-sol would cut through that varnish like nothing else. I tried that trick on an old motorcycle fuel petcock once, the kind with the tiny screen, and it worked a charm. Something about the degreasers in it just melted the gunk without hurting the brass. I haven't tried it on an aircraft part, but the principle seems sound for really stubborn stuff. Makes me wonder if any of the old timers at the field still keep a jug of it in the hangar for exactly that reason.
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ryan_carr592mo ago
My grandpa swore by that for cleaning fishing reels.
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taylor.jessica1mo ago
My uncle had this old Evinrude outboard motor from the 70s that was completely gummed up. He soaked the whole carburetor assembly in a coffee can full of Pine-Sol for a weekend. When he pulled it out, the varnish had just turned into this weird jelly that rinsed right off. The gaskets were even still soft. He got that motor running on the first pull after that.
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