Isn’t CLR too strong to use on a carb?
That’s a good question. The results are impressive, but CLR contains 5-18% Lactic Acid, according to the Safety Data Sheet, and the acid will take it’s toll on aluminum if left in too long. CLR is only recommended for stainless steel and chrome.
https://clrbrands.com/proline/Jelmar/media/sds/proline/CLR-PRO-SDS-64P0216-1-16-19.pdf
The guy in the video said he only left the part in for 1 Hour and 15 Minutes. An overnight treatment may destroy the aluminum, but who knows.
I have used Phosphoric Acid, in a controlled manner, to clean up cylinder head water jackets when they have stubborn heavy aluminum oxidation. The exposure time is no more than 30 Minutes though, and it can be a useful tool. Opinions will vary.
For carburetors, there are so many Aluminum safe detergent products that work well such as Pine Sol or Simple Green mixed with hot water. Everyone seems to like a particular mix, but 50/50 Pine Sol and water works well for an overnight cleaning, and it’s better for the environment than carburetor cleaner.
At any rate, this is a really interesting idea.
Improvise-Adapt-Overcome
