Picked up a $15 ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight last month for carb parts

I tried it on an old 2-barrel carb from my '72 F100 that's been sitting for years. After three 8 minute cycles with some simple green and water, the jets were actually clean enough to see through. Has anyone else had luck with these things for small engine parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby3081d ago

My '73 Maverick has been through three of those cheap cleaners in two years. The first one lasted exactly four uses before the transducer gave out. The second one stopped heating after a month. I'm on the third one now and it's starting to make a weird grinding noise. The thing is, you got lucky with your particular unit but these are built so cheap that quality control is basically a coin flip. For $15 you're essentially gambling on whether you get one that holds up or one that dies after a couple cycles. If you're just doing one carb and tossing it, fine. But if you plan on using it regularly like I do, you'll probably be replacing it every few months.

jessica_miller1d ago

Soak that grinding one in vinegar overnight before it seizes up completely like my last one did.

dakotacraig1d ago

Wait, you went through three of those things in two years? That's wild, I figured they'd at least last a full season of occasional use.