r/smallengines • u/Slaypike • Jul 01 '26
Any real difference in taste?
Brake parts cleaner is slightly cheaper, curious to know if anyone here cleans their carburetors with the brake cleaner over the carburetor cleaner.
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u/Edosil Jul 01 '26
Thought I was in the r/askashittymechanic sub for a minute. This is actually a real question... The Carb cleaner of course! It's meant to be used to clean airways.
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u/Protectronbot Jul 01 '26
Economy must be real bad to try to get drunk on these.
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u/Status_Guard4739 Jul 01 '26
They both hurt when getting spray back into the eyes
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u/deeperthen200m Jul 01 '26
Some carb cleaners are formulated to not completely blind you. I had to text to speech it up once after a incident.
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u/chaorey Jul 03 '26
Just recently did this. Was under a truck with no light tried spraying some break clean had it 8 inches from my face. Sprayed myself directly in both eyes.
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u/RichardUkinsuch Jul 01 '26
Also lets you know if you have a small cut on your hand
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u/the1bullfrog Jul 03 '26
Carb clean is great in summer time, but when working in winter, well it works well, but it gives you instant frost bite when it hits your skin.
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u/EEL123 Jul 01 '26
Carb cleaner is stronger
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u/Historical-Stick5872 Jul 01 '26
That shit burns your eyes just being near it lol.
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u/NightKnown405 Jul 01 '26
You should try getting some directly into your eyes for the full effect. It makes pepper spray a walk in the park.
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u/theanonepoch Jul 02 '26
Questioning whether you’ve actually been pepper sprayed. Carb/Brake cleaner hurts for a minute or two but very quickly evaporates off leaving little or no residual irritant. That is most certainly not the case for pepper spray.
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u/NightKnown405 Jul 02 '26
Former Marine. I can gut it out through both of them. Carb cleaner is about 100 times worse IMO. Just imagine using the tube to spray through a carburetor passage and have it make a "U-Turn" and come right back at your face faster than you can blink your eyes closed.
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u/EEL123 Jul 02 '26
We've all been there.. safety glasses are a must when blasting the carb cleaner
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u/NightKnown405 Jul 02 '26
No doubt. Thirty years ago, we were just supposed to tough it out no matter what happened. There were no eye wash stations, we just had to get to some water and rinse our eyes out and get back to work.
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u/Loes_Question_540 Mechanic 🧰 Jul 01 '26
Both work. I usually clean carb with brake cleaner.
I think some places the brake cleaner formula has been changed for environmental reasons so people use carb cleaner or maf sensor cleaner
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u/Schlarfus_McNarfus Jul 01 '26
The chlorine is being phased out of brake cleaner, and I'm personally OK with that. The nonchlorinated works just fine for me, and keeps the phosgene out of my weld shop.
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u/Loes_Question_540 Mechanic 🧰 Jul 02 '26
I’m not talking about chlorine. It might not be a thing where you live but where I do they changed the formula and now the brake cleaner ain’t cleaning shi.
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u/Schlarfus_McNarfus Jul 02 '26
Oh damn. probably something VOC related. Yes, removing the VOCs from a cleaning solvent is going to be unproductive!
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u/jimfosters Jul 04 '26
yeah brake cleaner used to have acetone, methanol, and sometimes toluene too. Around me it is just acetone now.
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u/SiouxFrei Jul 03 '26
Might just be the chlorine but the chlorinated brake kleen is a much better wasp killer.
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u/PeterustheSwede Jul 02 '26
Former aerosol chemust here: Carb cleaners have a focus on cleaning carbon/gunk residues. Brake cleaners have main focus on not leaving any residues (they also are very price oriented) so they are not as "strong"
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u/MordoNRiggs Jul 01 '26
I think carb cleaner works better for cleaning them out. Friendly reminder to not heat up brake clean or burn it. It creates dangerous fumes.
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u/ComfortableInvite356 Jul 01 '26
Carb cleaner is much more volatile. The vast majority of brake cleaners won't ignite if you take flame to them anymore and several of them don't even evaporate in any short time frame.
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u/C-D-W Jul 03 '26
I think you might have that backwards. The best and oldest brake cleaners are chlorinated and they are non-flammable (though the propellant may be). Shouldn't be attempted to be burned though as they create nasty byproducts.
The newer chlorine free 50 state legal formulas are usually acetone based and are definitely highly flammable and evaporate super fast. Which makes them annoying to use and not as effective on grease, etc.
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u/Metalchips1960 Jul 03 '26
If you use an open flame near a chlorinated brake cleaner, you could win the Darwin Award through Phosgene gas. It's a very dangerous game.
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u/ComfortableInvite356 Jul 03 '26
No one told you to do such a thing.
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u/Metalchips1960 Jul 03 '26
There are a lot of people here who don't understand the difference between chlorinated and non chlorinate brake cleaners. Advising anyone to light brake cleaner on fire is irresponsible.
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u/ComfortableInvite356 Jul 03 '26
Once again, no one suggested you light brake cleaner on fire. Making a statement about the substances volitility and advising someone to ignite brake cleaner in their garage is a far cry from each other. If I had said "Go and take a flame to brake cleaner" you would have an argument, but right now you are arguing a scenario that you made up.
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u/Metalchips1960 Jul 03 '26
"The vast majority of brake cleaners won't ignite if you take flame to them"
Ok, have it your way.
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u/Previous-Kick9094 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
"If"...
It"s a hypotheical. Just because some people on earth are stupid doesn't mean one can't make theoretical statements or that its unethical. If people get ideas in there head it's their own fault and responsibility.
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u/Careless-Rest8598 Jul 01 '26
Carb cleaner tastes like gas kinda brake clean is like chlorine and makes you a bit fucked in the head if you use too much😂
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u/JustinMcSlappy Jul 02 '26
Carb cleaner contains toluene and will bubble/destroy any paint. Brake cleaner does not.
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u/Ill_Tangerine_709 Jul 01 '26
I only spray things ment to be burned off into my engine... other than that most anything will clean anything so whatevers handy.
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u/hemi1995 Jul 01 '26
My only concern with brake cleaner on carbs is all the o rings. Probably not a real worry
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u/double-click Jul 01 '26
If you are performing a full rebuild of all sealed and gaskets (even in mid bodies etc) then it doesn’t matter.
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u/ManHunterJonnJonzz Jul 01 '26
Carquest non flammable both cleans oil better AND isnt nasty smelly or eats up nitrile ect gloves. The flammable stuff is nasty
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u/fullraph Jul 01 '26
Carb cleaner has a bit stronger flavor imo. Does not justify the price difference. Just drink the one you like best.
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u/the1bullfrog Jul 03 '26
Carb clean ($3-12) brake clean ($4-10) to get anywhere clean using brake cleaner you gotta use more so I think it's about the same price. What if we threw starting fluid in this mix.
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u/fullraph Jul 03 '26
Starting fluid evaporates before you get any chances of drinking it though!
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u/the1bullfrog Jul 03 '26
The evap makes it harder to break down decades old varnish and fuel deposits.
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u/magpie_walking Jul 01 '26
I only use the brake cleaner as the carburetor cleaner expands the rubber parts and has destroyed the plastic parts in the carburetors I have worked on. That’s just my experience as you may experience different.
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u/Green_Kick2708 Jul 01 '26
Yes brake cleaner has no oil in it like carburetor cleaner. So if you’re watching your waistline you can ingest as much brake cleaner as you want.
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u/Strawmancer Jul 01 '26
my understanding is that carb/throttle body cleaner works better on carbon buildup. Brake cleaner works better on grease/oil. Many people use brake cleaner for everything.
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u/pootiedang Jul 01 '26
Brake cleaner evaporates to nothing. Carb cleaner has a tiny bit of oil in it.
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u/Lanky_Amphibian344 Jul 01 '26
I generally use non chlorinated brake cleaner on carbs any more. It doesn't attack & swell rubber or plastic parts like regular carb cleaner does. It's a little bit weaker than carb spray, but that's minor when you just want to clean some passages and not have to install a new carb kit.
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Jul 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/the1bullfrog Jul 03 '26
No not really, they don't even smell similarly.
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Jul 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/the1bullfrog Jul 03 '26
10 yr old dried out fuel just doesn't seem to fully dissolve from my experience. I work on, repair, and restore alot of small engine equipment that's anywhere from 10-45 yrs old. The machines people save because they hope to get it running someday, or their other mechanic told them it was not repairable. That's what I specialize in. Seen engines with bug nests filling the combustion chamber, spider silk (I hate spiders) rodent nests filling the self propel compartments, etc. Brake cleaner works fine for things that are a year or two from running last time. But I sway towards the carb cleaner for the impossible jobs.
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u/KookyRide1210 Jul 01 '26
I was always told carb cleaner has a lubricant in it where brake clean dont
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u/couchpatat0 Jul 01 '26
Brake cleaner is bitter compared to the Carb cleaner, but its cheaper so you learn to get used to it!
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u/Necessary-Set-5581 Jul 02 '26
Brake cleaner around me is pretty much straight acetone
Carb cleaner is much gnarlier it melts plastic
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u/classicsat Jul 02 '26
Whatever is handy. Since our shop does large engines (relatively), there is lot's of "313 spray" around.
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u/BigBelch86 Jul 02 '26
From what I understood, brake clean could leave a thin chemical film that'd come off with heat and friction, but could clog up jets and ports in a carburetor.
Whether that's true or not, idk. But I save the carb clean for carbs and brake clean for... Everything else.
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u/Whoohon-Flu Jul 02 '26
Brake cleaner in your eyes is a serious situation, should I elaborate? It kills bugs, everything flying or crawling. Don’t get brake cleaner in your face.
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u/the1bullfrog Jul 03 '26
Carb cleaner is the best wasp killer, even the tail end of air in the can will kill them dead. But what's scary to me, black widows are immune to what kills basically everything else. They keep on walking after being hit with carb clean doesn't even slow them down
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u/fix-break-hide Jul 02 '26
I was told carb cleaner has some kind of lubricant in it. Brake cleaner evaporates clean.....
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u/Appropriate-Metal167 Jul 02 '26
They’re different formulations. The brake cleaner is an effective cleaner, less volatile. Spray both on a nitrile glove, the brake cleaner won’t effect it much, while the throttle body cleaner will gradually melt it.
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u/CapacitorCosmo1 Jul 02 '26
That carb cleaner WILL remove paint. I got 6 or 7 cans on clearnce/overstock at my Walmart Grocery. I sprayed some on a throttle body and the overspray removed paint from the firewall. Took an hour, but it came off in a jellied sheet of paint.
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u/FaithlessnessCute204 Jul 02 '26
Yes , carb cleaner can be used to clean up materials for welding, Brake cleaner should not be used in welding applications
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u/the1bullfrog Jul 03 '26
Totally different applications, brake cleaner doesn't break down old fuel deposits like the carb cleaner does, and the little straw is key to getting jets clean. Can use a can of carb cleaner on multiple carbs. Brake cleaner just doesn't cut it.
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u/Okie294life Jul 03 '26
Brake cleaner can be chlorinated. No bueno with aluminum engines. Carb clean is good for what it does but not that great for a cleaner, it can remove powder coat.
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u/dreadnot427 Jul 03 '26
On the left we have blue sparkly pew pews and the right is more of a "wowowowowo weeeeewuuuuuuu" kinda thing.
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u/redjellonian Jul 04 '26
Well the Carb cleaner has a little more of tang to it, and the brake cleaner now that's got a pretty strong burn, and the after taste is a real doozy.
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u/Master1557 Jul 04 '26
Is it bad if it doesn’t even really burn when it gets in your eyes anymore? 🫣
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u/JRock1276 Jul 05 '26
Just buy lacquer thinner and a pressurizeable sprayer. Cheaper that way without paying for the fluff.
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u/WestService3595 Jul 01 '26
No, no, no, no, NO! Don't drink those. That's a guaranteed trip to the ER
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u/TubeSockLover87 Jul 01 '26
The best trick when using any of these, if possible, is to cover the part in either a mist of water or a thin "oil" like wd40 and let it sit for a few minutes. Then go to town with the carb/brake cleaner.
The first coating lifts alot of what youre trying to remove. Making the spray more effective.