Be very careful what you weld with

[CraigRT]

Damn. Use that stuff all the time. Buy at least 1 can a month.

 

[franksta]

I've always used isopropanol to wipe down my areas to be welded, looks like I'll continue to do so.

 

[exdeath]

Wow, scary.

Argon + heat.... wow what circumstance.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Damn. Use that stuff all the time. Buy at least 1 can a month.

Just don't spray off your welding project or spray it in your carb/engine while it's running and you're fine. I use it all the time, too.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Unless you are welding on a carburetor, there's nothing wrong with using brake cleaner to clean carbs as long as you dont hit any plastic parts. It works better than carb cleaner and I've never had any problems that I know of by using it. Its never a good idea to get whiffs of any type of chemical like that, gasolene, carb cleaner, brake cleaner, anything.

The point is, you wont get phosphene gas inhaled straight from the brake cleaner can unless the liquid is superheated and then its only a chance.

You might want to look at what I said again. I'e seen it sprayed into a running engine....THAT is when it comes out as Phosgene. You do NOT need ultra-violet light to do so.

Most traditional brake cleaners (Brakleen, etc) are made with Tetrachloroethylene.

Tetrachloroethylene breaks down to form Phosgene and Hydrogen Chloride at about 600*F.

So spraying it down a carb and letting it be combusted most certainly WILL turn it to Phosgene gas, AKA Mustard Gas.

It's also fine to use Brakleen on plastic parts.....it's actually fine to use it on the majority of plastics....it's actual Carb Cleaner that will melt paint or plastics. I use Brake Cleaner on paint and plastics for minor clean up nearly every day. I'd never use Carb Cleaner for the same thing.

 

[Pacfanweb]

I looked around and apparently very intense UV light can cause chlorinated chemicals to decompose to phosgene. Pretty much any welding that uses an arc creates ridiculous amounts of UV. The chemical reaction that you got blowing it through a carb would be different.

No. See my post right above this. Tetrachloroethylene, which most brake cleaners are made with, turns to Phosgene at 600 degrees F. Easily hotter than that in a combustion chamber.

 

[DVad3r]

I remember spraying rim cleaner one time when my brake discs were still hot. Yea, I almost passed out from the gas eruption...

 

[Raduque]

I've seen that. Dude must have had something else going on.

He did. He was TIG welding, so the brake cleaner vapor mixed with the argon gas from the TIG and poof, death smoke.

 

[slag]

You might want to look at what I said again. I'e seen it sprayed into a running engine....THAT is when it comes out as Phosgene. You do NOT need ultra-violet light to do so.

Most traditional brake cleaners (Brakleen, etc) are made with Tetrachloroethylene.

Tetrachloroethylene breaks down to form Phosgene and Hydrogen Chloride at about 600*F.

So spraying it down a carb and letting it be combusted most certainly WILL turn it to Phosgene gas, AKA Mustard Gas.

It's also fine to use Brakleen on plastic parts.....it's actually fine to use it on the majority of plastics....it's actual Carb Cleaner that will melt paint or plastics. I use Brake Cleaner on paint and plastics for minor clean up nearly every day. I'd never use Carb Cleaner for the same thing.

1st off, who the hell cleans a carb while the engine is running? You can't clean a carb with when its on the vehicle and its running, all that does is clean the carb throat, it does nothing to clean the float bowl, diaphram area, jets, whatever is on the carb you are cleaning, so yes, I assumed that when you say people are using it to clean carbs that the carb is actually in their hands, not running.

I'm not sure if it was brakleen specifically, but any of the brake cleaners I've bought at any local auto store will in fact ruin the rubber in carbs while normal carb cleaner doesn't hurt it. Its why I stopped using brake cleaner in anything but the float bowl. I've trashed way too many small engine carbs by using brake cleaner. I tend to stick with gumout carb cleaner for all my carb work because it works well and doesn't attack the plastic or rubber parts.

 

[ivan2]

i also heard that freon sucked into the engine while running = mustard gas coming out back. lol

 

[LTC8K6]

1st off, who the hell cleans a carb while the engine is running? You can't clean a carb with when its on the vehicle and its running, all that does is clean the carb throat, it does nothing to clean the float bowl, diaphram area, jets, whatever is on the carb you are cleaning, so yes, I assumed that when you say people are using it to clean carbs that the carb is actually in their hands, not running.

I'm not sure if it was brakleen specifically, but any of the brake cleaners I've bought at any local auto store will in fact ruin the rubber in carbs while normal carb cleaner doesn't hurt it. Its why I stopped using brake cleaner in anything but the float bowl. I've trashed way too many small engine carbs by using brake cleaner. I tend to stick with gumout carb cleaner for all my carb work because it works well and doesn't attack the plastic or rubber parts.

Bowl vent...

 

[Pacfanweb]

1st off, who the hell cleans a carb while the engine is running? You can't clean a carb with when its on the vehicle and its running, all that does is clean the carb throat, it does nothing to clean the float bowl, diaphram area, jets, whatever is on the carb you are cleaning, so yes, I assumed that when you say people are using it to clean carbs that the carb is actually in their hands, not running.

I'm not sure if it was brakleen specifically, but any of the brake cleaners I've bought at any local auto store will in fact ruin the rubber in carbs while normal carb cleaner doesn't hurt it. Its why I stopped using brake cleaner in anything but the float bowl. I've trashed way too many small engine carbs by using brake cleaner. I tend to stick with gumout carb cleaner for all my carb work because it works well and doesn't attack the plastic or rubber parts.

Try working in a shop back when cars had carburetors. You use Carb Clean while the engine is running....it'll get pulled by the venturis, throttle plates, intake, valves, combustion chamber....it cleans more than the carburetor.

And no, typical Brake Cleaner is not as corrosive as Carb cleaner. Maybe they are to certain things the other is not....but Brakleen

You can put it on paint or plastic all day long, and it won't hurt it. But you don't want it sprayed down the engine when it's running.

And there's really not any rubber to speak of in a carburetor that's exposed to be damaged when the carb is assembled and running on the car. But Brakleen and its equivalents won't hurt it if there is.

edit: From the MSDS sheet:

Flammability Highly flammable - explosive vapour. May evolve toxic gases (hydrogen chloride/ fluoride, phosgene, carbon
oxides, hydrocarbons) when heated to decomposition. Eliminate all ignition sources inluding cigarettes, open
flames, spark producing switches/tools, pilot lights, heaters, naked lights etc. when handling. Aerosol cans may
explode when heated above 50°C.

So you don't need UV and you don't need the Argon....it's the heat that does it.

 

[heymrdj]

Interesting info in this thread .

 

[EightySix Four]

I remember spraying rim cleaner one time when my brake discs were still hot. Yea, I almost passed out from the gas eruption...

I didn't think about it until you said it, but I've done the same once. I remember the burn/smell hitting me like a freight train. I quickly realized what happened and didn't ever do that again.

 

[slag]

Bowl vent...

Still a waste of time and doesn't do shit. Wont clean the jets, wont clean all the tiny passages, doesn't do a thorough job.

 

[slag]

Most everything I work on does have carburetors. We're talking different scales here, you with cars, me with small engines, and the small engines in jet skis I work on have rubber diaphrams and O rings that will disintegrate with brake cleaner but not with carb cleaner. :\ Tecumseh carbs have o rings on the top of the pick up tube that disintegrate with brake cleaner as well.

But you're right. I don't use intake cleaner on anything carbureted when its running. All my current vehicles are fuel injected and wont run worth a crap with the intake off and I don't want to spray the MAF.

Try working in a shop back when cars had carburetors. You use Carb Clean while the engine is running....it'll get pulled by the venturis, throttle plates, intake, valves, combustion chamber....it cleans more than the carburetor.

And no, typical Brake Cleaner is not as corrosive as Carb cleaner. Maybe they are to certain things the other is not....but Brakleen

You can put it on paint or plastic all day long, and it won't hurt it. But you don't want it sprayed down the engine when it's running.

And there's really not any rubber to speak of in a carburetor that's exposed to be damaged when the carb is assembled and running on the car. But Brakleen and its equivalents won't hurt it if there is.

edit: From the MSDS sheet:



So you don't need UV and you don't need the Argon....it's the heat that does it.

 

[skyking]

Still a waste of time and doesn't do shit. Wont clean the jets, wont clean all the tiny passages, doesn't do a thorough job.

Yes, about all it does is wash the venturis, do a poor job of cleaning the throttle and choke shafts.