Carb cleaner safe to use?

[John Dickens]

I've just got hold of a couple of S/H throttle bodies complete with fittings. is it safe to use carb cleaner on them with the injectors and throttle position sensor still fitted or do I remove them for safety and risk losing the correct sensor positioning?

[Boffin]

Off the bike it is perfectly safe to use carb cleaner - on the bike it depends on which carb cleaner as some of them will kill O2 sensors.

 

Andy

[T__]

I've just got hold of a couple of S/H throttle bodies complete with fittings. is it safe to use carb cleaner on them with the injectors and throttle position sensor still fitted or do I remove them for safety and risk losing the correct sensor positioning?

 

John, the carb cleaner won’t hurt the injectors (just don’t get any down in the connectors) but can wick in & possibly hurt the TPS.. So either remove the TPS sensor or keep the TBI unit turned so the TPS sensor is always up so cleaner doesn’t run down the throttle shaft & wick past the TPS seal..

 

Twisty

 

[philbytx]

If your TB's are off the bike, try using MAF cleaner instead. Unlike a lot of carb cleaners, it will not harm any plastics/rubber

[John Dickens]

MAF cleaner? Who he?

[T__]

John,

MAF= Mass Air Flow sensor,, it’s used in modern automobiles to tell the computer how much air is entering the intake system.. Usually supliments or replaces the MAP (manifold absoluet pressure) sensor as the main means to detremine engine air intake.. Your BMW oilhead doesn’t use a MAF as it is an Alpha N fueling system (TPS/RPM)..

 

They make special cleaners for the MAF as they tend to carbon up & get dirty over miles & time.. Seeing as the cleaner goes into the intake it is fairly sensor, 02 sensor, & cat. safe (within reason though)

 

 

Twisty

 

[Unhofliche_Gesundheit]

the point for the bmw is that the MAF cleaner is formulated to reduce risk of damage. downside i think however it does cost more.

 

upside is though that the can sitting around your garage contributing to the clutter can earn it place by helping out keeping your car's maf clean: having once had stumble on a ford due to maf i now, as many recommend, clean my MAFs (using CRC maf cleaner) on my cars *every time i change my airfilter*.

 

in theory maf are self cleaning but close inspection suggest otherwise. as this is not a car forum will stop here on this topic.