Quote:
NEVER USE CARB CLEANER ON A FUEL INJECTED MOTOR.
Carb cleaner will destroy any rubber or plastic pieces.
Thanx but too much of a blanket outlook for my taste.
Yes, as I implied in warning, various synthetic materials used in sensative sensors or some seals can be wiped out or adversely affected by petrol based solvent but generally vac lines, connectors, and the usual stuff has enough bulk or physical qualities (thickness, type of media/plastics) to where the quik once over of petrol based solvents is just cleaning surfaces and unclogging things rather then melting or warping them all to hell. Generally you don't want to use solvent based on inside lines unless you blow them out right away after and run engine. Reason being is that solvent based can't evaporate away inside as it does when cleaning exterior parts unless in direct path to intake. Case for use of such inside is when you distinctly know that engine oil or foreign matter or dirt is already in process of contaminating whatever item in question. Is better to remove the contaminant then to let it sit there causing engine problems or eat at and soften lines/hosing and the like. If one is worried about it they can utilize carb cleaners that use waterborne solvents which are usually made with glycols or butyl (2-butoxyethanol, etc.) with a touch of sodium hydroxide (aka-NaOH,lye, caustic) but it doesn't do near an efficient job as solventborne. I use and deal with both in my line of work so I'm suited to keep both in my repertoire when dealing with mechanical stuff.
It all does come down to a risk ratio when doing mechanical cleaning or refurbish work. Choice at times becomes a thing of weighing out cost of a part to replace versus cost to try and fix or clean it. Just look to the use of the deep Sea foam methods discussed above as a good example of risk. Unsure how many times one can get away with running that through a cat before it ruins it but it sure is better to clean it and get my light off then pay for new ones in my frugal opinion.