Working on a Carburetor Pipe

[T-townrestore]

Hello all,
I got this carbureted pipe from my dad for Christmas to fix up. I have never cleaned a bowl for with carburetor in it. Any thoughts how to clean around it?

 

[RalphiesDad]

I have a similar one, I havent touched the bowl yet. Mine has this quonset hut shaped sheetmetal screen above the carb inside the bowl. My theory is because air is entering under the hut, there shouldn't be too much gunk under it. If I had to clean it right now, I'd use a dental pick and carefully scrape around the screen and/or see if its removable.

 

[mikethompson]

Nothing a good bristle pipe brush couldn't clean out.

 

[dctune]

You gonna upgrade it with fuel injectors?

 

[RalphiesDad]

This is my Medico Guardsman after retorting it.

 

[T-townrestore]

View attachment 122635View attachment 122637
This is my Medico Guardsman after retorting it.

Okay, I might try both a dental pick and a brush. How do you like smoking with the carburetor?

 

[RalphiesDad]

Okay, I might try both a dental pick and a brush. How do you like smoking with the carburetor?

I havent loaded it yet. Retorting it is a damn mess, which is my fault for not plugging the carb first.

 

[turtlehead]

I started restoring a Medico Gaurdsman - seeing the photo posted above, now I wonder if it's carburated... I had no idea this was a thing in tobacco pipes.

 

[FLDRD]

I found this thread because I was wondering if anyone had experience / advice on smoking and using (or avoiding) such a unique pipe. Ran across one online and I'm the curious sort.

I did have one of those pipes with a cap on top and a screen on bottom where you light from the bottom up and shake the ash loose. It probably would work ok for me now but that was early on before I had mastered some of the mechanics / basics that I have now. I couldn't use it well back then.

 

[mingc]

Okay, I might try both a dental pick and a brush. How do you like smoking with the carburetor?

I think the carburetor makes for a hotter smoke as it introduces more air into the chamber. (I've an old Kaywoodie carb from the 30s)

 

[jhowell]

A welding tip cleaner is the answer. Just go slow and carefully. They come in an assortment of various sizes.

 

[snagstangl]

You can use a thin needle to start with. I have used a paper clip, but I have one with double carbs with which the paper clip was to large.

 

[msattler]

View attachment 122635View attachment 122637
This is my Medico Guardsman after retorting it.

I've got that exact same one, but there's something stopping a pick from going all of the way through the carb. I was using my smallest drill bit to clean out the carb, but after a certain point, I started removing metal as well. I was twisting it with my fingers, should I just keep going? When you smoke it, are you supposed to close the carb on in the puff?

 

[T-townrestore]

I've got that exact same one, but there's something stopping a pick from going all of the way through the carb. I was using my smallest drill bit to clean out the carb, but after a certain point, I started removing metal as well. I was twisting it with my fingers, should I just keep going? When you smoke it, are you supposed to close the carb on in the puff?

Silly question, were you using a drill with the bit or the just turning the bit by hand? I definitely wouldn’t keep going at it with that bit if metal shavings were coming off, don’t want to thin the walls so much that it shears off the carburetor. Are you able to pick at the hole from inside the bowl?

If you are fixing it up and aren’t worried about the cake, I would ream it out and salt treat it. The alcohol might soften whatever has clogged in the carburetor. Then pick at it again.

 

[msattler]

Silly question, were you using a drill with the bit or the just turning the bit by hand? I definitely wouldn’t keep going at it with that bit if metal shavings were coming off, don’t want to thin the walls so much that it shears off the carburetor. Are you able to pick at the hole from inside the bowl?

If you are fixing it up and aren’t worried about the cake, I would ream it out and salt treat it. The alcohol might soften whatever has clogged in the carburetor. Then pick at it again.

So it was a drill bit that I was turning with my thumb and pointer finger. It was in a bag of about 30 estate pipes, and it is exactly like the one pictured. I salted and reamed the bowl. That metal insert was so gummed up I resorted to denatured alcohol to break the tar loose after trying brandy for a couple of days, since it was 100% blocked. When it finally broke, the tar looked like the pipe was getting rid of Thanksgiving dinner. I can take a photo when I get home, but I got it cleared out as far as I could. The carb looks solid now, so I may have damaged the hole and closed it. It was the smallest bit in the kit, and it was smaller than the hole, so I was hoping I was okay.