Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire New Ultrasonic Cleaner vs. NASTY suppressors

Two of the best things I've used for carbon are BreakFree CLP, and the second is new to me - CRC brand GDI Intake Valve Cleaner. This cleans the nasty carbon build-up from intake runners and valves on GDI engines. I've used it on shotgun gas pistons and it dissolves carbon amazingly well.

Everything is a learning process.

Did NOT want to ship for factory cleaning...

Did NOT want to be overly aggressive with chemistry (per manufacture recommendations).

Slow and steady learning process over 3-4 days.

Knowledge gained:

- CLR is great stuff (be VERY careful with aluminum... manufactures say DO NOT USE... I did very carefully... I see no metallurgy harm. (FYI, you can harm metal with chemical... I cleaned some 45 acp brass once with chemistry and structurally harmed the brass to the point where it had to be loaded double extra hot and donated to BLM/ANTIFA).

- Dry parts allow CLR to do it's best work.

- Ultrasonic at 160 degrees and 30 minutes and carbon does come off (even with the sealed ThunderBeast and Bowers cans (avoid all sealed cans (NO REASON TO EVER BUY ONE... (I was new and did not know any better))).

- Run for a couple of hours each night... then dry overnight/next day... then CLR soak on DRY can/parts... then another Ultrasonic at 160 degrees and 30 minutes (repeat 3 or 4 times)

- Old welding rod tube is great for a CLR soak

- You WILL damage the anodize finish if your tube is not in a stretchy sock thingy (I did... no bigger for me... just saying).

- I will reassemble with fresh Buna Nitrile O rings and copper anti-seize.

- Pic below is the FORTH water change. Probably enough carbon came out total to BBQ a couple of nice backstraps.

- I will probably do a FIFTH water run before reassembly.

- Note to self (clean more often - Shoot Less)... never-mind dat.

Final thought... marry a good wife that is OK with you doing this stuff in her kitchen.

Are the suppressors that allow for disassembly really disassemblable when they are dirty?

Was at the range and a guy shooting with a suppressor needed my help to get it off his rifle.

Good point. I did a "homemade" Kroil mix (acetone and ATF)... that soak helped with the necessary breakdown of the Lane can (beating with a hammer on a wood dowel and old barrel extension stubby... It took a very harsh effort to get the monocores out of the tubes)...

I witnessed no metal damage from the "homemade" Kroil mix. I suspect "BreakFree CLP, and - CRC brand GDI Intake Valve Cleaner" would be equally safe, but do not know personally.

an ultrasonic like that is on my soon-to-buy list. i want it for cleaning carbs and other greasy crap.

Yes! Add that to the ever growing list of reasons.

YES... Depending on your use...

Some do not get that bad (fast heavy stuff like my 300s and 340s mags) leave less carbon (everything is VERY HOT there).

But my .452 and .458 stuff is all big slow sub loads (Trail Boss, Lil Gun and 2400)... that stuff is like baked on molasses.

I toss my baffles into a rotary tumbler with SS pins. Comes out squeaky clean every time.

I watch all this with interest, and on the strength of CIK comments have ordered a 15L unit.

I have been using ultrasonics for years, and have several of the smaller ones. They are just outstanding for deep cleaning fishing reels (although once I ran one a bit long and removed all the paint off a vintage Pfleuger fly reel, yikes!) and for carburetors, tools, eyeglasses, rings/jewelry, rod guides and much more.

So thanks to all who have contributed to this topic so far! Super informative.

Added for information sharing:

The only downside to Kroil I've found so far is it turned one of the tubes on a .22 suppressor a purply tint after a long soak. Doesn't affect the function and I couldn't care less about the color. May not have done that had I not soaked it as long.

Thanks for that article.

Thanks for the detailed thread.

We had a test unit at an indoor range that ran on a Full Auto M-16.

They waited until 5000 rnds and the mono core didn't want to come out.

CLR soaked for 3 days before enough carbon came out to unscrew the core.

It is not a bad plan to weigh suppressors when new and keep track of how much internal build up is happening.

Maybe clean after 2 oz of carbon build up?

I can see that...

I suspect (educated guess)... 5,000 rounds of 5.56 rounds is probably equal to my .458s at 500 rounds. Just a WAG. (goo factor I mean... your powder is HOT and flashes off better...).

I am POSITIVE heat is more of a problem for you... than me.

My subs (350 grain to 730 grain) never heat a can very bad.

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EDIT... everything is back together now. Copper aintiseize on disassembly threads for the future.

There was some very minor pitting on the bare SS monocore (presumably from the CLR)... nothing bad, but definitely there...

SO... Cory was right... limited your time on bare SS and be very very careful with aluminum.

Anodized metals seem unaffected by the CLR... as does the Titanium.

5th water run on the Ultrasonic came out 30% clear. I am calling it a success. First two runs were crazy nasty.

I will clean my can more frequently now.

If you care about your finish put those stretchy sock thingys on your can while they are in the Utltrasonic Cleaner.

167 degree was the hottest temp I went.