If you are like most car owners, chances are, you probably never clean your vehicle components, such as the brakes and the carburetor. However, those parts are highly prone to dust, rubbish, and greasy residue and need to be cleaned from time to time to avoid significant problems.
Both brakes and carbs need to be cleaned with a special cleaner fluid, but there are tons of online forums where people talk about using the brake and carburetor cleaners interchangeably.
So, can you use a brake cleaner instead of a carburetor cleaner?
You should avoid using brake and carburetor cleaners interchangeably. However, you can sometimes use a good brake cleaner to clean a carburetor. You should never clean your brakes with carburetor cleaner, as it leaves residue and can further decrease braking efficiency.
Brake cleaners effectively dissolve any greasy or oily residue along with fluid and rubbish on the brakes, leaving no residue behind. On the other hand, carburetor cleaners leave residue and don’t dissolve grease that well but are safe to use on carburetors without damaging them.
I’ll explain what makes them different and why you shouldn’t use them to do what they aren’t designed to do.
What Is a Brake Cleaner?
Your brakes are what keeps you safe in your vehicle. If you don’t allow them to work as efficiently as possible, you’re raising the risk of an accident behind the wheel. That’s why you should always keep your brakes functioning perfectly and clean as a whistle. Most of us don’t clean them because most people don’t even know they have to.
Also, you can’t just clean them with anything. If you don’t know what you’re doing and use the wrong chemical, it can cause significant damage and destroy your brakes. You need to use a special compound to clean them thoroughly and effectively. Enter, brake cleaner.
Brake cleaners are usually sold in compressed containers and used to clean all the braking system’s metal components effectively. The substance is designed to dissolve and remove any grease, oil, brake fluid, stains, or rubbish from your brakes. It leaves no residue behind when it dries, making the brakes as spotless and effective as possible.
There are generally two kinds of brake cleaners: chlorinated or non-chlorinated. Chlorinated fluids tend to clean more thoroughly but can be harmful both for humans and your car components. You should avoid using them on anything other than the brakes. Non-chlorinated cleaners are usually safer and good at dissolving grease but don’t clean as thoroughly.
Some brake cleaners are extremely powerful and can damage and dissolute almost any other material than metal, including plastic, rubber, and paint. Knowing that most carburetors have plastic caps and rubber o-rings, you can see why cleaning them with a brake cleaner would be a bad idea.
No matter what brake fluid you plan to use, your best bet is to simply check what the label says. If it says it’s non-corrosive, non-staining, and safe for brakes, ignitions, engines, and carbs, then you can use it as a substitute for carb cleaners. Those cleaners tend to be more expensive but more versatile when it comes to cleaning. I highly advise avoiding that, but it works if need be.
One of the better brake cleaners is from CRC industries called Brakleen. Actually they claim to have perfected the original brake cleaner formulas. Read about their products at CRC industries official website or check them out on Amazon here.
What Is a Carburetor Cleaner?
Every vehicle that uses gas uses an internal combustion engine to ignite a mixture of gas and air to run. The gas-to-air ratio of the mixture has to be correctly balanced for the ignition to happen. That mixture is generated in the carburetor.
However, varnish (dried gas) and carbon particles from the gas, along with dust and dirt particles from the air, tend to stick to the carburetor, making it function improperly with time. That’s why you should clean it regularly to prevent high fuel consumption or even more significant issues.
Carb cleaners are formulated differently than brake cleaners, making them ineffective as a substitute for brake cleaners in any case. It’s a mixture of strong chemicals designed to destroy dirt, varnish, and grime that accumulate on the carburetor.
The cleaner also comes in a similar container, but unlike most brake cleaners, it’s safe for plastic and rubber components and won’t damage them in any way. However, that doesn’t mean it’s completely harmless.
It can include ethylbenzene, xylene, acetone, and other toxic compounds, so you should be careful while using it and use it only on car components that it’s meant to be used on. Again, you should check the label to see what components you can use it on.
Carb Cleaner vs Brake Cleaner
While carburetor cleaner and brake cleaner may seem interchangeable. There are a few major differences you should know first. Also note that not every brake or carburetor cleaner is equal. Different brands and products vary on their ingredients. For example there are chlorinated and non-chlorinated brake cleaner products.
Without going into exhaustive detail here is a quick table showing some of the main differences between the two types of cleaning products.
| Carburetor Cleaner | Break Cleaner |
| Longer Dry Time | Dries Fast |
| Oil-Based | Oil-Free |
| Should Not Be Used To Clean Brakes | Can Be Used To Clean Carburetors but Not Intake Systems |
| Leaves Residue | Residue-Free |
| Safer for Plastics and Rubbers | Can Damage Certain Plastics and Rubbers |
Can I Use Brake Cleaner Instead of Carb Cleaner?
There is good reason why they make carburetor and brake cleaners individually. They are completely different formulas because they do different tasks. You should always use them strictly for what they are designed to do.
It costs far less to buy a can of each than to pay for the repairs or replacement parts when you mess something up, using the wrong cleaner on the wrong component. Be that as it may, if you, for any reason, can’t get carb cleaner fluid and have a good brake cleaner at hand, you might be able to clean it with it.
Some great contact brake cleaners that are safe to use on non-metal materials are available on the market. Check to see if the label says the formula is non-harmful for specific car parts. If it isn’t specified, avoid using it, as the benefits are way smaller than the risks. Even if it is specified as safe, I would recommend getting the right cleaner for the right part.
To conclude, you should never use carburetor cleaners on your brakes because it’s unsafe and can cause serious problems to your car and your safety. Some brake cleaners are good as a carburetor cleaner replacement, but you should still avoid doing that if possible, as it can cause more harm than good.