Cleaning Parts Effectively, And Quickly

[_Wing_]

So I've been soaking all my dirty parts in degreaser and scrubbing with a friggin toothbrush saying "well it's only one time, just do it" but it seems like every now and then I have to do it again. I use the 'export quality' degreaser as well as the 'kenco heavy duty' one @ 2:1 ratio water:degreaser (it's their most concentrated recommendation but I have used it straight) which is ok for regular stuff but doesn't do much for the fun stuff until I scrub... hard.

I CBF spending so much time hitting it with a brush so to futureproof myself, do you have a better method?

[Craved]

So I've been soaking all my dirty parts in degreaser and scrubbing with a friggin toothbrush saying "well it's only one time, just do it" but it seems like every now and then I have to do it again. I use the 'export quality' degreaser as well as the 'kenco heavy duty' one @ 2:1 ratio water:degreaser (it's their most concentrated recommendation but I have used it straight) which is ok for regular stuff but doesn't do much for the fun stuff until I scrub... hard.

I CBF spending so much time hitting it with a brush so to futureproof myself, do you have a better method?

there is an industrial degreaser from bunnings that i found was the best on the retail market - $60 for 15L and is green/yellow in colour

simple green works well also in high concentrations - and available from bunnings

both these need soaking though - so overnight in a tub and then pressure hose them off.

another handy household cleaner for baked on oil is oven cleaner left on for about 5-10 mins the hosed off.. can help to scrub this a little also but works wonders (dont leave on too long or it discolours alloy)

[krzysztof]

ive always used motorspray degreaser and cant say ive even thought about complaining about its strength.

its the stuff u get at paint shops in 4L. i just apply it with a paintbrush, sometimes it needs some work with the brush then just wash off with a hose.

[chuckie]

MR SHEEN

[mad082]

can i just ask what you are actually asking here? are you asking for a better degreaser to make it so you don't have to scrub it as much to get it clean, or are you saying that you clean the parts and then a little while down the track they get dirty again?

if it's for the scrubbing bit, stuff that is really caked on will usually need a bit of scrubbing. you won't really find too many products that actually eat through seriously caked on crud. for this stuff you are best off giving it a light soak (few mins), then giving it a bit of a scrub then soaking it again and then a final scrub if needed. this way when you scrub it then soak it for the second time you are allowing the degreaser to penetrate more.

[_Wing_]

A better degreaser or method to clean so I don't have to scrub it as much.

I've had a few gearbox conversions go through on my car and every time I'd be there scrubbing away at the new gearbox saying "it's only once"... turned out to be 3 'onces'. I recently got some GTR32 brakes so was scrubbing them and I know these brakes won't last me... I can see myself scrubbing once again and I'm already dreading it.

Thanks for the ideas, I'll give those suggestions a try next

Now what to do with 4L of crappy new kenco degreaser.. hmm...

[mad082]

if it is alloy that you are cleaning, try getting some alloy cleaner. it's a chemical that you mix with water and it cleans alloy really well. don't think it does much on steel though. i use it on my boat and it's good stuff. doesn't get much of the grease off, but it gets the stains off. it kind of bleaches the alloy, LOL.

if you want to get some stronger degreaser, look in the phone book under "chemicals - industrial". there should be someone who has some super strength degreaser. but you'll probably have to buy it in either 5 or 10L, and it will probably cost a fair bit, but it will be strong stuff. the sort of stuff that when it says to dillute it, you dillute it or it will eat your skin.

[Craved]

if it is alloy that you are cleaning, try getting some alloy cleaner. it's a chemical that you mix with water and it cleans alloy really well. don't think it does much on steel though. i use it on my boat and it's good stuff. doesn't get much of the grease off, but it gets the stains off. it kind of bleaches the alloy, LOL.

if you want to get some stronger degreaser, look in the phone book under "chemicals - industrial". there should be someone who has some super strength degreaser. but you'll probably have to buy it in either 5 or 10L, and it will probably cost a fair bit, but it will be strong stuff. the sort of stuff that when it says to dillute it, you dillute it or it will eat your skin.

sounds like alibrite or allumabrite - which is normally a sulfuric acid mix for cleaning alloy.

i've been through a few of those "industrial degreasers" which were up to $400 for 20L and the bunnings green stuff was alot better.

a can of oven cleaner will do a whole gearbox - just cannot get it on any of the plastics or rubber boots.

[mad082]

pretty sure the stuff i use is blitz aluminium cleaner. probably the same thing though. i just get it from supercheap for about $15 for 1L. the liquid is bright pink.

upon a bit of looking around, yeah it's the blitz stuff.

taken from the website

BLITZ ALUMINIUM CLEANER

Chemtech Blitz is a unique formulation specifically designed for the effective cleaning of any aluminium or stainless applications such as intercoolers, turbo chargers, valve covers, radiators, bull bars, dinghies, side steps in part preparation of a high gloss finish. Blitz is safer to use than products containing hydrofluoric acid.

so it can also be used on stainless

[tridentt150v]

Or you could buy a pressure cleaner [karcher, spitwater etc], use the degreaser and then wash off with the karcher. A good pressure cleaner can take your skin off at 100mm, so use gloves when holding parts and getting into it.

[mad082]

and make sure you have a good hold of the part or it will be a few metres away very quickly, LOL

[tridentt150v]

yep, probably kill the cat.....lol

[MrStabby]

For grease/oil - kerosene, tho some use diesel. The water based degreasers i've used have been hopeless, but they'd probably be ok for cleaning off the kerosene.

[JezR31]

I have a 5L bottle of Kenco cleaner, sprayed some of it on the oil stain in the garage and it took most of it off. It cleaned all of the oil and grease of my engine. Also tried the truck wash at a spray paint workshop, very strong stuff.

[flipridah17]

Thanks for the product recommendation, I always use WD40 but scrubbing isnt fun

[mad082]

you use wd40 as a cleaner? umm, why not use degreaser or something like that which is actually designed to remove grease?

[iseekool]

MR SHEEN

Just be careful with Mr. Sheen it has silicon... It might not be good for some applications.

[iseekool]

For grease/oil - kerosene, tho some use diesel. The water based degreasers i've used have been hopeless, but they'd probably be ok for cleaning off the kerosene.

+1 for kerosene - works great only problem is it tends to leave a slight "film" of kerosene. Pressure washer off the stuff afterward and you will be laughing.

Another thing I recommend for parts that do not get too hot is to put wax on them afterward on visual/cosmetic surfaces - don't put wax on "working"/mechanical surfaces surfaces - any gel wax would suffice - this helps dirt and other crap from sticking easily.

[Kinks]

you use wd40 as a cleaner? umm, why not use degreaser or something like that which is actually designed to remove grease?

WD40 is a grease remover. if you have a greased joint you should NOT use WD40 on it, unless it is seized... in which case you can help anti-seize it with WD40 but you must clean the WD40 off it afterwards and re-grease the joint.

[turboedsloth]

i like using R60 solvent. dries clean eats the crud away quickly tho i havent tried it with brake parts. You also have to watch as if you get dermatitis on your hands it'll make ya have a reaction