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Hi Everyone,

I had started on my restoration last summer. So every weekend it was dis-assembly cleaning, rust removal and painting. Now comes cleaning the front half of the frame to paint it.

I have been using Castrol Super Clean in my parts cleaner. It calls for an 8:1 mix. It is marginal and doesn't really cut the grease. All of the grease just sticks to the brush. Well as I started scrubbing my frame, this stuff definitely isn't cutting it. I know that hot water or steam would really work miracles... I'm too far away from the house to bring that in.

So, I'd like to know what everyone else uses for washing parts and the frame/undercarriage.

Thanks,

Mark

For parts I use concentrated Purple Power. Do not mix it with water. You can get it in big jugs at autozone. I can leave parts in it for months on end with no risk of rust. I leave the parts in it for about 2-3 days and the grease just wipes right off by hand. The longer you use it the better it seems to work also. I pour mine into one of those big Rubbermaid storage bins and just keep refreshing it over time with new stuff. Don't have to wash anything.... Just soak it and the dirt and grease slips right off. Easy peasy. It will eat aluminum though if left to soak more then a couple hours. Everything else is fine. I left my engine timing chain in it for 6 months. Came out looking like 1 mil bucks.

You can also use it mixed with water for a non concentrated regular grease spray just like 409 or etc.

For the frame... Try a pressure washer or get it sand blasted.

I stripped my frame and hauled it to be sandblasted. Gets it down to bare metal, not just the grease.

After getting rid of really heavy grease deposits by scraping or my pressure washer, I use industrial strength deep fryer cleaner which I buy at Sams Club. This is essentially the same as oven cleaner. This is very caustic and will burn your skin if you don't use normal adult precautions, but eats away the grease residue nicely and will also remove cheap enamels such as were used on the frame, inner fenders, etc. After it sits for several hours I just pressure wash it off.

Lately I have fallen in love with electrolysis and am using it on wheels and other small parts. It removes the paint and the rust with virtually no labor or cost. There are many videos on youtube on how to do this and I will post my variation of it shortly. The video I learned it from was posted by a colorful old gentleman with the handle "shopdogsam" I am using two old stainless Packard wheelcovers for electrodes which work great.

Yes, after I clean all of the grease off, I will be sandblasting it. I just have to figure out where, as I have the pressure blaster, but no "open outdoor space" to do it.

I've been actually using a couple of methods for rust removal:
1.)Sandblasting (in a cabinet) works as one would expect.
2.)Evapo-rust works well and leaves a nice protective coating to prevent rust until paint.
3.)Vinegar-Leaves alot of flash rust very quickly before rinsing. I have found Eastwood's After Blast is better.
4.)Eastwood After-Blast stops flash rust after blasting and washing. ...but you need to dry it off well, or else a white phosphoric "salt" tends to appear.
3.)Tumbler-I have only used it once with marginal results, but will try again.
4.)Electrolosis-I haven't tried it yet, but plan to.

I have also tried the engine degreasers to clean, but they need the heat. A search of the internet showed guys used everything from straight cleaners (Super Kleen, Simple Green & Purple Power). The concensus was Simple Green and Purple Power contained a 2-Buto "something or other" which helps to work without heat. I have found the Super Kleen doesn't seem to break down the greese. It seems to "suspend" it in the water. So I will try those two next. Some guys are using straight solvent or even diesel in there cleaners.

I guess that's half of the fun of this, is trying the different methods out. ...then comes the home plating from Caswell.

Sorry for the long response.

Mark

orange citrus cleaner and a good powerwasher. my 2600 psi honda is 4 sl. works great,enviro ok and mist cools ya off on a hot day. eye prot and heavy boots,pants req. yellow and red tips will take skin right off your body.

for rust i use phosphoric acid, besides soda pop,, its used in auto restore products, my dad was using a citrus based power you mixed with water that work good, not sure what it was,

Always best to scrap off excess before trying to clean, you'll use less cleaner. I keep "big" cardboard sheets in the garage and use as catch mats. You can pick it up and use like a funnel to the trash. Just throw out when they dirty.
If you mixed with water, you will indeed suspend the oil with any detergent. That's a detergent's job. You can "fill up" the detergent and it won't hold any more. It's hard to tell before it's too late. The oil likes the brush more (oleophilic) than the water so it can "pull" the oil out of the detergent water. They actually use that to regenerate some systems.
For home water based grease cleaning I also like "DAWN" dish detergent. You can use it straight and it will take oil stains off concrete. Wear rubber gloves, it deoils the skin too.
Purple or Super Clean are pretty much the same. Spray the uncut cleaner on first, work it, then rinse it. Repeat, if needed. They supply with a refill spray bottle.
The 2 butoxy compounds are typically conjugated ethers and are good solvents/water soluble with not much vapor pressure. There's a whole class of these compounds. They're fairly easy/cheap to make.
They sell commercial washer cleaners in bulk.
Some shops use hexane under trade names for degrease/brake cleaner but it's highly flammable and don't recommend except in the spray cans. Kerosene will work for heavy aged grease deposits. Paint with a stiff brush and rag off. Wear respirator and adequate ventilation - best outside. Depose of the rags properly. Follow up with a water based cleaner.
The halogen cleaners are the best, most expensive, and worst to handle and dispose. That's what they use in large vapor degreasers/tanks. They don't leave residues.

I've used aerosol engine degreaser before to clean my block, which works OK by itself. But I've found scrubbing the solvent into the grease with a long-handled, stiff bristle toilet brush to really speed things along.

I use a diswashing liquid for cleaning my dirty hands after a session in the garage. Brand does not seem to matter much. The liquid cuts the grease and grime and is kinder on your skin than the commercial hand cleaners with abrasives. A little lotion afterwards will leave your sink in good condition.

(o{}o)