[Ingersoll444]

Well, im my rebuild of my 444, I am uncovering a TON of crud. Oil, sludge, grass, etc. What kind of cleaner do you all use to clean the real nasty stuff? Not to concerend about the paint. What is there is already pretty fadded, or chipped, just want to get the crud out. I don't have a pressure washer, so what ever has to work with a hose. Any tips for me??

 

[Argee]

Originally posted by Ingersoll444
Well, im my rebuild of my 444, I am uncovering a TON of crud. Oil, sludge, grass, etc. What kind of cleaner do you all use to clean the real nasty stuff? Not to concerend about the paint. What is there is already pretty fadded, or chipped, just want to get the crud out. I don't have a pressure washer, so what ever has to work with a hose. Any tips for me??

Mineral spirits (paint thinner) and an old stiff bristled paint brush will do wonders.

 

[slipshod]

Paul

Maybe you could get the wife to do the clean up for you. I know mine would.

 

[guest]

the simple green stuff works ok or i use the castrol simple green ripoff they sell at walmart except its purple. It works pretty well for breaking down grease and stuff..

 

[archyb2]

I'd scrape off the worst then spray it with "GUNK" (carb cleaner) let that set for 2 or 3 hrs. it washes off with a garden hose
Archie

 

[Ed_GT5000]

I also vote for Simple Green. Good stuff I use it at work and at home a lot. It will discolor paint if used full strength. but is non toxic and nonflamable.

 

[tisenberg]

Foam Bright... or something like that. You spray it on the engine, it foams up and it kills off gunk great. I like to do it when the engine is warm... but not hot.

There is another product... power foam... or something like that, you spray into the intake, another nice product.

I'm sure someone will correct me on the real name of Foam Bright. It's in a blue can with white writing and they sell it at automotive stores and it is intended to clean the outside components of engines.

 

[wheely_boy]

My vote goes for Simple Green. It does a good job cutting through grease and you don't have to worry about environmental issues. It is not oil based.

 

[slipshod]

brake clean

$1.49 a can and it moves grease.

 

[leolav]

I use the same stuff that John uses. That purple stuff is pretty good at getting down to the clean stuff quick.

Elbow grease don't hurt much either.

 

[guest]

also i used the 'orange scented' Gunk engine cleaner. i used that over the traditional because the orange one did not say it would destroy the paint if it got on it... that and the Castrol simple purple stuff worked well for me.

 

[johnbron]

:bull:

You guys are wasting your money on that stuff you are buying. It seems like I am almost daily cleaning parts and I have tried all the brands mentioned above with pissed off results. One day I was at the dollar store and seen "Oven-Cleaner" on the shelf and thought HMMmm!!, Wonder how this would remove grease for paint prep?, I have never used anything else since. It does an excellent job and its cheaper than the so-called grease cleaners. Of course there is no short cuts on 1/2" thick dirt/grease buildup. You still have to scrape the loose gunk off prior to spraying cleaner on. Spray oven cleaner on and let sit for 5-to-15 minutes and then hose off and its ready to paint when dry.

 

[leolav]

The stuff were recomending is strictly for cleanup. We are not prepping for repaint in most cases. As far as oven cleaner for pre-paint, that will lead to a nasty case of fisheye on you paint if painting for looks.

I would use PPG DX330 or DX394 for wax and grease remover. Does a great job and is paintable once finish is cleaned and dried

 

[johnbron]

Originally posted by leolav
The stuff were recomending is strictly for cleanup. We are not prepping for repaint in most cases. As far as oven cleaner for pre-paint, that will lead to a nasty case of fisheye on you paint if painting for looks.

I would use PPG DX330 or DX394 for wax and grease remover. Does a great job and is paintable once finish is cleaned and dried

I just took it for grantit that Paul would be repainting after all the work he has put in it as he mentioned that he was not worried about harming the paint while cleaning.

I just painted my Cub after cleaning with oven-off and I sure dont see any fish-eyes swimming around in my paint job or any of the other paint jobs I have done after being de-greased with oven-cleaner.

 

[leolav]

What type of paint are you using? Are you also spraying clear?

You must be doing a heck of a cleaning job to get the oven cleaner off. That has a heavy solvent base that breaks down the grease. DX394 is water based and works super fast. Spray on, wipe off. It is pricey, but it is the best i've seen out there. I don't doubt your paint came out fine, but the chance of fisheye and other adhesion issues is greater when using an oven cleaner vs grease and wax remover.

Also, if you have any silicon based products (armor all, etc) and get that on the paint, you need a high alcohol based cleaner to get that off. Oven cleaner won't touch that.

Just adding my $.02.

LL

 

[johnbron]

:skull: Well Leo you got my curiousity up thinking solvents would not be a tasty residue in an oven so I checked the ingredients on oven cleaner can and I see no mention of solvents on can. It only mentions (Danger) Contains sodium hydroxide->(Lye). I use it because it is cheap and easy to apply and hose off. Burns the hell out of your nose though if you aren`t careful.

 

[wheely_boy]

Try this. Find your wifes finest linens, the ones you use at Thanksgiving dinner, and use them to wipe the dirt off of the offending item. After you do this, give them back to your wife for cleaning. This method is guaranteed to end ALL of your problems.

 

[leolav]

I believe that the propelants are what cause the issues.

 

[Argee]

The nice thing about mineral spirits (it's the base solvent in parts cleaning solutions) is that you can 1/2 fill a drain pan and wash your parts off. Let the solids settle and pour off the top solvent into another drain pan and reuse. You can do this over and over and over. When done put the usable solvent back into a suitable container and reuse on a future project.

 

[leolav]

Most people don't realize that alot of solvents evaporate very quickly. Another thing to remember when prepping for paint is to use lint free (super clean) clothes. This will prevent dust "boogers" from causing issues when you paint.