What is the best thing to clean off engine parts with ie pistons , crank ect .
Paul
Full Version: Cleaning engine parts
Oddly enough, Cilit Bang - it's moves any crud
QUOTE (honitonhobbit @ Jan 25 2008, 12:06 PM) 
Oddly enough, Cilit Bang - it's moves any crud
Bang and the dirt is gone
It cleans all bare metals beautifully and is cheap. Mr Muscle Bathroom cleaner is good for upholstery...
Thanks ,i am off to tesco 
Get it from Lidl or Aldi
is it better/cheaper than petrol (as a cleaner) ?
I always chuck place the bits into a large bucket of paraffin or parts wash fluid just to get the loose crud off…………..
Final cleaning is done with panel wipe (comes in 5 litre cans) and/or aerosol brake cleaner. Panel wipe is a better degreaser than brake cleaner and in conjunction with a small brush works well.
The aerosol is good for those ‘hard to get to’ areas……….
Final drying is done with an airline……………..
Ian
Final cleaning is done with panel wipe (comes in 5 litre cans) and/or aerosol brake cleaner. Panel wipe is a better degreaser than brake cleaner and in conjunction with a small brush works well.
The aerosol is good for those ‘hard to get to’ areas………. Final drying is done with an airline……………..
Ian
I buy brake cleaner in 5L cans for about £10 and tend to use it on everything as it seems to dissolve anything and doesn't leave a residue.
Thanks to all for advice , i dont have an air line so is it ok just to let them air dry ? i would spray them with wd40 .
Panel wipe is cheaper then brake cleaer when bought in bulk ............... about £6 per gallon..........
WD40 is fine for short term protection, but i would degrease again before the part is refitted. WD40 is essentially lanolin mixed with white spirit.....
When building your engine use a quality build lube ..............like Clevite bearing guard and Comp Cams cam lube...............
Ian
I did use paint thinners but it kept melting my rubber gloves and fumes / explosion risk not so good. Bought a gallon tin of Hyper Clean, really good stuff, washes off with water and doesn't stink / melt everything in sight but was too pricey at £20 
on the side it says 'Contains: Kerosene'.
on the side it says 'Contains: Kerosene'.QUOTE (FridgeFreezer @ Jan 25 2008, 01:05 PM)
I buy brake cleaner in 5L cans for about £10 and tend to use it on everything as it seems to dissolve anything and doesn't leave a residue.
I'll second that
Put it in a plant sprayer for high pressure application 
QUOTE (TomG @ Jan 25 2008, 05:48 PM)
I did use paint thinners but it kept melting my rubber gloves and fumes / explosion risk not so good. Bought a gallon tin of Hyper Clean, really good stuff, washes off with water and doesn't stink / melt everything in sight but was too pricey at £20 on the side it says 'Contains: Kerosene'.
on the side it says 'Contains: Kerosene'.were do you get it
It rather depends on the finish you want to get - just clean, but still stained, clean to bare metal, or clean enough to paint. With steel/cast iron I clean with petrol, then remove rust/old paint with various wire brushes (angle grinder knotted flat wire brush or cup for large areas of steel, smaller wire brushes in an electric drill for the pokey bits), then rinse with brake cleaner or cellulose thinners before priming/painting.
Cast iron (engine block)-
Steam cleaned and then old paint etc removed with various wire brushes-
New core plugs-
Other side, and now ready for engine enamel-
Lick of paint and it's as good as new
Or if you have 'different' tastes
Alloy is different in a few ways. It's softer, so you have to be careful how you clean it - especially gasket faces. Not only does it get oily/dirty, but it oxidises as well, which is only another form of rust, but cleaning it takes more care and therefore more time.
Filthy dirty alloy bit-
I cleaned the parts with petrol, then various brass wire brushes in an electric drill/ by hand to remove dirt and oxidisation, then rinse with brake cleaner or cellulose thinners and paint.
Like I said - it depends on what finish you want. If you just clean something, then you are likely to be promoting faster/more corrosion - so a layer of oily muck would have been preferable if you don't intend to go further than a clean-up.
Cleaning/de-greasing/cleaning again/painting, looks like it takes ages, but that's not the case at all.
I used just petrol to clean internal engine parts and a soft wire brush in an electric drill. Bunging any old chemicals on finely machined surfaces is a really bad idea. Carbon deposits - such as you would find on crankshafts etc, will become dry after being rinsed with petrol and is then easier to remove with soft brushes - by hand or in a drill. Carbon particles are very abrasive, so make sure it's all removed.
Les.
Cast iron (engine block)-
Steam cleaned and then old paint etc removed with various wire brushes-
New core plugs-
Other side, and now ready for engine enamel-
Lick of paint and it's as good as new
Or if you have 'different' tastes
Alloy is different in a few ways. It's softer, so you have to be careful how you clean it - especially gasket faces. Not only does it get oily/dirty, but it oxidises as well, which is only another form of rust, but cleaning it takes more care and therefore more time.
Filthy dirty alloy bit-
I cleaned the parts with petrol, then various brass wire brushes in an electric drill/ by hand to remove dirt and oxidisation, then rinse with brake cleaner or cellulose thinners and paint.
Like I said - it depends on what finish you want. If you just clean something, then you are likely to be promoting faster/more corrosion - so a layer of oily muck would have been preferable if you don't intend to go further than a clean-up.
Cleaning/de-greasing/cleaning again/painting, looks like it takes ages, but that's not the case at all.
I used just petrol to clean internal engine parts and a soft wire brush in an electric drill. Bunging any old chemicals on finely machined surfaces is a really bad idea. Carbon deposits - such as you would find on crankshafts etc, will become dry after being rinsed with petrol and is then easier to remove with soft brushes - by hand or in a drill. Carbon particles are very abrasive, so make sure it's all removed.
Les.
Apparantly putting them in the dish washer works well.
I haven't been brave enough to try it myself!!!
I haven't been brave enough to try it myself!!!
QUOTE (Les Henson @ Jan 25 2008, 06:59 PM)
It rather depends on the finish you want to get - just clean, but still stained, clean to bare metal, or clean enough to paint. With steel/cast iron I clean with petrol, then remove rust/old paint with various wire brushes (angle grinder knotted flat wire brush or cup for large areas of steel, smaller wire brushes in an electric drill for the pokey bits), then rinse with brake cleaner or cellulose thinners before priming/painting.
Cast iron (engine block)-
Steam cleaned and then old paint etc removed with various wire brushes-
New core plugs-
Other side, and now ready for engine enamel-
Lick of paint and it's as good as new
Or if you have 'different' tastes
Alloy is different in a few ways. It's softer, so you have to be careful how you clean it - especially gasket faces. Not only does it get oily/dirty, but it oxidises as well, which is only another form of rust, but cleaning it takes more care and therefore more time.
Filthy dirty alloy bit-
I cleaned the parts with petrol, then various brass wire brushes in an electric drill/ by hand to remove dirt and oxidisation, then rinse with brake cleaner or cellulose thinners and paint.
Like I said - it depends on what finish you want. If you just clean something, then you are likely to be promoting faster/more corrosion - so a layer of oily muck would have been preferable if you don't intend to go further than a clean-up.
Cleaning/de-greasing/cleaning again/painting, looks like it takes ages, but that's not the case at all.
I used just petrol to clean internal engine parts and a soft wire brush in an electric drill. Bunging any old chemicals on finely machined surfaces is a really bad idea. Carbon deposits - such as you would find on crankshafts etc, will become dry after being rinsed with petrol and is then easier to remove with soft brushes - by hand or in a drill. Carbon particles are very abrasive, so make sure it's all removed.
Les.
Your more than welcome to come clean mine Cast iron (engine block)-
Steam cleaned and then old paint etc removed with various wire brushes-
New core plugs-
Other side, and now ready for engine enamel-
Lick of paint and it's as good as new
Or if you have 'different' tastes
Alloy is different in a few ways. It's softer, so you have to be careful how you clean it - especially gasket faces. Not only does it get oily/dirty, but it oxidises as well, which is only another form of rust, but cleaning it takes more care and therefore more time.
Filthy dirty alloy bit-
I cleaned the parts with petrol, then various brass wire brushes in an electric drill/ by hand to remove dirt and oxidisation, then rinse with brake cleaner or cellulose thinners and paint.
Like I said - it depends on what finish you want. If you just clean something, then you are likely to be promoting faster/more corrosion - so a layer of oily muck would have been preferable if you don't intend to go further than a clean-up.
Cleaning/de-greasing/cleaning again/painting, looks like it takes ages, but that's not the case at all.
I used just petrol to clean internal engine parts and a soft wire brush in an electric drill. Bunging any old chemicals on finely machined surfaces is a really bad idea. Carbon deposits - such as you would find on crankshafts etc, will become dry after being rinsed with petrol and is then easier to remove with soft brushes - by hand or in a drill. Carbon particles are very abrasive, so make sure it's all removed.
Les.
You pay me and I will!
Les.
Les.
QUOTE (wkw90 @ Jan 25 2008, 06:43 PM)
were do you get it
From a local industrial supplies place, not huge choice up here but will have a hunt about for something a bit less spendy. Wondered if raw Kerosene would do the same job?
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