Cleaning and Detailing

Wondering what (low budget) methods people have used successfully, and relatively quickly[:I][?]

For quick and dirty I use Simple Green however, I need something that gets the crud off quicker and easier so I can get to painting or plating parts without so much labor. I try not to use an abrasive brush or scraper, but rather soft bristle and plastic scraper so as not to scratch anything.

Brake Cleaner I know works well but hoping to find something as effective but less toxic[xx(]...Any ideas?

Francis E. Abate

The gear heads who rent shop space near me use either Kerosene or Diesel in their parts cleaner. It's cheap and lasts a long time but does smell a bit.



With best regards

Al
1970 Mercedes Benz 280SL California Coupe
1971 Mercedes Benz 250CE (RHD in the UK)
1971 Mercedes Benz 300SEL 6.3
1972 Mercedes Benz 280CE 4 speed
1973 Mercedes Benz 280CE 4 speed
1973 Mercedes Benz 350SE 4 speed
1979 Mercedes Benz 450SEL 6.9
1981 Mercedes Benz 500SLC
1984 Mercedes Benz 500SEC
1987 Mercedes Benz 560SEC
1988 Mercedes Benz 560SEC Euro
1991 Mercedes Benz 560SEL
1973 GMC LWB Pickup
2006 Adidas Samba

Cleaning technique depends upon the crud to be cleaned.
Steel or aluminum or cad plate or painted?
Cheap cleaning is a good pastime, keeps me occupied.

Soft oily crud, like the front of the motor, power steering pulley leakage, can be blasted off with pressure from a hose (use the 1/8" nozzle) and scrubbing with simple green stuff.

Hard dried caked like on the block which has seen many heat cycles,
cooks off the hydrocarbons leaving the carbon.
is best scraped with dull tools then repeated applications of cleaner, brushings, water, dry, wd40 to re-soak the cake to soften and repeat. Some engine blocks take 4 cycles to get clean the carbon caked into the corners.

Front end grease can be first scraped and softened the same, About 4 hours per side while in the car, Rear axle pinion seal leak slime goo is a nightmare, another 4 hours on your back.

Most of the crud must be manually cleaned first. Solvents work best if the majority is gone.

Solvents now, I use the cleaners available from a restaurant supply,
General de-greaser, deep fat fryer cleaners, stainless steel hood
cleaners, all caustic based. (not for die cast zinc/alum or aluminum cast) The restaurant supply will have spray bottles, (don't breathe these chems stay upwind) the truck supply place has a good variety of brushes.

Aluminum parts are a whole different subject, Lets hear from the others. avoid bead blasting. I saw a perfect restoration once and the most horrible looking bead blasted valve cover negative points. Shoulda polished it.

My Brazilian Pepper tree loves all these chemicals and the flood of water blast. Most of the time the pressure washer sits idle. I wish for a real steam cleaner from the old days dangerous but works well.

Brian O.

Brian - I am working on the air bellow housings and their pistons now. The pistons are zinc plated and the housing are some type of metal which is painted red...I guess it is heavy guage sheet metal?

So the question is would I scratch up either of these items with a stiff metal brush or scraper, and if so stick with the solvents and soft approaches?

Francis E. Abate

Any part you're going to have powder coated, like a steel rim or those red metal air bellows cans should probably just be degreased and then handed to the powder coat guy pretty much as-is. He'd be blasting it and immediately coating it.

Simple green is the best degreaser you're going to find in bulk. Presuming you can find somebody to sell you the 3 gallon drums of it.

Don't leave an alloy part soaking in it too long. The fine particles of dirt will discolor the dirt. I have an oil filter housing with a dark black band on it because I got distracted and left it soaking in pure simple green for a day or two before I got back to it.

HTH -CTH

For the bellows retainer ring and hardware, just send it to the plater after a clean with spray degreaser. For the metal tanks, kerosene or degreaser, a toothbrush and a household scourer. You won't damage that red paint unless you are very rough.
Art

Art, I don't have a plater nearby and with time and money against me will either do it myself (tin zinc kits by Eastwood), use a high temp paint to match, or not at all. The metal tanks in red look almost new[:D]

Francis E. Abate

In that case, clean them up with kero or degreaser, a scourer, fine sand paper or whatever and paint them with rust inhibiting paint. Temperature is not an issue where they are. This is what I use in those circumstances.




Art

Despite the name, Purple Power works great. Follow the directions to avoid problems. I like it better than Simple Green and it is less expensive.
For the under carriage, and some parts I have hooked up my pressure washer to the hot water supply and had some good results using one of the broader tips. You have to be sensible about painted surfaces, though.
If you have not tried Eastwood's Rust Dissolver, I would recommend it.

jim