Best Degreaser??
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
Best Degreaser??
hi all
I have a lot of cleaning up to do on the underside of the '78 project car. Even with ever limited milage on the car it still has 27 years of grease, dirt, etc all built up on everything and I want to get it looking as good as possible, not to mention needed to get all that crud off the areas I'll need to wirebrust sruface rust away and repaint.
I don't have a pressure washer and the car is not currently driveable to take it somewhere so I'm looking for any suggestions people have for the best degreaser they have found to get rid of all the crud. Simple green ain't gonna cut it on this job!
I know brake cleaner sparyed on usually gets rid of dirst and grease real well but two things hold me back from that and looking for other ideas. It would take CASES of brake cleaner spray cans to clean this up and it's not good to get brake cleaner on rubber parts like the bushings, hoses, etc.
so........ anyone find anything that cuts thru grease well that I can do in the garage?
I have a lot of cleaning up to do on the underside of the '78 project car. Even with ever limited milage on the car it still has 27 years of grease, dirt, etc all built up on everything and I want to get it looking as good as possible, not to mention needed to get all that crud off the areas I'll need to wirebrust sruface rust away and repaint.
I don't have a pressure washer and the car is not currently driveable to take it somewhere so I'm looking for any suggestions people have for the best degreaser they have found to get rid of all the crud. Simple green ain't gonna cut it on this job!
I know brake cleaner sparyed on usually gets rid of dirst and grease real well but two things hold me back from that and looking for other ideas. It would take CASES of brake cleaner spray cans to clean this up and it's not good to get brake cleaner on rubber parts like the bushings, hoses, etc.
so........ anyone find anything that cuts thru grease well that I can do in the garage?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
From: Santee CA
Costco here in San Diego had this stuff called Oil Eater degreaser. It's not the fastest thing to use to clean up parts, but it does the job. 
According to the side of the container, you're supposed to use it in a 50/50 mix with water; we used it straight and sprayed it on most of the underside of the car when we were taking the power steering valve out, which was loaded with road grime and excess grease.
Sprayed that on, let it soak for a little bit, come back and spray it some more, and used a putty knife to scrape away most of what was left. Greasy gunk came off really easily with it.
According to the side of the container, you're supposed to use it in a 50/50 mix with water; we used it straight and sprayed it on most of the underside of the car when we were taking the power steering valve out, which was loaded with road grime and excess grease.
Sprayed that on, let it soak for a little bit, come back and spray it some more, and used a putty knife to scrape away most of what was left. Greasy gunk came off really easily with it.
Last edited by Sprzout; Mar 6, 2006 at 02:45 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,675
Likes: 13
From: Sudbury MA
When I did this job on my 68 I used 2 products, separately not mixed together. Castrol Super Clean (purple stuff) and Simple Green. Both are available in most hardware stores and Simple Green is available in grocery stores. Castrol is very strong so don't leave it on to long or it might stain finished surfaces . Simple Green is a little less agressive. I degreased my entire engine compartment using Castrol full strength and a garden hose to rinse it off. Engine was out and it cleaned everything up perfectly. Sprayed it on, let it sit a few minutes and then hosed it off. Real stubborn grease may require slight brushing with a bristle brush or parts cleaning brush. You can buy gallon jugs of refill so you need not buy the spray bottles each time.
Kurt
Kurt
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,268
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota in the summer, Las Vegas in the winter
Do you have a friend in the restaurant or food business? If so, they have access to some excellent heavy duty degreasers. They will run about $15 per gallon or so but they are concentrated. You will get a lot of cleaning for that $15...... 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,347
Likes: 9
From: Salinas Ca.
Originally Posted by Sprzout
Costco here in San Diego had this stuff called Oil Eater degreaser. It's not the fastest thing to use to clean up parts, but it does the job.
According to the side of the container, you're supposed to use it in a 50/50 mix with water; we used it straight and sprayed it on most of the underside of the car when we were taking the power steering valve out, which was loaded with road grime and excess grease.
Sprayed that on, let it soak for a little bit, come back and spray it some more, and used a putty knife to scrape away most of what was left. Greasy gunk came off really easily with it.
According to the side of the container, you're supposed to use it in a 50/50 mix with water; we used it straight and sprayed it on most of the underside of the car when we were taking the power steering valve out, which was loaded with road grime and excess grease.
Sprayed that on, let it soak for a little bit, come back and spray it some more, and used a putty knife to scrape away most of what was left. Greasy gunk came off really easily with it.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
cool, thanks for the suggestions guys. looks like there are a lot of good choices out there.
The motor is going to be pulled also so I'll need to clean that up before repainting it also besides doing the chassis and suspension parts under the car (and engine bay).
Simple green works OK as long as it's not too thick so I'll also go out and try some of the other producted suggested and see what works well.
The motor is going to be pulled also so I'll need to clean that up before repainting it also besides doing the chassis and suspension parts under the car (and engine bay).
Simple green works OK as long as it's not too thick so I'll also go out and try some of the other producted suggested and see what works well.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 691
Likes: 69
From: Juneau AK
Is there any chance you could rent a pressure washer? They're not so expensive to rent as you might think) If you want to make short work of a nasty job, rent a pressure washer with heat. Add some Castrol Super Clean (the afore mentioned Purple Stuff) and you can blow away grease fast.
I just sprayed the Purple Stuff on and let it sit for about 15 minutes and then sprayed it again. Then I fired up the pressure washer and blew out the bottom from front to back. Mine was a mess from a double valve cover gasket that had leaked oil down the block over the starter and then blew back down the trans tunnel all over the differential.
kdlp
I just sprayed the Purple Stuff on and let it sit for about 15 minutes and then sprayed it again. Then I fired up the pressure washer and blew out the bottom from front to back. Mine was a mess from a double valve cover gasket that had leaked oil down the block over the starter and then blew back down the trans tunnel all over the differential.
kdlp
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
kdlp
i might be able to rent on and it would be a great idea except for one little detail.
I have to work on the car IN the garage, I can't roll it out to the driveway. The motor is torn apart and the block is getting pulled in a week or so hopefully. My driveway leading up to the garage is VERY steep so even if I pushed the car outside to work on it I would never be able to push her back up the hill to get it back in the garage afterwards.
It's going to be a complete mess messing on degreasing her in the garage and I'm not looking forward to the job but it's the only possible place. I figure the best I can do is put down painters masking paper on the garage floor under the car to catch all the mess and change it a lot. Even hosing it down with a regular garden hose is going to be a problem and most likely not feasible.
i might be able to rent on and it would be a great idea except for one little detail.
I have to work on the car IN the garage, I can't roll it out to the driveway. The motor is torn apart and the block is getting pulled in a week or so hopefully. My driveway leading up to the garage is VERY steep so even if I pushed the car outside to work on it I would never be able to push her back up the hill to get it back in the garage afterwards.
It's going to be a complete mess messing on degreasing her in the garage and I'm not looking forward to the job but it's the only possible place. I figure the best I can do is put down painters masking paper on the garage floor under the car to catch all the mess and change it a lot. Even hosing it down with a regular garden hose is going to be a problem and most likely not feasible.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 691
Likes: 69
From: Juneau AK
Originally Posted by BarryK
I figure the best I can do is put down painters masking paper on the garage floor under the car to catch all the mess and change it a lot.
Unlike paper (even plasticized paper) that sheeting is tough enough to walk all over and not have to worry about it ripping/leaking.
You're still going to end up with a mess, but it might help you manage it a bit. And I still think that Castrol Purple stuff is the best grease breaker I've ever used. And don't forget goggles, a hat and gloves...
Good Luck and keep reminding yourself that "this is fun...this is fun..."
I'll tell you that doing what you're about to do and doing battle with my trailing arm bolts were the two most unpleasant things I've done while doing a body-off.
kdlp
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 38
From: Space Coast Gator Territory
I did mine with the body off in a garage on 35 gallon drums. With a plastic drop cloth under the car, go to work scraping the heavy stuff off with a putty knife and use a wire brush when necessary. After a thorough job of scraping, wet a rag with engine degreaser and start wiping. After everything is degreased, it is time to wipe everything down with lacquer thinner. Be sure to have the garage well ventilated during this process. After the lacquer thinner, I wiped everything again with a pre paint cleaner like Prepsol or PreKleeno. This is a good time to do any body work like repairing seams that have seperated and the like. Next, I painted everything with PPG DP90LF and DP401 hardner. This is an epoxy primer that applies well with a brush and with good flow characteristics. Only mix what you can brush on in about 15 minutes and measure the hardner exactly for consistent sheen. The more hardner the higher the gloss. A satin finish will be easier to clean and closer to factory. Don't make it too nice or you won't want to drive it. Did I say wear gloves and a hat for this job.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
hmmm, not a bad idea. I didn't think of plastic to cover the walls and stuff. I have an entire huge roll of the plastic that the paint shops use to cover cars and I could definitely use that to cover stuff. It's not strong enough to handle a pressure washer but a regular hose spray it should handle.
i knew this jod wasn't going to be pleasant but your telling me just how bad it is isn't helping make looking forward to it any easier
I figure after I degrease and clean, than I need to get the wirebrush disks fir my drill and get rid of all the surface rust and flaking paint on the frint of the frame and front suspension, hose all that down again to rinnse off the dust it will create, than paint it all. it won't be fun I know but at least with the motor out i'll have much easier access and can climb right inside the engine bay to work.
i knew this jod wasn't going to be pleasant but your telling me just how bad it is isn't helping make looking forward to it any easier
I figure after I degrease and clean, than I need to get the wirebrush disks fir my drill and get rid of all the surface rust and flaking paint on the frint of the frame and front suspension, hose all that down again to rinnse off the dust it will create, than paint it all. it won't be fun I know but at least with the motor out i'll have much easier access and can climb right inside the engine bay to work.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
Red
thanks for the tips, they will be very useful!
I don't have the luxury of the body off on this project but luckily the only areas of the frame that need work are from the firewall forward. Everything past the firewall actually looks very good and just needs a good degreasing and cleaning but almost zero surface rust except in one or two small spots. Forward of the firewall is mostly in the front crossmember and front suspension areas so while it won't be fun, at least I think the job is managable
thanks for the tips, they will be very useful!
I don't have the luxury of the body off on this project but luckily the only areas of the frame that need work are from the firewall forward. Everything past the firewall actually looks very good and just needs a good degreasing and cleaning but almost zero surface rust except in one or two small spots. Forward of the firewall is mostly in the front crossmember and front suspension areas so while it won't be fun, at least I think the job is managable
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,269
Likes: 3
From: St. Charles IL
Cruise-In 5-6-7-8-9-11-12 Veteran
A CI-6 Car Show Winner
If you don't care about paint possibly coming off, easy-off oven cleaner will really do a number on your worse spots. Spray it on, wait, hose it off. Try to keep spray mist off your skin, and certainly out of your eyes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
From: Santee CA
Originally Posted by Big Fish
If you don't care about paint possibly coming off, easy-off oven cleaner will really do a number on your worse spots. Spray it on, wait, hose it off. Try to keep spray mist off your skin, and certainly out of your eyes.
I hadn't thought of using oven cleaner to get it off; that'd definitely do it.
However, if you use oven cleaner, MAKE SURE YOU USE GLOVES!!! Oven cleaner is very caustic and can give you nasty chemical burns on your hands. It's a highly basic solution on the pH scale; if you start to feel a slippery solution on your skin, rinse immediately and keep it on. I have a mild chemical burn scar on my forearm from this stuff, so I don't want anyone to feel the same way I did from it.
If you do use it, sprinkle some vinegar over where you think you've got any drips/spills to help neutralize the base. A good way to tell that you've got it is that if you put it on and it fizzes, you haven't neutralized it fully yet. Once it stops fizzing, you're good.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,529
Likes: 27
From: Auburndale Florida
2025 C2 of the Year ('64-'66) Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '03-'05-'06-'07-'09
Well here in Florida we recyle our blue roof tarps for jobs like this
Kittly liter or oil dry work great for soaking up solvents, grease and cleaners.
Put down the blue tarps, plastic sheeting over that, clean and scrup, throw down the kitty liter to soak up the mess, gather up the plastic sheeting and dispose of properly. Round 2...more plastic sheeting....scrup..kitty liter....and so on...
It ain't no fun....
Kittly liter or oil dry work great for soaking up solvents, grease and cleaners.
Put down the blue tarps, plastic sheeting over that, clean and scrup, throw down the kitty liter to soak up the mess, gather up the plastic sheeting and dispose of properly. Round 2...more plastic sheeting....scrup..kitty liter....and so on...
It ain't no fun....
