Better degreaser than GUNK???
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 496
Likes: 0
From: Valparaiso Indiana
Better degreaser than GUNK???
Trying to remove 23 years of grease and crud from the under-carriage of my '82. It's thick! Car is up on jack stands for the winter so steam cleaning won't be a possibility although I have one I can borrow. Laying under the car with a putty knife, I went through 12 cans of foam gunk and 5 cans of brake cleaner. Got dirty-got "high" off brake cleaner fumes, but crud is still there. Especially in hard to reach crevices. Heard oven cleaner works but eats paint. Anybody got a great recommendation for something that really soaks in an lifts the crud so it can be rinsed away?
Bill
Bill
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 7
From: Ontario
I found that the job went faster by starting dry....just wire brushes and puddy knifes. The more you can take off dry, the better. Then I used several applications of de-greasers with nylon brushes, then finished up with SOS pads. Final product was great.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
That stuff won't come off without mussles, wire brush, scraper and again a brush. The engine cleaner and degreaser from AutoZone or Discount Auto are not bad at all, you just have to brush it in and scrape.....
It took 23 years to build up, can't just spray and see it going away....
Get a fan for the fumes, the brake cleaner is terrible
It took 23 years to build up, can't just spray and see it going away....
Get a fan for the fumes, the brake cleaner is terrible
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,577
Likes: 2
From: Long Island New York
Castrol Super Clean is the best stuff I've ever used. It really dissolves the gease and grime very easily with very little elbow grease needed.The only drawback is the fumes, they can be pretty hard on the lungs, you must use it in a well ventilated area and stay upwind of it when spraying it. Nothing I've ever used cleans like this stuff, it is amazing.
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Cheap and then you are to the detail point 
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,508
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
Originally Posted by youwish2bme
Greased Lightening is the best degreaser that I have found you can get it at Lowes OR Home Depot. Dave..
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,720
Likes: 12
From: Chattanooga TN
Originally Posted by supervette77
Castrol Super Clean is the best stuff I've ever used. It really dissolves the gease and grime very easily with very little elbow grease needed.The only drawback is the fumes, they can be pretty hard on the lungs, you must use it in a well ventilated area and stay upwind of it when spraying it. Nothing I've ever used cleans like this stuff, it is amazing.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
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i used simple green first and then greased lighting, i really it took me about 6 hours and three differnet days to fininsh, wish i had only used greased lighting. it took the areas that simple green couldn't get and "melted them the first time" i used a pressure washer with hot water...
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i cleaned under there again and then stared to brush on my paint, wait untill you start painting, i must have 13 hours in it to already and it needs another 2 or 3 hours.. good luck!
[/IMG] i used simple green first and then greased lighting, i really it took me about 6 hours and three differnet days to fininsh, wish i had only used greased lighting. it took the areas that simple green couldn't get and "melted them the first time" i used a pressure washer with hot water...
[IMG]
[/IMG] i cleaned under there again and then stared to brush on my paint, wait untill you start painting, i must have 13 hours in it to already and it needs another 2 or 3 hours.. good luck!
Last edited by bobs77vet; Nov 23, 2004 at 09:18 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,472
Likes: 18
From: Lake Ozark, MO
I just did the same on my 78. After numerous cans of Gunk, I used a power washer with the "pencil" beam water stream. Blew the thick clumped grease away in no time. Worked good too for taking off old engine bay paint that the previous owner had gotten all over stuff that wasn't supposed to be painted black.......
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
Originally Posted by 1978shark
Not to hi-jack this post but Bob77, how did you go about getting your car on the jackstands? Did you raise one side at a time or front to back? One click per jackstand per side? Just curious.
long frame jack- 3' lift capacity, huge top quality jack stands, and an odd number of jackings from the center of the frame rails...1 drivers side to 14", 2 pass side to 18", 3 drivers side to 18" etc. etc. etc. you have to do it incrementally... and same with lowering it
Florida turtle advocate
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,280
Likes: 6
From: Gulfcoast Salvage Englewood, Fla
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Gunk used to be a good product but it's junk now... Any of the purple stuff is better.. I guess the folks at gunk didn't think we'd notice....
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 88,393
Likes: 2
From: eville in
Originally Posted by Daffy427
Gunk used to be a good product but it's junk now... Any of the purple stuff is better.. I guess the folks at gunk didn't think we'd notice....
it used to be flammable (if it hit open flame)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,472
Likes: 18
From: Lake Ozark, MO
Saw something in this thread that concerns me...what is the deal with the "precision" jacking of the car? If I don't do this will something torque or crack? I've just been jacking the car up anywhere there is support ........to do what I need to do. Never heard this before. If it is all precautionary well, that's ok too.