What cleaning fluid do you use to clean engine "parts"

[Terry]

I have the top end off of my truck. I have been using kerosene to clean the parts but I am running out and it is not cost effective to by more just to clean parts. My dad used to use diesel fuel due to its flash point. I won't waste my money on a bunch of rattle cans of engine cleaner. What do you use to clean engine parts?

 

[merace19]

diesel works good. And I like a pair of rubber gloves when messing with it.
But if you got a pressure washer, blast away. Just spray some WD 40 on it and lube the cyclinder walls with engine oil.
I have taken entire engines apart and blasted them with the pressure washer. The soap I like to use is that purple stuff. Soak for minute or so and blast away.
Can even haul the parts to a local car wash to do that. Just try not to have a lot of oil on the parts. The EPA gets bent out of shape over that.

 

[daniel3507]

Oven cleaner

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

diesel works good. And I like a pair of rubber gloves when messing with it.
But if you got a pressure washer, blast away. Just spray some WD 40 on it and lube the cyclinder walls with engine oil.
I have taken entire engines apart and blasted them with the pressure washer. The soap I like to use is that purple stuff. Soak for minute or so and blast away.
Can even haul the parts to a local car wash to do that. Just try not to have a lot of oil on the parts. The EPA gets bent out of shape over that.

Hot water makes a HUGE difference on getting grease off. Be forwarned you will transfer much of the grease from the engine to you so if you drive somewhere to do it I wouldn't take dad's new truck.

I use the foaming engine cleaner, hit it with the pressure washer and repeat that until it is clean. Then I either hit it with brake cleaner and an airgun to dry it so I can paint it or put on a good light oil for storage (not WD-45, I prefer Conlin Luboil because it actually sticks around for a long time)

 

[AllanD]

IF I can get it my first choice is something called "Mineral spirits"

Mineral spirits is the low volitility & higher flashpoint component
of "Kerosene".

Way back when John D. Rockefeller was looking to corner the petroleum market
he established standards to make kerosene a safer more consistant product
(if you want everyone to buy YOUR product it generally makes it easier if
you have a clearly better product)

Diesel fuel can be more difficult to rinse away then Kero or mineral spirits
If Diesel fuel will completely evaporate away I've never witnessed it myself

Mineral spirits is harder to ignite

But Kerosene will evaporate completely away if given a chance

Aerosol "engine cleaners" are either Kerosene or mineral spirits based anyway.

 

[Terry]

How much difference is there between kerosene and diesel fuel?

 

[Brownie Mobile]

I'm on a budget as well i like to wash things that i can with HOT water and soap with light scrubbing on parts not enough to scratch it but enough to get that caked in stuff off, i dont do this with everything just with things that will allow it. For the other things i use something called acryliclean which will take your skin off if you handle it too much, i think its called dx 410 as well i use that because my dad has a few gallons so its very cost effective and gets the job done awesomely but i also end up buying some break cleaner or carb cleaner every couple weeks because the spray factor is nice.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

How much difference is there between kerosene and diesel fuel?

Diesel is kerosene with oil in it, how much depends the location on the time of year (right now not as much as in the summer)

I haven't priced it lately but Kero is usually much more expensive than diesel.

We mainly just use diesel to flush things out, like transmission cases (for geardrive tractors and combines)

 

[70roadrunner]

all of the above have worked great for me. hot water with dish soap and a scrub brush is probably the cheapest. for final assembly i use starting fluid to clean gasket surfaces, it evaporates rapidly and leaves no residue

 

[PanamaExpat]

I built an electrolytic dipping tank out of an old bathtub. Removes rust, grease and even paint. If you have a battery charger or DC arc welder you are in the game. Then all you need is some old steel and a big box of baking soda. I plan on publishing a thread with photos. So far I have done almost my whole truck with it. The bath tub is large enough you can get an entire traction beam in. If you are really interested I'll publish what I have so far and put in the pics.

 

[4.0B2]

I use wash thinner... it's basically grade B laquer thinner that you can buy by the 55 gallon drum decently cheap (if you're a shop and need that much..) idk if you can buy smaller amounts of it or not?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

for final assembly i use starting fluid to clean gasket surfaces, it evaporates rapidly and leaves no residue

Brake cleaner is just as effective and about the same price for 4x the can.

 

[Terry]

I built an electrolytic dipping tank out of an old bathtub. Removes rust, grease and even paint. If you have a battery charger or DC arc welder you are in the game. Then all you need is some old steel and a big box of baking soda. I plan on publishing a thread with photos. So far I have done almost my whole truck with it. The bath tub is large enough you can get an entire traction beam in. If you are really interested I'll publish what I have so far and put in the pics.

Post up some pictures.

 

[bobbywalter]

all of the above have worked great for me. hot water with dish soap and a scrub brush is probably the cheapest. for final assembly i use starting fluid to clean gasket surfaces, it evaporates rapidly and leaves no residue

actually most starting fluids have lubes in them and appear to leave no residue...thus a film thats almost imperceptible ....but it wipes up easy enough and is rarely an issue with sealing surfaces.


use plate glass and tack cloth and compare directly brake cleaner to starting fluid...


just get more kero....most cost effective solvent i can buy where i live.

 

[Terry]

Where do you look for kerosene that is not the fuel grade for heaters. I found the fuel grade at home depot etc... but its like ten to twenty dollars a gallon