yoeddynz Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Ok so I've a general cleaning old motor bike engine parts question Id like advice on but maybe people have some great tips on other cleaning jobs to do with cars. Perhaps you've found the perfect ratio of diesel to pine handy Andy with which to clean your felt head lining spotlessly.. if so then post it here. My query is how best to clean baked on oil off alloy castings on a motor bike engine. I've tried petrol and de-greaser but not much luck. I was wondering about using paint stripper but wanted to check it won't damage the alloy. Any ideas? If I was made of money and had more time I'd take the parts to a engine recon place and get them to clean it but I'd rather find a way I can do it myself. It's not terrible but since the parts are off I might as well try cleaning them. Plus gearboxes etc when they get that oil stained look. Anyone here found something good to clean them with? Maybe something slightly alkaline? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tortron Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Smaller stuff. Boil it in water with some lemon juice or vinegar. Will give that darker aluminium look rather than a bright new look but 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sr2 Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 32 minutes ago, tortron said: Smaller stuff. Boil it in water with some lemon juice or vinegar. Will give that darker aluminium look rather than a bright new look but No.......don't tell me.......Annabel Langbein.....is that you? (Edited to say I use Kero, a ton of elbow grease and a fine wire brush for the burnished Aluminium look). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transom Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 For alloy - cheap oven cleaner in the can spray DO NOT leave it to sit too long. rinse off with water Scrub brush on the stubborn bits and rinse the hell out of it with water or it will etch into the alloy toxic as hell -outdoor use only -catch the runoff and kill gorse with it or something will also remove anodising from alloy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yetchh Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Get one of those sand blaster attachments for your water blaster.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8ball Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Non acid wheel cleaner isnt bad for alloy ive found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoeddynz Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 Oven cleaner.... didn't think of that one. I'll get some and kill gorse too. Then follow it up with torries idea of a lemon wash so it smells nice. The alloy that is.. not the gorse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tortron Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 You have to get the "bad" one. The no fumes one doesn't do the job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73crownwagon Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Put in courier bag send to me I put In my engine reco chems I send back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoeddynz Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 Awesome offer !! however I want to get this m/bike sorted maybe even this weekend plus the bits are not so bad to warrant posting it away. However- you are my new BFF and I shall hope to take you up on your cleaning services offer in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73crownwagon Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Yeh man please do so. I have in my workshop paragon: phenol, dichloromethane. heavy degreaser,paint stripper for aluminium HTP tank: costic hot 70 degree heavy degreaser paint stripper for steel. Alcolox: sodium hydroxide tank for de rusting steel. Hydrochloric acid: for stubborn de rusting 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemi Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Oven cleaner is usually a very strong sodium hydroxide solution with a foaming agent if I remember right. Go to a trade shop and grab water based degreaser, will cost like $30 for 5L then you can use it for anything around the house. As mentioned before it's really really caustic so don't leave it on alloys,copper white or yellow metal. You can then make you own oven cleaner. It's also great for getting that shitty brown stuff on your tyres off. I dilute mine to hell and add bleach, hey presto floor/bathroom cleaner. At the ratios you use it's would take years to get through a bottle of bleach and that stuff. Oh it's the shit for cleaning interiors of cars, vinyl etc , combined with a soft brush it will get all the gross out of the crinkly bits they nothing else seems to touch. Or take up Denhams offer. I don't know what cold dip tanks have in them but years back I was dipping a turbo compressor housing and pulled it out, I dropped it back in and without thinking caught it with my bare hand in the tank. Was in there for less then a couple seconds. Entire hand peeled and my cuticles felt like they were on fire. Nasty nasty stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UTERUS Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Old Dishwashers are great for cleaning car parts. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUNAMUCK Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 I used some bunnings degreaser shit on a mega grotty BMW head. It looked like it had come out of someone's arse. Container said not for aluminium. So I applied it pretty much undiluted from the bottle. Obviously didn't leave it on too long. Head came out looking like it had just been cast. Spotless. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoeddynz Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 Party time at Denhams work..... Huffing and chroming gtfo... Denhams got the good shit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemi Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Oh, baked on Dirt. it might be too far gone , but when im trying to clean down diff housings, inside hubs etc that have been dirty and soaked in oil a long time i usually soak it with diesel and leave a few hour/send the truck on a trip . diesel dont evapourate like petrol/kero does and is really good for breaking it up, esp diff oil and dirt, which im sure everyone can agree is duuummmmbbb trying to remove. might not work, its an option though. same with cleaning diff and gearbox parts, give them a spray of diesel , itll dilute the sticky oil and make the degreaser work much better/faster. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajg193 Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Optimum High Foam milking shed washdown detergent will make the aluminium look like brand new. About 13% sulphuric acid, 13% phosphoric acid and the remainder is some sort of mix of magic and water 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemi Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Oh yeah. phosphoric acid works really well, but i find it leaves the surface susceptible to staining until the oxide layer reforms. Would be ace on stainless no doubt but. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 This stuff burns fucking great holes in you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoeddynz Posted April 6, 2017 Author Share Posted April 6, 2017 Where can one buy acids? Not at New World that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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