Parts Cleaning

[EricG]

I got the knuckles pulled off of the mini-truck axle yesterday - very nasty job, but everything looks to be in good shape. I've been thinking about wimping out on the parts cleaning and taking them somewhere to get hot tanked. An y recommendation?

Also - can you separate mini truck birfs from axles the same way you do on an 80 ... pipe trick , or putting it in a vice and beating on the center with a brass drift?

Thanks!
Eric

 

[Goslow]

Transmission shops have cleaners. They put whole trans cases and parts in them and they are very effective.

 

[black95]

I sprayed my parts with engine degreaser and took them to the local car wash. Power washer is pretty effective, but you end up wearing a lot of the grease. Be kind and spray all the nasty stuff into the drain.

 

[minisrule]

Yes, the pipe trick works on mini truck birfs also.

 

[anthonyz]

power purple(like 5 bucks a gallon @ walmart) works amazing/ wash under youre hood while you're at it.

 

[azcromntic]

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[EricG]

Yea, I got some stuff like that at Harbor Freight last week - haven't tried it yet. I took the mini truck knuckles to Lee's Machine Shop yesterday. We'll see how they do. I've still got plenty to clean on my own with the donor axle tubes, rear axle teardown, etc. etc.

 

[LCPilot]

The Army did a test on Simple Green a couple of years ago. They kept records on vehicles and made sure that only certain cleaners were used on specific vehicles. They found that the vehicles cleaned with Simple Green rusted faster that those that used other cleaner/degreasers. They found that the stuff had salt that bonded on the surface and attracted moisture and caused rust. The Air Force has banned its use on aircraft since it disolves aluminum. I could nof find the Army report. but here is a link to read.

Frequently Asked Questions
Simple Green and Alu [Archive] - Bike Forums

I didn't like the way it wouldn't wash off cleanly.

Use gasoline as a degreaser! When it catches fire it melts that old grease of quickly! LOL!
Now someone will take me seriously.

 

[EricG]

Yea, I got some stuff like that at Harbor Freight last week - haven't tried it yet. I took the mini truck knuckles to Lee's Machine Shop yesterday. We'll see how they do. I've still got plenty to clean on my own with the donor axle tubes, rear axle teardown, etc. etc.

Got the parts back on Friday - $20 and the stuff looks great. That's money well spent!

 

[Man Jerk]

$20 is a steal. I pay that much making it up to my wife the fact that there is grease all over the garage, the door knobs, the washing machine, the kitchen sink, the children, etc. Nice to know.

 

[azcromntic]

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[anthonyz]

don't think theres any good way to hot tank a engine bay friend/ lol
its the power washer for u and I with that power purp!