Degreasing knuckles

[java]

i am in the middle of rebuilding the front of my toyota, i was wondering what you guys have done to clean up the knucles, i am having a hell of a time trying to get the old dirt and grease and **** off the knuckles. anyone have any easy way to do it? i was thinking of soaking them in diesel but dont know how well itll really work. ive gone thru a can on brake cleaner and you cant hardly tell. anyone have a soak tank or parts washer in the seattle area i could use? thanks for any ideas:beer:

 

[Pat]

I use simple green and an assortment of wire brushes and scrapers. For really bad stuff I bust out a grinder or drill with brushing attachments. I really want a solvent tank too. I've found simple green undiluted works as well as a lot of degreasers but its non-toxic, no harsh fumes.

 

[Rix]

ask around your local repair shops, see if they have a hot tank, and would be willing to clean them for you.
If you were in tacoma, I could do it.

 

[java]

maybe ill try a couple gallons of simple green in a bucket...... any more ideas? none of the shops around here are being friendly.

 

[billy12360]

regular unleaded gas is what ive used for grease removal.... but it may be a bit to expencive for you to just dump into a bucket for that.... hold on let me check the garge.. weve got some parts cleaner down there that weve used on a few different parts.... but cant rember the name... ill edit it into this one...

edit: its called water washable degreaser made by united labratorys[i think my dad got it from work...]

this is the link to it

http://www.unitedlabsinc.com/usa/catalog/shopexd.asp?id=853

and this is the link to solivent based cleaners by united labs.

http://www.unitedlabsinc.com/usa/catalog/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=11&cat=Degreasers+%2D+Solvent%2DBased&nodeid=id16

and some water based

http://www.unitedlabsinc.com/usa/catalog/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=12&cat=Degreasers+%2D+Water%2DBased&nodeid=id17

 

[cheesemaker]

I used stuff called Orange Magic! I snagged some from work and I just kept it in a 5 gallon bucket and used a bunch of those little wire brushes. Works really good, and is really easy on the hands. I used to use Castrol Super Clean/purple power, it worked good but just as harsh on my hands like Simple Green.

I've got 25 gallons of this stuff! I went dumpster diving at work cause they decided to use other stuff! :awesomework:

 

[dove'd85]

what part of the seattle area do you live in.....

 

[java]

maple leaf

 

[JOOP]

get a couple cans of brake clean, that **** will clean anything. :awesomework:

 

[stealthrunner1]

took my front axle down to the car wash hosed it down with super clean let it sit for a while and put about 10.00 in and got most all the grease off..:awesomework:

 

[stealthrunner1]

Ohh ya it's called (methylene chloride) best degreaser in the world that i've used.....active ingredient in carb cleaner dips....:awesomework:

 

[LiLBKO]

Well the best is a dip but if you are like most of us we don't have a big tub of chems, oven cleaner is the **** :awesomework:

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

 

[java]

well i tried brake clean and it didnt do ****, i have a can of engine degreaser i found in the basement ill try that. how come no shops want to be nice and hot dip a part for you? i do like the carwash idea......

 

[TigTorch]

PAINT THINNER.

Wipe all the grease out you can with paper towels (you'll use a bunch). Clean whats left with a gallon or two of paint thinner in in an oil drain pan.

Use a tooth brush and one of those parts cleaner brushes.

Dump the pan out a splash at a time on the weeds in your gravel driveway.

 

[angelfly]

well i tried brake clean and it didnt do ****, i have a can of engine degreaser i found in the basement ill try that. how come no shops want to be nice and hot dip a part for you? i do like the carwash idea......

if you have a pressure washer thats the ticket! Get either simple green or Royal purple degreaser! Spray axle really good and let it soak for atleast 30mins I try more like an hour+ then go to town with the pressure washer get nice and close and make sure you have goggles:awesomework:

Goodluck I have used this method for every part i have ever owned, the onething I would do is either tape off any place you dont want water or shove a towel in whatever place you dont want water in:awesomework:

 

[GRNTACO]

I do my degreasing at the local car wash. Most have a degreaser setting plus the high pressured hot water.:awesomework:

 

[Pat]

PAINT THINNER.


Dump the pan out a splash at a time on the weeds in your gravel driveway.

I guess most people get their water from a magic water factory somewhere then it leaves the planet after going down the drain.

But I get my water from the ground so please stop putting toxic **** in it!

 

[1 grumpy]

I use oven cleaner from the dollar store,and an added plus it smell's like lemon's after.
It really work great..:awesomework:

 

[Turtle Bite]

Find someone with a "parts washer", almost every mechanic has one, often they dont even leave an oily residue. I usually go down to the car wash and used high pressure w/soap if its really built up or a big part, 2.00 in quarters goes a long way.

 

[84Toyota4x4]

Oven cleaner works ok, the foaming stuff is cool.

I did mine before I had my parts washer, so I just bought a couple of the 2.5 gallon jugs of Castrol Super Clean, put the knuckles in a 5 gallon bucket, then poured the Super Clean over them. Let em sit for a while (hour or so), scrubbed a little, and voila, they were shiny and new looking. Plus, the Super Clean can be dumped back into the bottles and re-used that way. Just strain out the big crap with coffee filters in your funnel. Works great!

If I had to do it over again, Id probably do it the same way even though I have a parts washer now, haha.

~T.J.