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Cleaning really dirty greasy stuff

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bigjones

bigjones

Jedi Warrior
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DirtySuspension.jpg

I've got the hub off - no problem - fell into my arms like a long lost baby.
Now, my first instinct is to clean off all that dirty grease off the suspension parts. I've got the "grease catcher" off (that was held on by one bolt - not four - that Haynes manual is going to get me in deep trouble. Undoing four bolts and all heck lets loose)
I'm wondering what the best method of de-greasing is.
1. Can of brake cleaner with garage door open
2. Wire brush and Simple Green
3. Wire brush and Purple Stuff

I've got a Shop Vac and a small air compressor -there has to be a smart way of doing this.

(Yeah I know - Brake Cleaner followed by Shop Vac - Boom!)

I was just wondering if there is a good way of doing this before I get down and dirty.

Cheers,
Adrian
TS58325
 
I always like to start by removing the dirt first. I use Westley's Bleech-White (a whilewall cleaner with a basic pH) sprayed over the entire area, inside fender and frame too, then left for 20 minutes. Wear gloves because it will suck the oils from your skin. Then use a pressure washer to blast everything off (wear eye protection). You could follow with Simple Green and a brush if you need more but Westley's is great stuff. Then brake cleaner spray the mechanical parts and blow off with the compressor.

That's how I do it anyway.
 
I periodically spray Purple stuff on the front end suspension and just hose it off. It seems to eat the grease right off without any serious brushing.
 
Big "drip pan", a brace of cheap 1" paint brushes, a plastic scraper and a gallon of mineral spirits.
 
Another Vote for the Purple stuff!

Its non abrasive and usually takes the majority of the gook with out any scrubbing~!
(make sure ya wear gloves) :angel:
inexpensive too!

purplestuff.jpg
 
How do you dispose of all of this stuff including the once <span style="color: #993399"><span style="font-size: 14pt">purple </span></span>stuff ?
 
I put all my waste product into gallon jugs then bring it to the waste disposal plant.
They except all household hazardous waste.

PLEASE DONT POUR IT DOWN THE DRAIN!!!!
 
I pour all my waste into a big hole in the back yard.

Just kidding, most of my waste I allow to vaporize off, then toss the remaining solids into the trash. The waste that will not easily vaporize goes to the hazardous waste facility.
 
It's true that the degreasers and cleaners might be labeled as biodegradeable but the stuff that you remove isn't. So Ray's approach is a good one (not the big hole dump approach, the evaporation approach).

On the tractor forum which I am a member of (tractorbynet), some of the guys are even filtering their old engine oil and burning it in their diesel tractors as fuel. But since my tractor is new, I dump mine at a local rental place that has a waste oil furnace.
 
Hey Adrian! Welcome back. I haven't seen you on the board since you left on your trip in the fall. I hope you had a good visit and it's good to see you posting again! I hope to run into you around the area sometime.
 
Wow. It's no wonder you guys have trouble with rust, you're defeating the autotmatic rust prevention system !

:devilgrin:
 
But think of the decrease in unsprung weight, Randall! :smirk:
 
Well, I guess the rust WOULD lighten things up a bit ...

:square:
 
2500 psi power washer OR steam jenny! that will clean it up in a jiffy, then spend the rest of the day cleaning the grease off the walls


hondo
 
My first TR6, I carved away everything that didn't look like suspension parts and took a solvent to the rest.
 
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