smelly components

[Thxcuz]

I just got 3 sets of dang near brand new brake levers for 20 bucks on ebay. They arrived today, they are in pristine shape but woah do they stink. It's like the guy smoked directly over them.
Is there a way to get that smell out of the parts? I have them wrapped in a dryer sheet right now. Seriously gross. I used to smoke in my 20's but I hope I never smelled that bad.
My plan was to use one set and sell the other too but I cant if they smell so awful.

 

[Rat Rod]

I hate getting stuff in the mail from smokers...amazing how the stuff wreaks so bad...and continues to after a long period of time! :shock:

 

[NicksGarage]

I just got 3 sets of dang near brand new brake levers for 20 bucks on ebay. They arrived today, they are in pristine shape but woah do they stink. It's like the guy smoked directly over them.
Is there a way to get that smell out of the parts? I have them wrapped in a dryer sheet right now. Seriously gross. I used to smoke in my 20's but I hope I never smelled that bad.
My plan was to use one set and sell the other too but I cant if they smell so awful.

Yes you probably did smell that bad. :shock:

Try some Febreeze. Or you can mix up some vinegar, baking soda and water (look for the recipe). I used that on a motorhome that had mice in it and it was pretty effective.

 

[Rat Rod]

Speaking of dead smelly mice...

Way back in the early 90s when I still lived up near Chicago and was about 17 years old, I was down visiting my family in Texas one summer and ended up buying a 1967 Chevelle (very stupid move). The plan was to drive it back to Chicago following my Uncle (Stretch), my aunt and a few of their friends that were all driving up to Minneapolis for the Street Rod Nationals. I'd follow them from Houston all the way to Iowa and then head over to my home in Chicago.

The car turned out to be quite a pile of crap...bondo, no interior, etc. A few days before we started to head up north on the trip, the car started to really smell bad on the inside. Here I was driving this Chevelle in the Texas heat with no A/C, an exhaust leak and the smell of something dead inside the entire trip up to Chicago. :?

I think the exhaust broke off when we got to Dallas so I also drove with open headers and no radio for over 1000 miles. :shock:

After getting all the way home from two solid days of pure tortures driving in the stench, heat and deafening exhaust drone, I tore the whole inside of that car apart and finally found a big old dead mouse in the kick panel. :lol:

Took about 2 hours for the car to be completely smell-free after removing that thing. :lol:

 

[NicksGarage]

Speaking of dead smelly mice...

Way back in the early 90s when I still lived up near Chicago and was about 17 years old, I was down visiting my family in Texas one summer and ended up buying a 1967 Chevelle (very stupid move). The plan was to drive it back to Chicago following my Uncle (Stretch), my aunt and a few of their friends that were all driving up to Minneapolis for the Street Rod Nationals. I'd follow them from Houston all the way to Iowa and then head over to my home in Chicago.

The car turned out to be quite a pile of crap...bondo, no interior, etc. A few days before we started to head up north on the trip, the car started to really smell bad on the inside. Here I was driving this Chevelle in the Texas heat with no A/C, an exhaust leak and the smell of something dead inside the entire trip up to Chicago. :?

I think the exhaust broke off when we got to Dallas so I also drove with open headers and no radio for over 1000 miles. :shock:

After getting all the way home from two solid days of pure tortures driving in the stench, heat and deafening exhaust drone, I tore the whole inside of that car apart and finally found a big old dead mouse in the kick panel. :lol:

Took about 2 hours for the car to be completely smell-free after removing that thing. :lol:

Been there, done that. What's really fun is to see a mouse run across the back package shelf while you're driving! Worst thing with the motorhome was that even though they had gotten the mice out (except for the dead bodies), the old shag carpet stank more than anyone could imagine. They must have used a gallon of air freshener in there the day I looked at it and bought it but the next day that had worn off. Plus the heater was stuck on and it was 90 degrees out. I only had to drive it about 50 miles but I needed a thorough airing out myself when I got home.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

the president of my company had a mouse die in his one month old brand new 2013 Mustang. He was putting boxes from his basement in the car, and saw the mouse jump out, but he couldn't get it before it disappeared into the car somewhere.

couldn't have happened to a nicer guy (sarcasm)

apparently six months later the car still smells funky, despite having been torn apart and detailed.


oh, and all the electronics from my diseased mother's house (heavy smoker) still smell after two years.

 

[Danimal]

Steve, while that doesn't sound like the best road trip in the world, you seem to have overlooked one major thing...

After you fixed the exhaust, got rid of the dead mice and cleaned it up, you were a 17 year old guy with a '67 Chevelle!

Btw, the summer I graduated (1989) I bought a '67 Mustang coupe. 6 cyl car but it was from the south and it was a RUST FREE 60K mile beauty. I paid $3500 for it and I still miss that car every day.

 

[Onewheelsqueel]

I had something die in the drain in my garage floor shortly after I moved in to our current house. It stunk for a good 2 months. So nasty when you'd walk in there and it'd just reak! It would be a little bit better after airing out for a bit. So glad I havent had that again.

 

[bikejunky]

An ole used car lot trick to get rid of smoker smell is as follows; put a shop rag in a pie pan, soak rag with paint thinner, place under the seat, roll up all the windows and let set in hot sun for 2-3 days, and surprisingly smoker smell is gone. So if you can figure out away to downsize this system , maybe ziploc bag?

Tim

 

[scrumblero]

this stuff rocks! but it takes a couple days for the chemical smell to go away tho...

 

[DIABLO67]

Stuff the parts in a tub overnight with some charcoal. That stuff will absorb any and all smells! Just don't get the ones that are impregnated with lighter fluid. Learned it from a friend in real estate. She would open a bag in a smelly apartment and in a day or two the smells were gone.