Still searching for a great way to clean parts...

[El C]

I´ts a darn hassle to clean all the old grease, dirt and other junk from all the small parts you need to have cleaned before putiing the bike back together. Or to paint it.
So what is the best way?

Dishwasher?
It works but there might be some saying if the wifey found a "fork" with some other forks.
She may even reason that it´s NOT the same thing even if it is grease on all of them.
Grease is grease, right?
Ha?
If I had running water in my garage, I propably would get a dishwasher, but unfortunately I don´t.

Brake cleaners or other stuff like that?
Don´t like them. Sh*t spreads all around and you still can´t get rid of everything. And the brushing you need to do anyway gets your new outfit all dirty.

Mediaplasting?
Awful hassle AND gets rid of the "oh so beautiful" rust also. That´s a no no!

Electrolysis?
Been there, done that. Works fine sometimes but who has the nerves to wait that long!!!
Not me, anyway. And still there is some resedue.

Burning/heating?
Sometimes good, sometimes a no no.
I´ve heard that plastic does not work well with heat. Hmmm....

So, what´s your take on this?
There are businesses that can take care of this problem but that´s not what I`m looking for.
I´d still would like to do it by myself.

Ideas???

 

[sandman]

I´ts a darn hassle to clean all the old grease, dirt and other junk from all the small parts you need to have cleaned before putiing the bike back together. Or to paint it.
So what is the best way?

Dishwasher?
It works but there might be some saying if the wifey found a "fork" with some other forks.
She may even reason that it´s NOT the same thing even if it is grease on all of them.
Grease is grease, right?
Ha?
If I had running water in my garage, I propably would get a dishwasher, but unfortunately I don´t.

Brake cleaners or other stuff like that?
Don´t like them. Sh*t spreads all around and you still can´t get rid of everything. And the brushing you need to do anyway gets your new outfit all dirty.

Mediaplasting?
Awful hassle AND gets rid of the "oh so beautiful" rust also. That´s a no no!

Electrolysis?
Been there, done that. Works fine sometimes but who has the nerves to wait that long!!!
Not me, anyway. And still there is some resedue.

Burning/heating?
Sometimes good, sometimes a no no.
I´ve heard that plastic does not work well with heat. Hmmm....

So, what´s your take on this?
There are businesses that can take care of this problem but that´s not what I`m looking for.
I´d still would like to do it by myself.

Ideas???

Brake cleaner with old outfit .

 

[pebblewurm]

I use paint thinner with a splash of butoxyethanol to soften things up, and then a rinse in paint thinner. Butoxyethanol is the active ingredient in a lot of commercial degreasing potions. I've been impressed with how well D-Limonene works and may switch over to that once my supply of butoxyethanol runs out.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I have a pickle jar half full of Simple Green and water. Can fit a rear derailleur in, or bearings and cups, an old chain, or whatever. Soak, agitate, scrub with a toothbrush, and repeat.

 

[horsefarmer]

Outside in summer I like to use Diesel Fuel (kerosene). Make a dip basket out of a soup can with holes in the bottom inside of a coffee can of diesel. Problem it stinks. Did it exactly once last winter inside and wife DID NOT approve! I have taken to using 90% isopropyl alcohol.

Put some in a plastic container, add greasy parts, cover, and agitate. Remove and dry parts and also use on large parts with a rag and scrub with a tooth brush.

No complaints.

 

[SpikeFC]

I'm lucky enough to have a machine for cleaning parts. Sometimes I just leave the very greasy parts in the solution inside for several hours. (we use standart chemical solution used for cleaning machines - you can buy it cheap on the net) After that I just take the part out and clean it with an old toothbrush or a brush. For cleaning the parts from the solution I use comrpessed air. Parts come out nice and clean.

 

[RivNut]

I buy Brake Kleen in a gallon jug. Pour a little into a container and let the parts soak then use a chip brush to massage the stubborn gunk. I have a laundry sink in my shop area and use it to rinse the part. Then blow it dry with compressed air and put something on it to protect it. Every time I use my Water-Pik, I wonder how well it would work for cleaning stuff - like where spokes go through the hub - if I filled the reservoir with Brake Kleen instead of water???????

 

[pebblewurm]

Brake Kleen will melt the plastic in the water pik-
Acetone and Toluene are both 10-20% of the mix.

 

[us56456712]

Nothing works for 80 year old grease that has lost all its volatiles and all that remains is dirt concreted together by dried or almost dried grease. I have tried all of the above (except a dishwasher because we don't have one but I have tried boiling parts on my fire pit). I soak my parts in a jar of acetone (or any other solvent I have, charcoal starter, diesel fuel, 91% alcohol, brush cleaner, white gas etc or a mixture of what I have) and let it sit for a week, occasionally using a brass brush. After a few weeks I chip away what remains with a sharpened spoke and hardware store picks. New parts are just easier to deal with so I use those, unless the bike is a real junker, then I use old cleaned parts. Elbow grease (scrubbing) and time work the best. I blast newer parts with Brake Clean and wipe with a rag. That takes off good grease and oil.

 

[dropstep]

I just soak everything a day or two in a coffee can filled with purple power. Cleans off grease, dirt and even light rust. I just take it out and wipe it down with a rag and let it sit and air dry.

 

[handyandy1100]

I buy Brake Kleen in a gallon jug. Pour a little into a container and let the parts soak then use a chip brush to massage the stubborn gunk. I have a laundry sink in my shop area and use it to rinse the part. Then blow it dry with compressed air and put something on it to protect it. Every time I use my Water-Pik, I wonder how well it would work for cleaning stuff - like where spokes go through the hub - if I filled the reservoir with Brake Kleen instead of water???????

You would want to be sure you didn't use that Water-Pik on your teeth again.