General degreasing - any recommendations?

shaefer

shaefer

Member
While I've got the head off and the car in the middle of some repairs, I want to also give a really good degreasing to clean it up and also help to identify if/where there are any oil leaks.

Questions are as follows:

(1) What is a good general purpose degreaser? Most of the gunk seems to be built up in that trough behind the bottom of the radiator, but there's also a fair amount on the bottom of the engine and generally all around the undercarriage. The car has been driven almost daily for 15 years, and I don't think we thoroughly degreased/cleaned the undercarriage even then, so I imagine it's a combo of oil and collected road grime.

(2) What areas should absolutely NOT be degreased? (This is more aimed at the undercarriage.) I understand grease isn't all bad, or it wouldn't be there in the first place. What areas should I absolutely avoid removing all of the grease?

(3) After it's good and clean, are there certain areas in particular prone to leaks that I should pay special attention to?


I'll likely have a lot of questions going forward. The car was mine and my dad's and he usually had all of these answers. He recently passed and I'm now the sole caretaker of our beloved Cabriolet (68 C). My son turns 16 when the car turns 100, so it's my goal to get it to there.

I was always the one that excelled at the mechanical and electrical stuff, so I'll be relying on the Barn to fill in the gaps. Thanks in advance.
 
leakage from ~35 zerk fittings + engine + transmission + steering column over the last 80-90 years adds up to the undercarriage.

I doubt the factory intentionally smeared grease on any exterior surface

I found the spray degreasers work "so-so" Brake clean + plastic spatula works reasonably well on the caked on stuff.
 
Amen to that! It's been many many years since I hit all those grease fittings. You just added a big one to my to do list!!!
 
I used easyoff oven cleaner on a model A engine trans a few weeks ago. Spray it on and let it sit (even overnight) then hit with the power wash. Worked well. Did do some of the real caked on spots twice and wasn't shy with the easyoff. Be mindful though that it will remove paint.
 
Pour charcoal starter in a spray bottle. Spray on the offending area and let it sit for a few minutes then agitate with a parts brush. Do a final rinse with garden hose. Won't harm paint, no noxious fumes and very cost effective.
 
Oven cleaner works well, but it also removes paint. I'd use a parts cleaning brush for the caked on junk, or a paint brush for the light stuff and use diesel fuel to soften and remove the dried junk.
 
I recently used a degreaser called "Purple Power". I bought it at Auto Zone. It comes in a spray bottle and it worked great.
 
A friend sprays crummy areas for 2 or 3 weeks, with WD-40, before cleaning. I DON'T know if it really helps or not.??? I'm sure it wouldn't harm anything.
Bill W.
 
For lite to moderate cleaning I use Purple Power. For really caked on grease and dirt I use diesel fuel under air pressure. Get a siphon tube and nozzle at your auto store. A good compressor and a can of diesel will tear right thru the crud. Then follow up with the PP.
 
Simple Green (the green stuff) not the yellow Simple Green. Usually you can find a gallon jug that comes packaged with a quart bottle that is pre-mixed. I like the quart bottle because you can set it so the spray comes out as a foam that sticks well to things. I use it full strength for de-greasing.
 
I have used "Greased Lightening ", from BJ's club. Works great, and if you can Rince with hot water, the surfaces are ready to paint.

Good Luck;
 

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My car had a rock-hard crust of dust and grease covering all the mechanical parts, and nothing worked at all to get it off. Then I tried Easy-Off, and it did a great job! But it will absolutely remove all the paint!

Doug

Licensed to kill said:
I used easyoff oven cleaner on a model A engine trans a few weeks ago. Spray it on and let it sit (even overnight) then hit with the power wash. Worked well. Did do some of the real caked on spots twice and wasn't shy with the easyoff. Be mindful though that it will remove paint.
Click to expand...
 
Purchase a steam cleaner at Walmart.com or Harbor freight for about $100 bucks before discount. McCulloch steam cleaner. Cover distributor, generator, alternator or other electrical components first.

Dawn dishwashing liquid. Cleans grease off ducks, cars and hands very well.

Purple Power. Easy Off. Simple Green.

MINERAL SPIRITS as shown in this video below:

https://youtu.be/jttcGiGPzR4
 
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What happened to Varsol and a scrub brush? Then scrub with soap and water and rinse. Still works well for me.

John Poole
 
Putty knife and wire brush! I have used some of the GUNK degreaser from the parts store. I also like simple green. I try to scrape or brush most of the junk off before I use the chemicals. Less junk on the parts the better the chemicals soak to the metal. There is no substitute for elbow grease. I just wish I could find a good supply of that.;)
 
Doug in NJ said:
My car had a rock-hard crust of dust and grease covering all the mechanical parts, and nothing worked at all to get it off. Then I tried Easy-Off, and it did a great job! But it will absolutely remove all the paint!

Doug
Click to expand...

In my case, that was an added bonus as I was repainting the engine anyway. When I only want to degrease and leave the paint I use brake clean that I buy in 20 litre pails using one of these http://www.sureshotsprayer.com/SteelSprayers.html They are not cheap but work awesome. They can also be filled with fuel and used to prime an engine that has sat for a long time or just isn't getting fuel for some reason rather than dumping gas in the carb. It puts out a nice fine spray.
 
I like the purple power also. The best part is that it does not leave a residue, so you can paint item immediately after the part dries up.
 
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