Cheap engine degreaser!

[bjbrownie]

I don't know if its worth mentioning, but I found paraffin is a brilliant engine/gearbox degreaser- cheaper and just as effective as Gunk and similar. After dragging the engine outside, I put the engine on a large piece of scrap cardboard box and used a stiff brush and a combination of parraffin soaked rag with a blunt screwdriver to clean it.
Good results, the original Morris green paint still in good condition. A rubber glove over the dizzy internals kept it dry, it looks semi decent now while its sitting in the garage waiting to go back in (which may be sometime.......!)
Ps 4 litres from Homebase £7.99[frame][/frame]

[alexandermclaren]

like your thinking
very good idea

[bmcecosse]

Crikey - even more expensive than petrol then! Big spray can of Engine Degreaser is only £1 - and works a treat..... Good for taking tar spots off the car body too......

[bjbrownie]

Admittedly a little pricey, but on the whole I degreased the gearbox, steering rack, brake pedals and all of the engine bits and still have about 2 1/2 litres left for the rear axle and propshaft! Used economically it will last for ages, and soaked on a rag is good for getting the oily mess off the chassis legs-I think you'd go through a few tins of cheap aerosol degreaser to do the whole cars running gear.
And you can use it in the greenhouse heater...........

[Trickydicky]

You could also mix some with old gearbox oil to use on the chassis as a rust inhibitor.

[bjbrownie]

Another good idea!

[samuria]

paraffin has been used for many years as a degreaser.
i mix it with old ep 90 to spray my landy chassis and did my moggy as well....
does the trick well..
you can buy a paraffin gun to clean lots of parts etc..
mine was £5 from machine mart a few years ago

[les]

I don't follow the logic there---Cheap engine degreaser-----admittedly a little pricey. Talking of prices, I've always found it amusing that petrol is cheaper that beer.

[Boris64]

but what a hangover

[bjbrownie]

Haha nice one les, what I meant by cheap was against like a 500 ml tin of Gunk degreaser for £5.85( eBay ), but a little pricey as put against using petrol ( which stinks far too much!). I found an old 30 ltr paint tub, cleaned it out and use it to catch excess paraffin and crap off engine bits I've cleaned, haven't thought of a way to reuse the paraffin yet.

[MarkyB]

If you just leave it in a barrel the solids will drop down to the bottom and form a silt layer.

[les]

I see what you mean bj --- just made me smile.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Depends on which school of thought you belong to - paraffin leaves a greasy residue behind whereas petrol cleans and leaves a surface bone dry. Also para. ain't as cheap as it used to be...

Used to use paraffin myself but was introduced to petrol as a cleaner; never looked back. Just remember no smoking at the workbench!

[mrblue]

I get it for £6.00 a gallon from my local garage. Never use anything else its great stuff. Lasts for ages & you don,t get now hands that do dishes hands. Also i save all the mucky stuff until winter & dump it into the salamanda.

[bjbrownie]

Some good ideas here, I notice the paraffin I use leaves the components bone dry with no residue- maybe they're cutting back on the oil they put in it! Still good stuff tho'! Another pic of my nice clean engine, looks good enough to put back in as it is, but a repaint is due shortly in the summer months. [frame][/frame](if we get a summer that is!)

[hughes]

we've just had 3 days of sunshine, I think that was our summer.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

The engine paint looks OK to me - I'd put it back in like it is for an 'original' look.

[philthehill]

There is one problem that I find with using petrol for cleaning steel/iron engines and/or components is that it removes all oil/grease and allows oxidisation to start on any non painted surface and if not protected can lead to rust/oxidisation damage. Therefore all non painted surfaces need a smear of grease on them if they are to be left exposed for some time.

[philthehill]

Borrowed the wife's CILLIT BANG on Friday to try on some greasy parts. It worked a treat and no residue when hosed down.
It was cheap to me as it was purchased by the wife. I do not think that she has yet noticed the level in the bottle has gone down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bmcecosse]

Just top up with a bit of water........that's what I do with her Gin......