something that will remove paint, oil, etc., preferably a soak

 

I use Castrol Super Clean...non-petroleum based and will eat through grease and paint. Works good on concrete too. Thin it down a little and use it as a degreaser under your hood. I buy it at WalMart.

 

I use Simple Green in my parts cleaner. Smells a heck of a lot better than some of the stuff out there and it is biodegradable . I also heat my parts cleaner solution, the warm solution is great for cleaning.

http://consumer.simplegreen.com/

Alkaline Aqueous Solutions - General Description
Alkaline aqueous solutions are water-based mixtures with pH greater than 8. Most alkaline cleaners range from pH 10 to 14. Simple Green is an aqueous-based cleaner with a pH of 9.3 to 9.5. Alkaline aqueous solutions are the most common solutions in aqueous cleaning. Alkaline cleaners often contain additives to improve cleaning, such as sequestering agents, emulsifiers and surfactants. Rust inhibitors may be necessary with some metals, especially aluminum.

Alkaline aqueous solutions remove greases, coolants, cutting oils, shop dirt, fingerprints, cosmolene, petrolatum and some water-soluble paints. Parts cleaned with alkaline cleaners include hydraulic valve bodies, fuel injector components and machined aluminum castings. Alkaline solutions are used with all types of liquid processes, e.g., sprays, ultrasonic, immersion and power washers. These solutions can clean to very high levels of cleanliness with good filtration and rinsing. Cost per gallon is generally less than for semi-aqueous cleaners.

 

I've had good luck with a product called Greased Lightning, its very similar to Simple Green. You're supposed to water it down but I used it straight. It doesn't take very long at all to remove cooked on/caked on crud and all the paint (and a layer of your skin if you're not careful)
Use gloves

Bobby

 

Purple power is another good one. WalMart has it.
I let stuff soak for a while then brush it off, rinse in water. Works pretty good.
Gloves and Glasses are a must.