I want to clean the underside of my 78, the steering box and all the cross members. It is caked on there. What works best? cASTROL sUPER CLEAN? Oven cleaner?
Dustin

 

I'd start with the car wash using the engine cleaner function and getting the wand in there good. I've also been known to spray things down with gunk before heading to the car wash.

 

HOTSY!

I tried the carwash routine, waste of time

 

Ive always used a industrial presure washer/steam cleaner.

 

Steam cleaner works the best

You should be able to find one in an truck related industrial area (if you live near one)

Put the front wheels up on ramps and take along a creeper or carpet.

For a homemade spray/stream cleaner I use a combination GUNK with Varsol cleaner.

 

They can also be rented but they might be a little pricey.

 

Engine steam cleaner work the best and will cost the most.

Find the best car wash with good pressure. If you find a newly built car wash take it there, it will have all the latest pumps and some very good pressure at the nozzle. Alow the engine to cool down before you spray down the area with a good quality engine degreaser/cleaner and allow it to soak awhile. The start up the car wash in the soap mode. Some car washes have some fine engine degreaser / cleaners and do not require buying cans of engine degreaser / cleaner. Take home and scrap and wire brush the remaining areas.
________
_ Buck _

 

Putty knife, alot of elbow grease, then the carwash

 

well super clean is a good product but has only 10 % lye. 100% lye will eat grease fast. the hard part is is finding it. take a trip to your local hardware store and go to the drain opener isle. look for RED DEVIL brand lye. should be 5.00. that should make about 30 gallons of degreaser. I happened to find mine at the grocery store on the drain opener isle.

 

Agreed. There is no point using any chemicals until you have the worst of it scraped off. Take a putty knife and a flat bladed screwdriver to it, then use high pressure steam or car wash wand to blast away most of the rest. After that's done THEN you can worry about using the chemicals. Myself, I like a layer of grease to prevent rust.

 

scrape it first. I used oven cleaner when I did my frame off before the frame got blasted and painted. I'd be careful with it so it doesn't eat your seals, though.

 

Scrape the big stuff with a putty knife, finish with Varsol and variety of different brushes.

Madmike33

 

I bought one of the cheapy pressure washers at home depot for 129 bux and it works great. has a setting that swirls the output that takes everything off including loose paint and rust flakes. Not to bad for the money.

 

my mobile 18 horse diesel fired 300 degree 4000 psi 6 gpm hot water pressure washer does the trick...soak it with some dew brite degreaser at 300 degrees, then give it a good rinse with scalding hot water

forget scraping anything off

before i started my p-washing business i used elbow grease a garden hose and zep industrial cleaner

 

If you go to a car wash, borrow or take a Q-Beam and between blasting take out the Q-Beam and look around in the engine bay for places you missed. Kinda dark in there...