What are you all using to remove heavy caked on grease and oil from your motors and frame?
Looking for potent stuff the less scrubbing the better.

 

Oven cleaner works pretty good.

 

That stuff is pretty harsh, I think Ill pass.

 

Up here in canada i can buy a 2 1/2 gallon of Zep Purple Industrial degreaser at Homedepot for 30 bucks, i dilute it by half and it is still way better than any auto parts store crap they sell. I also used a product similar called purple power but not sure where to buy that... it was almost as effective as the Zep product.

 

that purple zep burns your hands be careful

actually its purple power i used from walmart that burns.

 

Spray "Gunk" on a warm engine and let it soak a while before hosing off. The spray gel will stay longer on vertical places, but the reg liquid will get into the tight spots so a couple cans of each works best.

 

For something less nasty that still works, I like a product called Oil Eater. It's not nearly as good as oven cleaner, but then, it doesn't eat your lungs out either.

Zep products are good- but yes, I wouldn't want to bathe in them, either.

Honestly, I have never found anything that works better than a putty knife on really heavy grease. Once all the caked- on goo is off, then the chemicals come out.

fwiw,
t

 

im a putty knife and simple green guy. the purple power is ok but burns too much if it gets on ya from wire brushing,

 

heated power washer

 

Tried them all at one time or another. As Brad suggested a pressure washer is best. If not, by far the best one I have ever found is LA's Totally Awesome Cleaner from the dollar store. Don't dilute, let it soak and use a hose.

 

Thanks for the recommendations guys.
I plan on taking out the zf for a rebuild in the next several months and its got a nice layer of gunk on most of it, so while I have it apart I wanted to de-grease and paint it and also tackle the cross member as it is covered in old oil.
I don't have a pressure washer but what I had in mind was spray some type of de-greaser on it then take it to the car wash and hopefully remove as much gunk as possible.

Also another option is find somebody that has a heated washer like diesel brad had mentioned to remove the heavy stuff then de-grease and paint it.

 

If you're taking it apart for a rebuild, a parts washer becomes an option and is probably what I would do, degreasing makes a hellofa mess.

 

 

 

A note about any of the purple acid based cleaners.

Don't get it on good paint that you can't wash off instantly because it WILL etch.

Spraying it on & high pressure wash doesn't do much much even after soaking.

You need to spray a small area & use a really stiff brush to work it into the grease so it will break it up when washed.