JDBob wrote on Monday, October 02, 2000 (PDT):Very good article. Once solvent I've found to be a life saver is Oven/Grill cleaner. You can usually pick this stuff up at the local dollar store for $1.00 per can. Does a great job on grease/dirt. Just spray it on, wait 10-15 min. Hose it off. Just my 2 cents. JDBob
Andrew Porter wrote on Monday, October 02, 2000 (PDT):I would like to recommend a solvent called d-Limonene. d-Limonene is the active ingredient in all of those citrus-based cleaners. For more information, please visit www.floridachemical.com and request a sample. Florida Chemical’s d-Limonene is a very effective solvent and degreaser. It will remove nearly all types of organic stains and soils. Derived from the peel of the orange, Florida Chemical’s dLimonene is 100% natural, biodegradable, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly. Many companies switch to d-Limonene due to health and environmental concerns. However, companies continue using d-Limonene for economic reasons. Even though the per-unit cost of d-Limonene is higher than most chlorinated solvents, it is common to realize an overall cost savings after switching to d-Limonene. · Because d-Limonene is very effective against grease, oil, tar, and other organic soils, less material is needed. · Compared with traditional solvents, d-Limonene has a very low evaporation rate. Therefore, product loss is due only to “drag-out” and not to evaporation. · Because d-Limonene is effective at all temperatures, it is not necessary to heat the product. This saves on energy consumption. · Florida Chemical’s d-Limonene remains effective longer than other solvents. Generally, d-Limonene can hold 1.5 times its weight in dissolved organics. · With a cotton filter (or simply by allowing the material to settle), it is very easy to recycle and reuse d-Limonene.
george wrote on Monday, October 02, 2000 (PDT):I use mineral spirits regularly and find they work very well. A word of caution, however, mineral spirits like most solvents have a very low vaporization point, and the vapors are therefore EXTREMELY flamable. Be safe. A spark from an electric motor can be very dangerous.
James wrote on Wednesday, October 04, 2000 (PDT):I would not reccomend using mineral spirits in any shop. The flash point is about the same as gas. Most petroleum retailers have cleaning solvent available for about $2.00 / gallon. Also, you did not mention any of the detergent based cleaners such as "Simple Green". I have found that these make a good cleaner for small parts. I soak the parts in a closed container and then rinse off with warm water.
Mark Kanzler wrote on Wednesday, October 04, 2000 (PDT):One solvent not in the article, but readily available and extremely useful... Diesel Fuel. Great for removing glue from stickers, sludge, etc.
Paul Stanley wrote on Wednesday, October 04, 2000 (PDT):I have been searching for solvents to use in a parts washer and have found one that is citrus based and another that is an emulsion that removes the grease and oil and floats it as a scum to be skimmed off, thus reducing the need for recyling toxic chemicals. I will post my findings and sources once I have experimented with them.
Ed Bibic wrote on Thursday, October 05, 2000 (PDT):Rather than using laquer thinner to remove old labels and glue, I've found naphtha to be a better solvent. It readily dissolves the glue, but generally won't harm the finish. The same precautions should be followed.
Gary Hayes wrote on Friday, October 06, 2000 (PDT):many easily available specialized cleaners will remove the glue from decals or stickers. The citrus based cleaner do the best job. Hardware stores carry grafiti removers and adhesive removers which get the job done.
Tom wrote on Thursday, October 12, 2000 (PDT):Often a spray lubricant like WD40 will quickly and easily remove decals, stickers, and residual glue and sticky stuff.
Gary wrote on Thursday, October 19, 2000 (PDT):I have found for very stuborn grease, dirt, paint at least small parts that commerical carb cleaner in the gallon size container works great. Just put the part in and let it soak. Every thing comes right off including the paint. All I do then is wipe down the part with thinner and prime for paint.
Rick wrote on Sunday, October 22, 2000 (PDT):If you're cleaning the tractor for repainting,oven cleaner will really cut tough grease,if you can apply it while the tractor is warm it works better
WENDELL SNIPES wrote on Thursday, October 26, 2000 (PDT):Very good,I did not know about the alcohol.
Lawrence M. Backer wrote on Saturday, October 28, 2000 (PDT):Another source for mineral spirits is your local oil company distributor. They have it in bulk and priced at about half the paint store price. You usually have to bring your own metal container. A five gallon closed oil or fuel container is a handy size. You ask for "solvent". It is mineral spirits at a very reasonable price. Check your phone book for oil distributing companies.
Paul wrote on Monday, April 01, 2002 (PST):WD 40 has always worked on stickers that come with new motorcycles (warning labels etc) and it has never harmed the paint on the bikes I have used it on. I havent used it on tractors yet except to loosen very rusty parts. Also Denatured alcohol is the only cleaner recomended by HD for cleaning brake parts on my bike. I also used it on my greasy old David Bradley engine with great results. I dont like anything that will harm the old paint job. Good luck.
Chris Pritchard wrote on Saturday, August 13, 2005 (PDT):In our shop, we use varsol to clean off the internal stuff. You can usually get it in large quanities from a petroleum supplier.
Edie Castle wrote on Thursday, May 15, 2008 (PDT):Great article. I am in the middle of restoring a 1947 8N Ford Tractor and found 60 years of grime.
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