Cleaning up a tractor

I have a Farmall H that I traded for in the winter and will use for
work. I made a new valve cover gasket for it with Permatex on
Saturday and now it is not leaking but the block is still coated with
leaked oil, plus whatever else like grease. I do not have a pressure
washer, and I am wondering if oven cleaner and a hose would work
well or what would be the best way to get it sort of clean so I can
see other leaks that may be there. I'm not worried about damaging
the paint since it is really bad and I need to strip it all off and redo
it eventually anyway. Any advice will be much appreciated.
Zach

Gunk engine cleaner.
Scrubbing Bubbles Bath cleaner Bulk, not spray can.
Oven cleaner is harsh, but works. JimN

Thanks very much for the reply. Will oven cleaner hurt any parts of the tractor, like rubber or plastic wires and covers and such? I'll get a can of Gunk tomorrow and try it out.
Zach

i just use oven cleaner i put on 7 cans from (dolleral general) spray on good-n-heavey drink a few cold ones and wait 3-4 hours wire brush and hose off and repeat.. no wont hurt wires or such just keep away from dist....thats a nother can of worms

I have used arisol brake cleaner to get behind stuff...make sure you do it outside and away from spark/flame and cold motor!...not real envoromentally "friendly" but does a good job too

purple power, great stuff a gallon is around 6 or 7 bucks spray on wash off.


Andrew

Oven cleaner is pretty hard on paint--I wouldn't use it unless I planned to repaint that area. Gunk works OK, but can get costly if you have a large area to clean.

I have had pretty good luck using diesel as a solvent. I usually paint it on with a parts cleaning brush. The diesel flows downward, carrying the mess with it, and I put down some newspapers to catch the drips and make disposal easy. Diesel doesn't smell real good, but it is no worse than lots of other solvents. Unlike gasoline (which is what I used to use when I was a dumb kid!), diesel is very unlikely to burn, so it is fairly safe. As with most other solvents, a person should use heavy rubber gloves to avoid skin contact with the solvent and dissolved mess.

Some heavy deposits require some digging with screw drivers or putty knives and wire brushing. I hate to use a wire brush much, since they toss little bits of grease all over the place. Using the diesel solvent confines most of the mess to right under the drip area.

When I have the area as clean as it can be with diesel and a parts cleaning brush, the oily film can be removed with hot water with some dishwashing liquid detergent in it.

I have cleaned a lot of parts and machines this way over the years. It doesn't seem to hurt anything, although it is some effort to do. A pressure washer also works and is a lot easier, but I have had some trouble with getting water into areas that I had hoped to keep dry. Hope this helps, and good luck!

Gunk is just another word for diesel fuel.

Gordo

I like that purple power. Get a gallon, a spray bottle and stiff brush. Don't get in a hurry' let it work and rinse off.

purple zep

bio-diesel would be great to use as a solvent , it makes everything it touches sparkling.

dollar general oven cleaner gets the heavy stuff but it still needs hosing off. I used it on my flow divider and pilot valve when I pulled it apart. Strips the paint right off of smooth parts but cast just gives off little tiny paint chips. Moral of story is don't use it for hydraulic parts as I was constantly wiping off paint chips. But I had to get the caked on stuff off before I pulled it apart and using a hose at 10 degrees wasn't an option.

Gunk and other engine degreasers never worked for me. Carb cleaner is good but too expensive for what you need. Brakeleen takes off paint as well. John Deere dealer uses a brake parts cleaner for their shop. Not as harsh as brakeleen and doesn't hurt the paint.

Clean it with diesel and a scrub brush, then finish up with just plain old Tide laundry detergent and the same brush, then hose it off.

Yes it will. Paint as well.
Diesel fuel is OK as well if you can soap it off when done. Put a pan under it to keep most of the mess under control. Jim

Lye gravey!
Led

use Mr. Clean and a parts cleaning brush, then hose it down. Works like a charm, won"t hurt paint plastic or rubber.

Bio diesel will peel paint and eat rubber.

If you use purple power make sure you protect your hands. It will tear your hands up.