How do you clean your bits?

[R59]

It's down to the amount of Ethanol in the mix. It pays to drain the tank after meetings and store it in Jeremy Cans, mainly to stop the aromatics evaporating too much. It has been said that if you leave Super Unleaded in your tank for two weeks, unsealed, it'll be not much better than regular unleaded as the "goodies" go skywards.

As for cleaning - I found that Sunoco's brake cleaner is very good indeed. Smell nice too.
I've also used Wurth's product, which is also very good (and available in aerosols for quick and easy use).

Haven't used Jizer in ages, almost as long as Gunk!!! (can you still get that stinky stuff?)

One of my mates reckons the oil that they used in marine engines (we're talking the sort where you can stand in the bores and walk around) is very good at cleaning things due to the amount of detergent in it. Once left a set of pistons in the stuff overnight, they were caked in crud, but in the morning a quick rinse in the wash tank left shiny alloy! Don't dip your fingers in the stuff he was told!

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by R59

Haven't used Jizer in ages, almost as long as Gunk!!! (can you still get that stinky stuff?)

The garage now smells of Gunk! Cleaned a whole gearbox casing with it, after a spray of degreaser (Halfords own ). The gearbox was attached to an engine with an oil leak so was filthy. It worked well.

[Al Weyman]

Some of those cleaners are so expensive which is why I use plain parrafin, much cheaper and does as good a job.

Incidently I just bought a new handle for me Karcher 6 series power washer a near commercial quality machine and not cheap. Anyhow this is the 2nd time I have replaced this piece and found it lying on the garage floor detached from the hose. Apparantly what happens is if you leave water in them and it freezes thats the weak spot and bang it spits the handle where it fits the hose. The new one was an option with a brass fitting so recoginition Karcher have a problem with these (they do my mate was a dealer once) but the buggers still relieved me of £45 plus vat and delivery!!!

[JamesH]

I'm a cheapskate, so bought a knock off pressure washer from Ebuyer at a third of the price of a Karcher. Apart from a dire connector (needs a jubilee clip) it works fine. Cost less than your replacement hose (and I bet the hose would fit your Karcher...)

James

[jerryk]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

its only leaded 4 star or occaisionally 5 star . . . not Nascar rocket fuel or V8 eye stinger stuff!

beware cleaning parts with leaded fuels as when it evaporates it leaves a film of lead on the item , fine unless its a distributor cap or leads

[Al Weyman]

It was'nt even the hose just the handle! Those cheap ones work OK for a while but wont last if you push them hard, for what I do they would probably do the trick and at over £300 for this one it was a bit OTT.

[greenamex2]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Incidently I just bought a new handle for me Karcher 6 series power washer a near commercial quality machine and not cheap. Anyhow this is the 2nd time I have replaced this piece and found it lying on the garage floor detached from the hose. Apparantly what happens is if you leave water in them and it freezes thats the weak spot and bang it spits the handle where it fits the hose. The new one was an option with a brass fitting so recoginition Karcher have a problem with these (they do my mate was a dealer once) but the buggers still relieved me of £45 plus vat and delivery!!!

I've done four so far. On mine the plastic is too thin where the hose plugs in, the constant pressure of the spring is causing it to crack and break. Freezing probably makes it worse but when mine have done it there wasn't any water in it.

[GORDON STREETER]

I wonder if anybody has ever been prosecuted on the fact that the Water Bye-laws in the UK do not permit the direct connection of a pump to the mains supply (the fire service is exempt) Even a pressure washer bought from the Garden Centre to clean your block paving is technically illegal. We are all doomed with the Google street maps !

[chapmanite]

For really degunking things I'd recomend either oven-cleaner or PB Blaster. They both have warnings that barely fit on the can, but if you use them in a well ventilated area you should be fine. Spray it on and then cover it all with a tub of some kind so the VOCs don't evaporate too quickly and then come back later to scrub.


The other way I go is to use copious amounts of Simple Green. For small bits, I would suggest mixing it 1:1 with boiling water in a thrift-store crockpot and going to work. Scrub when you get home. The same thing can be done a larger scale (e.g. engine block) with a large tub and an immersion heater.