Good de-greasers, off the shelf or homemade

[T5Sweep]

I have a 531 cylinder head I'm rebuilding and would like to give it a damn good clean first as it's pretty grimy, can anyone recommend a quality de-greaser? Or even if you have some homemade concoction that works well?

Ben.

[ksmi]

Evening Ben, If you have something large enough,or can cobble something together,NOT in the kitchen! Give it a good boil with some detergent. Failing this I recon Jizer is much better than Gunk,let it soak in, over night. But of course if you know a friendly transport yard with a steam cleaner........

Regards,Keith.

[LankyTim]

Oven cleaner is good... the stuff that need gloves to use safely is the best.

[barrybritcher]

Brake cleaner, by the 5 litre jerry can

[T5Sweep]

Originally Posted by ksmi

Evening Ben, If you have something large enough,or can cobble something together,NOT in the kitchen! Give it a good boil with some detergent. Failing this I recon Jizer is much better than Gunk,let it soak in, over night. But of course if you know a friendly transport yard with a steam cleaner........

Regards,Keith.

Yes I bought some Gunk last year and it only really took off loose stuff, WD40 did the same thing! I might have some Jizer in the shed actually.

Originally Posted by LankyTim

Oven cleaner is good... the stuff that need gloves to use safely is the best.

Interesting, I'll see what I can find thank you!

Originally Posted by barrybritcher

Brake cleaner, by the 5 litre jerry can

Will this not eat away at the aluminium?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by T5Sweep

I have a 531 cylinder head I'm rebuilding and would like to give it a damn good clean first as it's pretty grimy, can anyone recommend a quality de-greaser? Or even if you have some homemade concoction that works well?

Ben.

paraffin with a paint brush will get most of the oily gunge off ..

Then what the trade use is Traffic Film Remover , ( TFR) you can get this from a motor factor or trade supplier , Euro Car Parts should have it , you dilute it 33% to 50% with water and spray it on with a hand spray bottle , dirt just falls off .

Brake cleaner just removes surface oil / grease and leaves the component dry .

[green van man]

Originally Posted by Clan

paraffin with a paint brush will get most of the oily gunge off ..

Then what the trade use is Traffic Film Remover , ( TFR) you can get this from a motor factor or trade supplier , Euro Car Parts should have it , you dilute it 33% to 50% with water and spray it on with a hand spray bottle , dirt just falls off .

Brake cleaner just removes surface oil / grease and leaves the component dry .

I use TFR neat, stiff brissle parts cleaner brush and a vigorous rub in a bath of TFR. Lift it out and wash off with hose. Repeat if nessesary.
I baught a plastic storage box to use as a parts washing bath, once finished put the lid on and secure and it can live outside if needed.

Last 25lt of TFR I baught recently was £17 + vat which makes it about the cheapest about. Use rubber gloves when useing it as it will take your skin off if you don't. Do not use it over tarmac as it will take the oil out of the tar and the gravel will brush out.

Few years ago I used it to clean a crossflow block that had stood for 12 years. Took the hardened oil off the galleries with no problem after a soak and pulling a small bottle brush through them.

Paul.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by green van man

I use TFR neat, stiff brissle parts cleaner brush and a vigorous rub in a bath of TFR. Lift it out and wash off with hose. Repeat if nessesary.
I baught a plastic storage box to use as a parts washing bath, once finished put the lid on and secure and it can live outside if needed.

Last 25lt of TFR I baught recently was £17 + vat which makes it about the cheapest about. Use rubber gloves when useing it as it will take your skin off if you don't. Do not use it over tarmac as it will take the oil out of the tar and the gravel will brush out.

Few years ago I used it to clean a crossflow block that had stood for 12 years. Took the hardened oil off the galleries with no problem after a soak and pulling a small bottle brush through them.

Paul.

If you have an alloy cylinder block with lots of brown staining inside , household paint stripper brings it up shining ....

[Cookeh]

Oven cleaner is great but degrades aluninium (you end up with a stained matt finish). TFR is my personal go to, works very well. Another greater option is NoNonsense degreaser, that strips almost anything.

If you want eco-/health-friendly steam is amazing. Even a cheap £15-20 steamer can be used to great effect.