Best all-around solvent for engine work?

[davetyp]

Looking for a good all-around solvent to use while working on drivetrain components. Any suggestions?

I come from the aerospace world of several decades ago. We used a lot of 1,1,1 trichloroethane and before that, a lot of methyl ethyl ketone. The MEK worked great, but you had to be careful lest it melt some plastics. The "trike" (as we called it) was supposed to be the sub for MEK after MEK got banned. It worked, but not nearly as well. Now I find that trike got banned too. And who remembers carbon tetrachloride? That stuff was a great electrical contact cleaner.

All this stuff is still available from Sigma-Aldrich or Fisher -- if you want to pay astronomical prices for reagent grade sovents. I don't.

I know that brake parts cleaner exists, but it dries way too quickly to be a good all-around solvent -- and it also attacks some plastics. Ditto for acetone and xylene. Trike won't do that.

To address the inevitable replies extolling the health hazards of these solvents, I agree: if they're used improperly, they're dangerous to one's health. The key to safely working with any chemical is to use the correct equipment -- in this case, gloves of the proper material and a respirator with the right filter cartridges for the chemical you're using.

 

[CalSgt]

Gasoline is a pretty good solvent for greasy engine parts…

Other than that generic “solvent” is a bit more safe

Detergents and degreasers like simple green are an option too

 

[WFO]

I use Naphtha.

 

[waterpirate]

My " Go to " is real mineral spirits. Not the white milky version, the one in the gallon tin can that still smells.
Eric

 

[Salty Crusty]

Tractor Supply has some good stuff, I use it in my parts washer

 

[QBuff02]

If you're just looking to "spot clean" things or say flush out the lifter valley with the intake removed, or clean around a seal to replace it on say the trans or transfer case.. Good old fashioned starting fluid can't be beat! I buy it by the case at Napa, it cuts grease and grime, doesn't attack seals, rubber and plastics like brake clean or parts cleaner and flushes everything away and the best part is it dries with no residue. just my .02

 

[shortarms]

bringing this one back to life...

I grabbed a bucket of 'solvent' at a local Southern store (atwoods, similar to tractor supply). This stuff isn't much better than diesel. The solvent I used 20 years ago would almost strip paint. right now I have Simple Green in the tank, but you have to be careful with aluminum parts if you let them soak. SuperClean/purple power (sodium hydroxide cleaners) aren't great on heavy grease. oven cleaner works ok, but obviously not in a tank.

someone has to have an answer.

 

[Finkaire]

We use S100 on the HD… good stuff

 

[DoubleDingo]

Gasoline

 

[idahovette]

I've got some stuff called "Oil Eater". Comes in a gallon jug and we used it on oil spots and general cleanup on the concrete floors at my old shop. Also used it on engine parts, spray, let it set for a while, depending on how crusty, and then use a pressure nozzle to hose it off. When we used it on the floor, we would also add water to it and then sweep it with the shop broom. It always cleaned things very good and we hosed it down the drain, it was biodegradable, no harm environmentally. Got most of it at Costco and also at Tractor Supply.

 

[shiftpro]

When I was in Brasil I discovered 99% iso alcohol was water cheap. I bought a gallon like for a few bucks. They also have that purple goop for aluminum... but it leaves a type of stain.. it's from the boat industry. Even though it stains aluminum, we use it on our expensive KTM's engine cases. See the dirt there is this oranage mud that dries with any kind of heat into something like terra cotta tiles. I would literally bake onto the head pipe... haha free ceramic coating!

 

[Rickf]

Gasoline, also a good way to get rid of any older mower fuel.

 

[Craig 85]

One of the best degreasers I've used on the exterior of the engine and on the chassis is LA's totally Awesome cleaner undiluted. Plus it's only a buck at Dollar Tree. I put that in a pressurized tank sprayer let it sit a few, pressure wash or rinse and repeat as needed.

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