Favorite Degreaser for old outboards???

[kirkp]

I’ve tried a lot of the commercial cleaners out there. A friend suggested LA’s Totally Awesome cleaner. Think it might be the best I’ve found.

Kirk

[fifty20ne]

Super Clean works better

than PP in my opinion

$10.00 a gallon available

At any auto parts store.

 

[Buccaneer]

As a youth, I remember using old gas for cleaning parts and didn’t
think much about it. Then years ago when pickup bed liners and
plastic gas cans became the rage, there was a rash of fires, deaths,
and explosions on the news caused from static electricity as people
drug their gas cans across the bed liners of their trucks.
The whole static electricity thing gave me the willies. I’m not
sure how mineral spirits and gas compares in “volatility”, but
so far, so good!

Not having water in the garage, especially in the winter, I shy away
from any products requiring rinsing with water, so find myself
using mineral spirits most of the time.

Is there a fancy product that works good and does not require water for
a rinse?

Prepare to be boarded!

[crosbyman]

I recently use for  spray foam for  cleaning tires and make them shiny.    Seems to  clean pretty good  and you can just wipe it off with a rag.

Varsol paint thinner  or turpentine are low votality… fuel oil  is a bit more stinky  and will generally  dry up and wont blow the garage up. !

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[jrm80]

Brake cleaner in the spray bomb cans works quite well.

[Bob Wight]

fifty20ne wrote:

Super Clean works better

than PP in my opinion

$10.00 a gallon available

At any auto parts store.

 

I stand partially corrected.   I had used Purple Power on some earlier projects, then switched to Super Clean when my local store had run out of Purple Power.  Although Purple Power worked well, the Super Clean is definitely better.   I got confused between Purple Power and Super Clean in a purple container!

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[Blake Monroe]

Thank you everyone once again for all your wonderful replies. I’m tempted to buy one of several products recommended here each and see how they perform against each other.

[RICK EICHRODT]

One thing to be very mindful is using gasoline inside the house.  During the winter I would use Super Clean, any brake cleaner, WD 40 or anything that is not combustible.   WD 40 works well on tanks with decals.  I would NOT use Super Clean on any paint or decals.  Super Clean is fantastic to use to clean out the inside of a gas tank.  Use a piece of chain as an agitator.

[Bob Wight]

Good point on not using Super Clean on paint or decals as it can dull painted finishes.  Not an issue for me since I typically strip and apply new paint and decals on my projects anyway.

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[joecb]

All good suggestions depending on the degree of crud, the underlying finish (paint or? ) and internal components or external grunge. For that early no paint, no plastic motor with 70 years of hard baked crud… first stop is the power wand car wash, spray it down with caustic oven cleaner let is sit for a couple minutes and power wash off. Full PPE is necessary because you WILL get blow back when the spray hits a dead-end corner… of course the dead-end corner is where the crud is most likely cruddiest.

Just be careful ….

Joe B

 

Joe B

[Author]

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