Its a general question, but if you need to clean ring lands, manifold, etc of carbon deposits, grease etc whats the most effective cleaner for a DIY at home?

 

brake parts cleaner

 

Is there a way to buy this in something other than spray cans?
Also, what about diesel fuel,etc.

 

Standard parts cleaner available at the parts store works just fine for me. I just buy whatever is cheapest - they all work the same, IMO.

 

Gas works great and its the cheapest.

 

Yeah my dad uses gas to clean stuff all the time when I help him rebuild transmissions, ect...

it does work pretty damn good!

 

Aircraft fuel works awesome.. If I don't have any of that around, I use what ever engine degreaser is the cheapest and just lay it on and let it sit for a while.

 

kerosene works better than gas cheaper also then spay with parts cleaner.

 

Using gasoline to clean parts is idiotic. You're asking to blow up or burn down yourself or your house. Use a safety solvent...brake clean is good as it contains chlorinated solvents and doesn't burn. You can buy safety solvents in gallon cans from at the local parts store...it's called safety solvent because it isn't flammable, not because it isn't harmful to your health. It happens to work..

Yes, everybodies grandfather used gasoline or diesel or kerosene or whatever. It was stupid then and it's stupid now....

 

lol parts cleaner/brake cleaner causes cancer.
But your afraid of blowing your self up somehow?
Maybe ill put out that cigarette next time cleaning parts.

 

yeah if your huffing it, just like about everything else in a shop. in a well ventilated area you are fine, gasoline on the other hand is ridiculously flammable and can explode from just dropping something and it sparking

i use it to clean everything, we but it by the case at work

 

Brake clean is extremely flammable. So is gasoline. Everything causes cancer. Brake clean is not the best for carbon deposits. It works great for cleaning grease and oil off parts. I use sea foam and carb clean to break up carbon.

 

you should tell them that, cause they dont know
http://www.valvoline.com/products/br...ts-cleaners/70

if you let brake cleaner sit for 30 seconds and spray again it works better than carb cleaner or 2+2. i use about 2 cans a day, everyday

 

OK, check out the signs on the gas pump next time you fill up. Gasoline causes cancer too...

I'm not afraid of blowing myself up...I don't use gasoline as a cleaner as it's just idiotic.

Maybe you should put out a cigarette in gasoline next time you're around it. Maybe you'll get lucky an not immolate yourself....but probably not.

 

I've been a chemist for more than 30 years. Brake cleaners are chlorinated small hydrocarbons...originally chloromethane or dichloromethane but now safer versions. None of these halogenated materials is flammable...in fact, they make great fire extinguishers. However, these chemicals are not particularly good for you...especially the original ones as they had 'narcotic' properties similar to chloroform, the next bigger member of the family.

Carb cleaners are typically ketones...like acetone and MEK. These are very flammable but good for internal use in an engine as they loosen deposits and then burn off in the combustion chamber.

One thing to note...all of these chemicals can be absorbed through the skin. In quantity they attack your organs so just be careful around any of them....