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Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:21 am

Is it ok to soak cylinders, pistons, pushrods and tubes, and heads in kerosene to clean them?

Also Tom Wilsons book mentions putting them in a dishwasher as a final clean - anyone tried this?

Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:44 am

I see your in Greece, so whatever you can get easy enough...I used to use kero, when it was cheaper. Now I use engine degreasing solvent(available here at local auto or machine shop)...but I'm always cleaning off numerous pieces of junk/old iron...Kero still has oil in it, so will leave parts with a coating...if you hone the cyls., they must be washed in hot soapy water to remove the fine honings...after washing, let dry...if not replacing right then, I lightly rub with oily/kero rag, and place in plastic bag, or cover somehow. If you were going to use the dishwasher, I don't think I'd use the one in the house(smell,residue,wife)...but I think it would work for the final cleaning/drying...I have been known to take milk crates with parts in them down to my local car wash...remember, cleaning with really hot water will heat parts so part will dry quicker...wherever water comes in contact with steel/iron it is going to have surface rust...clean oily rag, removes this.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:54 am

I've just bought an 18 litre drum of kero so I'll use that - the cylinder head was my main concern but it sounds like it will be ok in kero.

The degreasing solvent you mentioned - is it in liquid (bottle) form, or aerosol? I have an aerosol can of degreaser but for the amount of stuff i have to clean it was more cost effective to buy kerosene.

Thanks for your help.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:45 am

I also wanted to know whats the best way to clean up the pistons. They have quite a lot of browning all over, and a lot of carbon built up on the end. Can I rub the pistons all over with 80 grit emery cloth?

Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:56 am

The solvent I buy, is a clear liquid...use over and over, strain through coffee filter/screen...final rinse with clean sol... You don't want to scratch the pistons, but using fine grit with kero will clean nicely...I've been able to clean the tops off just by rubbing with solvent/kero, in circular motion, and the carbon residue becomes the cleaning agent...

Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:00 pm

made_in_nz wrote: I also wanted to know whats the best way to clean up the pistons. They have quite a lot of browning all over, and a lot of carbon built up on the end. Can I rub the pistons all over with 80 grit emery cloth?

NO :shock: Scrape what you can off with a non metallic scraper (wood, plastic, etc...), maybe a fine wire brush on the top only. Some carb cleaners soften carbon, a soak in Simple green gets it off like buttah but I don't know if it's available where you live.

Do not scratch your pistons!

Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:35 pm

thanks - i'll keep the emery cloth away from the pistons :) I've got them soaking now so i'll see how clean i I can get them in the morning.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:40 pm

Depending on which parts I'll use degreasers, solvents, thinners, and sometimes oven cleaner. Oven cleaner is awesome for the right application. Plus having a local shop bead blast. But regardless about everything ends up in the sink or in the bathtub for the larger parts. Real hot water and a good soap or detergent. Powered Tide has been the best for decades. And then a good real hot water rinse. If the part is hot it will dry off real quick. A lot of people use a dishwasher. I tried but she refused to do it.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:06 pm

Quote: I tried but she refused to do it.

Funny thing is the bathroom always looks like a laundry so why shouldn't the dishwasher look like a parts washer?