Cleaning Old Grease

[Scattergun2570]

I was recently told that denatured alcohol is good for degreasing parts..anyone concur,or disagree?

[philaroman]

not especially great, but safe for all materials likely to be in a reel  (doesn't have to be denatured, BTW -- that's just to make you puke if you drink it)

[Scattergun2570]

not especially great, but safe for all materials likely to be in a reel  (doesn't have to be denatured, BTW -- that's just to make you puke if you drink it)

What do you use?

[philaroman]

oh, I drink the denatured    ...seriously, though

I'm not a pro -- just tinker w/ my own & friends', so I don't have a US bath or a production line where parts can soak for hours, while other reels get worked.  I want it FAST, so I like acetone for metal parts -- faster than alcohol & zero residue (no rinsing / no drying), unlike water-based detergent solutions...  just keep acetone & its fumes away from plastic & paint (and lungs)

[johndtuttle]

Dawn detergent and a tooth brush.

If its old and caked on, Corrosion-x and a tooth brush.

The pros that don't have the time to do it that way use an ultrasonic cleaner and simple green or the like or other more powerful stuff. If you are just doing your own reels no need to get too crazy about it.

[PacRat]

WD-40 and a toothbrush. WD-40 is a great solvent and is safe for plastic but not so safe for stickers and labels. On the other hand; if you have old line weight labels that you want to remove WD-40 will take them off and clean up the residue.
Mike

[philaroman]

WD-40 works great, but leaves its own residue that doesn't play nice w/ lubricants -- you have to rinse it off thoroughly

[PacRat]

I'm interested in what you mean by "doesn't play well with other lubricants". I typically just wipe it off with a rag. Is this sufficient? The reason I'm asking is that I have noticed over time (year+) that my Yamaha and Penn blue grease tend to turn brown. Is this normal or is this because it's not playing well with the WD-40?
Mike

[mo65]

  I have noticed over time (year+) that my Yamaha and Penn blue grease tend to turn brown.

   I've heard lots of guys complain of this Mike...it appears to be a reaction to moisture/use. Here's a thread about it.

           http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=12194.0

[Alto Mare]

 I have noticed over time (year+) that my Yamaha and Penn blue grease tend to turn brown.

  I've heard lots of guys complain of this Mike...it appears to be a reaction to moisture/use. Here's a thread about it.

          http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=12194.0

You fish that reel hard and eventually it will all turn Black, no matter what color grease you use...but still functional.
The black comes from the Cal's grease and the carbon fiber washers.
Clean the reel at least once a year and I mean completely taken apart and you should do just fine.

WD-40 works great, but leaves its own residue that doesn't play nice w/ lubricants -- you have to rinse it off thoroughly

Give Paslode tool cleaner a shot, that's all I use, well I also use Simple Green to soak the parts first.

Sal

[Scattergun2570]

Dawn detergent and a tooth brush.

If its old and caked on, Corrosion-x and a tooth brush.

The pros that don't have the time to do it that way use an ultrasonic cleaner and simple green or the like.

Dawn is what I used on the last tear down,seems to be good..when I open this older Curado up,I will keep the corrosion x in mind.

[alantani]

I was recently told that denatured alcohol is good for degreasing parts..anyone concur,or disagree?

just don't use gasoline!!!!!   

[handi2]

Good old Mineral Spirits. Its fast if you are lined up with reels to service. All the others take longer but they don't stink up the house.

I'm refering to getting the funky grease out of the reel and its parts.

I assume you are working at home like all of us did at one time. Way back then i did use mineral spirits I had in a one gallon paint can. This way all the old gunk would fall to the bottom. I would keep it outside on the covered porch. After scrubbing them down I would wash them off in hot water and then a blow dry.

For the reel your getting ready to work on there isn't much grease to deal with. Dawn and hot water will do. Using this it still leaves a slight film of grease which is good.

Being at home a can of lighter fluid is a safe product to use. Its cheap to. You wouldn't need much for that reel.

The Passload spray cleaner Sal mentioned would be perfect for that reel. It has a good strong spray of plastic safe solvent that leaves no residue. Its used to clean electrical switches and parts on tools. I buy it by the case and use it everyday. Especially on Shimano spinning reels that are composite material. It will desolve and spray away the old grease and dirt. Great for the levelwind system too. Also roller clutches and one way bearings.

[foakes]

On metal parts like aluminum, pot metal, brass, bronze, steel, copper, and German Silver -- mineral spirits are very good.

If it is really old and caked on -- I use lacquer thinner.  I am comfortable doing this since I have worked around LT all my life when doing staining and lacquering.  But it is a caution because it is flammable, like many of the cleaners we use.  It does more than loosen the caked on grease -- it dissolves it off quickly.

However, if careful -- it is efficient, quick, and a gallon costs about $18 -- and lasts me 2 months of steady daily use.

Never use on graphite, plastic, painted, or anodized parts.

I also use simple green, purple degreaser, Dawn -- plus an ultrasonic cleaner.

Best,

Fred

[Midway Tommy]

I'm with Fred, I use lacquer thinner exclusively on unpainted metal parts. I usually soak them in a clear lidded jar so I can see what's going on but occasionally, when I'm doing multiple different model reels so I don't get individual reels' parts mixed up, I put them in a SS wire strainer and suspend it in a metal gallon paint can of lacquer thinner for a couple of days. When the thinner starts to look dirty I strain it with paper towels or fine cloth to remove the particles. Then I reuse it until there's excessive grease/oil build up. Always remember, though, lacquer thinner, acetone, mineral spirits, xylene, etc. residue rags can spontaneously combust. Store them outside until all residue has evaporated and they are completely dry.