What's best to use apart from degreaser, to bring em up to new near?

i used kero in the kompressor kero gun to blast a 40 year old motor & box to respectability. a bit of peterol in the mix can help with those stubborn stains...

the neighbours then dobbed me in for noise and fumes......

there is a caustic degreaser avail that dosent smell or you could make your own from caustic soda......... if using strong stuff keep hosing down the woirking area. alloy discolours too so a bit of polish (autosol) will bring it back...

I wonder if a weak acid works as well, could water down battery acid....

oven cleaner works a treat on built up engine and road grime, but it will etch paint and alloy.

i just used kerosene and a toothbrush

anthony

Take care with caustic soda and any acids with aluminium because it will dissolve readily in both. Also when handling acids and caustic soda, you should always wear gloves and adequate eye protection.

Personally I think the Kero and petrol option is the safest and best method.

I've used the kero gun but had pretty poor success
personally I think putting petrol in the mix is a bad Idea because as we all know petrol vapour and a spark from you compressors electric motor = KABOOOOOM!!
Most of the time the only way to get 40 year old deposits from my bug was scraping them off with a chisel and a wire brush.
Goddamn Im glad its almost over.

after you've been breathing the kero/petrol mix, an explosion is the furtherest thing on your feeble hydrocarbon soaked mind.....

High pressure water jet is good for the first chunky crappy layer

A steam gun is handy!!!

I also used degreaser in a can (not cheap stuff) and a little elbow grease and she came up looking pretty good. A coat of paint on the tinware and i could've sold it as new!!!

Stubborn stuff i got out a easy going peice of sandpaper, but i did paint it afterwards.

Then prevention is better than a cure too... just ask a Chiro!!!!!


Marty

Yeh steam guns are meant to be great othewise degreaser with a high pressure hose works pretty well at getting thick grime and junk off. Sandblasting after degreasing can also bring things up really nicely, although some things will need to be re anodized or they'll rust.
Cheers,
Dustin

Ok
kero could be a starter, but probably need something a bit more agressive to fight the crap.
what about a cleaner that will bring aluminium, cast to near new, to buy off the shelf.
TRhanks
Johno