Lessons learned while cleaning parts

Let me say that this tale might be embellished a wee bit. Then again, maybe not.

Its been over 10 years since I cleaned any engine parts, and I forgot a few things. This might seem like obvious stuff to everyone else, but I had to relearn some stuff. As you read this, you might think Im a complete bumbling moron. Im not, really. I dont normally do stupid things, it must have been the beer doing my thinking that weekend.

A couple weekends ago I was cleaning my timing cover. There were 30 years of grease and grime coating what I knew was a beautiful aluminum piece. The pump housing had only the slightest of wear, but the rest of it was filthy. There were even spider webs and carcasses covering the inside.

I went to work with a can of engine degreaser, a can of carb cleaner, and a few assorted brushes. The engine cleaner was easy; spray it on, wait 10 minutes and hose it off. Trouble was, that didnt do anything except make the ground all dirty. The cover still looked the same. I sprayed it with another couple ounces of degreaser then went to work on it with a brush. First lesson- never wear a white shirt when using a brush on grease. I looked like I spent time on my back under a pepper grinder. Nice. Toss that shirt in the rag bin.

Next up, carburetor cleaner. When my gloves disintegrated, I remembered that carb cleaner dissolves latex. I also remembered that carb cleaner is the greatest stuff in the world at dissolving grease. I barely needed the brush.

After it was 97.5% clean I looked it over. What I needed was to have the thing hot tanked. What do I have around the house that would be the closest thing to a parts-cleaning tank? That's easy, the dishwasher. Yes, I actually conceived the lame-brained idea that the easiest way to make that sucker shine would be to run my timing cover through my dishwasher. It was mostly clean already, right? Something in my little head said, Dont do it, dumbass, but I didnt listen as usual. My wife was out of town that weekend and there was no way shed ever know.

I was right about one thing; the dishwasher made it look like new. Man, it was beautiful. There was only one problem, but it wasnt with my timing cover. My dishwasher now smelled vaguely like carburetor cleaner and engine degreaser. Only vaguely, but I knew what it was.

I ran that stupid dishwasher on Pots and Pans about 10 times with a bunch of extra detergent in the extra detergent tray thingy. I even used the water heat feature. When I opened the door after the last cycle, the steam cloud made the kitchen resemble a tropical rain forest. rain even started falling from the ceiling. I stuck my head inside after the cloud cleared and took a big sniff.

Damn. The dishwasher smells like engine degreaser. The biggest bummer is that a new dishwasher will cost roughly the same as a new TA Performance timing cover.

Lesson learned.

 

haha that was funny.

i take it your wife hasnt made it home yet?

what if you load it up with some orange hand cleaner. o No:

 

I would try to look at things in a positive light.
At least now you can turn that old dish washer from your kitchen into your new heated power washer out in your garage! :Brow:

 

She's home, but hasn't emptied the dishwasher yet.

Sure, right next to the old oven/powder coater.

 

LOL. I guess it's only important if the dishes end up smelling like carb cleaner.

 

Change the filter and run it empty with a cup of vinegar in it. Should help.

 

yup,the wife/girlfriend leaves the domicile for a while & we revert to bachlerhood.if you were single or living with a bunch of guys...would it still bother you p

 

You're gonna get in trouble,you're gonna get in trouble,you're gonna get in trouble !!!! Sorry but that is too damn funny !!!! Like dualqwad said,at least you got a new parts cleaner.... :laugh: Good luck man,hope we don't read about you in the obituaries. :eek2:

 

I won't get in trouble until she empties the dishwasher. I just have to make sure that doesn't happen for a while. I have the fact that she hates emptying it in my favor.

Sears stopped selling that model, of course, so I can't replace it with an identical one.

 

con job

It is sooooooooo simple. '' You smell something?" " I dont smell anything." :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

:Smarty: Hey send a video to AFHV and you will win $!00,000 for sure. Then maybe the wifey God bless her won`t be :af:. I think i`ll give that go thanks for idea (not) :laugh:

 

cleaner

Next time just get enough simple green to cover the part, drop the part in and leave it 16 hours or more and the crud will just wash off with a brush. Does aluminum really well.

 

I'm going to need a few gallons to do the mess in my engine bay.

 

I just degreased the nasty grease covered frame in my Century project using Rubbermaid Commercial Quality Concentrated Orange Cleaner/Degreaser. Sprayed it on and let it set over night, came out the next day and wiped off a majority with a rag. Sprayed and scrubed with a nylon bristle brush and wiped it clean.

 

Dude,

That little voice in your head that you heard? It's called your concience. You must learn to listen to it more often! ou:

Good luck with the wife. :eek2:

One thing about petroleum products, the smells are so damn permamnent. Try running a cycle with a cup of baking soda in there. Or even two cups!

 

One thing I've learned with degreasing, the BEST degreaser on the planet Earth is plain old gasoline! PERIOD!

Do a Brake Kleen chaser and you are ready for paint. :TU:

 

I feel your pain!

Years ago my wife returned home from a visit at the in-laws to discover that I'd loaded the dishwasher with hubcaps. Lots of them. All stacked in there neatly just like dinner plates.

Gained "like new" hubcaps that day and almost needed to gain a new wife! She was not happy!

 

Sure. Mail it to me.

 

I had to laugh when I read this.