Your favorite dried out glow fuel solvent?

If Super Dave was still with us, he would have jumped in by now and said Hoppes #9 gun cleaning solvent. Lots of other members seem to agree.
Rusty

I have not yet tried this but there's a thread on RCU forums on how to use a small crock pot....one you will NEVER use to cook food in again, filled with automotive anti-freeze to heat and soak your engine(s) in. After a good overnight soak/cook the brown goo is all gone. But again you will never be able to use the crockpot for food again.  My 2 cents.
NOTE: do not bake your engine it will turn grey, and you must use the green anti freeze, not the pink. 100% prestone! not 50/50. (Google "crock pot engine cleaning" for additional information ). Also, do not do this inside your house, you'll need plenty of fresh air for the fumes.

Yep, hoppes #9 is the good stuff. Removes everything.

Thanks marleysky and all. Hoppes #9, got plenty of that.

I like using some fresh glow fuel first.

George

+1 for Marley, the crock pot is a well proven effective method. When I have dregs of bottles of fuel I pour it into a bottle I keep for that very purpose. I only clean things to a functional level though. I don't ever care what they look like... but I'm not a collector or a hobby engine renewer, just a hack flyer.
Rusty

Denatured alcohol, chuck them in and leave them at least overnight. If the engine was at the "peanut butter" stage it will likely be good to go the next day. If it is locked tight then there will be more work.

Phil

I've tried the anti-freeze thing a number of times and it works well. In the absence of a crock-pot, I just stick the engine or parts in a soup can of neat antifreeze and heat it overnight at 100° or so in a small toaster oven I keep in my shed as a bearing heater. (Makes them easier to install when expanded). It can cause paper type gaskets expand and go mushy. I then give the engine a rinse under hot water and scrub with a tooth brush. For really stubborn stains I use some well-diluted pink alkaline degreaser in an ultrasonic jewelery cleaner. Buzz it for about 20-30 minutes then rinse well. Too strong & too long can cause the die-cast case to go dull, but I found that a small soft brass wire brush brings the die-cast back up like new.

Rod.

Denatured alcohol Works well for me , the locked ones take a while give them a swhirling now and then , Then tooth brush / brass brush after getting them apart . HOBBIES #9 TOO LONG WILL REMOVE ALL THE PLATEING (THANKS SD) Luckily I learned this on a inexpensive engine still [bleep] me off. 30 min. at a time and ck. it ! tried marvel mystery and it was a mystery ? backed a few but just to get them apart . Rod never heard of heating a bearing to install I have put them in the freezer to contract and that has worked well . Eric

I have heard of heating and chilling bearing and/or cases to do installations. It is a well recognized concept.

Speaking of heat, that really is the thing for quickly separating castor gummed parts. Use a heat gun and warm the parts gently, gummed old castor will often bubble out of crevices at the correct temperature, then while still warm and wearing heavy leather gloves use the correct tool to attempt to loosen the part. Personal and part safety need considered, so take several tries at it if necessary.

Use leather straps (old belt works well) if using pliers is appropriate. That same leather pad, if long enough, can be caught in the pliers jaws with the part in the material loop to become a strap wrench if necessary.

Do not dunk the part back into whatever bath you are using until it has cooled to a similar temperature as the bath, the temperature shock has a risk of deforming parts, and waiting 5 minutes with the part on the table is easy.

Phil

Ken Cook wrote:I like to use denatured alcohol . I also soak certain parts in tranny fluid. Ken

I've used a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF --- the acetone lowers the surface tension of the ATF and improves the penetration.  Once parts are loosened and freed up, I finish up with pure acetone.  After cleaning, you'll need to re-lube steel parts since the acetone removes all traces of oil and leaves them susceptible to surface rust.

If plastic parts are involved, check to ensure they won't be harmed by the acetone.

I have found acetone to leave a crusty white residue on the parts, requiring scrubbing. I've never had success with it. Also, I tried to mix acetone & ATF and found that they would not mix and stayed separated. Must have too much synthetic in the ATF I use.

Just got some of this stuff today with about 10 min. and a paper towel w/a dash of this stuff the case came out pretty nice (This is polish After cleaning )    Under 10.00 Getback

I finally loosened this engine up.  Nothing worked until I fired up the heat gun.  Nasty inside.  Sorry for the poor picture quality.



The heat gun isn't kind to gaskets but age had a lot to do with it too..



It came out rather nice though.  From frozen tight to operable engine once I find replacement gaskets.



Now to tend to this one.  I'm trying a less invasive penetrating oil soak before applying heat.

Good Job !! I think you beat me and some others out on that auction ? I remember the eng. u cleaned and the oil can Eric

getback wrote:Good Job !! I think you beat me and some others out on that auction ? I remember the eng. u cleaned and the oil can  Eric

I hate it when that happens Eric.....

I lose more of these than I win. Sometimes I think --- Someone out bid me...PLEASE!!! I usually one time bid what it's worth to me, then quit. But these two had a special appeal.

Yeah I hear U Ck. this diesel conversion out ... well I don't thik it was a good idea since must have blew the cly/crank case threads out . Looks like JB time and put the right head on it Its got a pretty Red tank though Eric

That's not a conversion Eric. OK Cub made a diesel in both .049 & .074. I'm pretty sure only the diesels had the red prop driver. The cylinder is different & can't take a glow plug head. Crank & rod are also stronger. I'm pretty sure the case is the same, so all the rugged diesel gear can be transferred to a glow crankcase. I've been trying to get hold of a Cub diesel for ages, but the price usually goes beyond my budget.

Rod.