What solvents are the current favorites for cleaning old lube products at this point. I have numerous engines that have bveen sitting for years waiting for the space and completion of my railroad which is bearing fruition. Thank you for input.
Naptha, commonly sold as Ronsonol lighter fluid, is my favorite at this point. It cuts oil and grease like no tomorrow, while being relatively safe on most plastics. Just be sure it has all evaporated before attempting to run something which has been cleaned with it.
I also am a big fan of the CRC brand QD electronics cleaner, which is a mixture of various lightweight volatile solvents. The same caution applies, though, as it’s highly flammable. It’s also rather expensive, at around $6 a can.
For organic solvents starting with the mildest and working up
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Alcohol. Sold as shellac thinner or high strength Isopropyl alcohol. It will burn but it’s a lot safer than gasoline. Evaporates completely, leaving no residue. If alcohol is strong enough to do the job I stick with it. Unlikely to damage plastic, paint, floor tile.
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“Mineral Spirits” Sold as paint thinner or charcoal lighter. Good grease cutter. Safer to handle than gasoline. About the same strength as alcohol for cleaning. Leaves a slight oily residue. Unlikely to damage plastic, paint, floor tile.
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Methyl Ethyl Ketone. (MEK for short) Very active solvent. Will dissolve paint, plastic, floor tile, linoleum, lots of other things. Spills can be very very messy. Active ingredient in styrene cement. More flammable than alcohol or mineral spirits but still not as bad as gasoline. For use in extreme cases or removing lacquer from metal. MEK is so active that I seldom use it, fearing that it will attack the object rather than just cleaning it. It eats all kinds of plastic.
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Googone. Sold in stores for removing price tag stickum. Good track and wheel cleaner. Non flammable. Surprisingly effective on many types of crud.
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Hot soapy water. Good preparation for painting, assuming the object is waterproof.
Except for the motors, I use Dawn dish soap on everything. For motors I use CRC electric contact cleaner.
Alcohol and mineral spirits are the ticket for me.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Done!
I would use alcohol and/or dish soap only. Other solvents are real hard on plastic parts…chuck
Advice
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Naphtha (Ronsonol lighter fluid) is very very flammable. Use it only outside.
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The alcohol that is shellac thinner and the isopropyl alcohol sold in drugstores are two very different chemicals. Shellac thinner is methanol (“wood alcohol”) and is very flammable, very toxic, and absorbed through the skin. Use it outside and wear rubber gloves (and I mean industrial strength neoprene gloves. Isopropyl alcohol ('rubbing alcohol") being intended for use on the skin is considerably more harmless. I do believe neither will attack plastic.
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Mineral spirits paint thinner is OK to use, just remember it takes paint off. I believe it is the solvent used in Floquil paints these days!! Also remember that — as somebody said above — it is oily and has to be washed off with soap & water, whereas if using alcohol you can simply let it air-dry by evaporation.
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Strongly recommend you NEVER NEVER use any of the following as cleaners under any circumstances:
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Acetone or MEK. Both outrageously flammable and very toxic. Yes I know MEK is the principal ingredient is styrene plastic cement, but minimize your exposure to it.
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Lacquer thinner (nail polish remover). All the Asian immigrant girls staffing our plethora of nail salons are shortening their lives working around that stuff day after day!!
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Benzene or xylene. Not only dangerously flammable but also carcinogenic!
Castrol SuperClean is a good bet for your problem. It is safe for plastic, but it will remove paint. It’s available at most auto parts stores.
Remove the trucks and let them soak in the SuperClean. I’d remove the side frames if they’re painted.