Greasing your machine....The hate/hate relationship.

[Runs With Scissors]

If all that in before pictures collected since last greasing you might be over greasing and/or machine has a lot of wear making space for grease that is squeezed out later.

I do "over grease".

It's a habit developed way back in the day when Max, (the Grumman Tech Rep for EA-6B's) would constantly scold us for not greasing until "nothing but clean grease is coming out".

I simply can not stop until all bright red, clean grease is coming out.

 

[mikester]

I loathe greasing my machine/s: However, I do it all the time due to the 'voices in my head'.

The thing I hate as much/(possibly more) is cleaning up, and lately I have been neglecting the "clean up" part.

The over arching question here is : What do you use to clean heavy amounts of grease off?

"Back in the day" I/we used "trike" (trichloroethane or trichloro-triflouronethane???? possibly both?) and it worked great from what I remember.............. Best of all it was free ......

About 15 gallons ended getting "accidently" taken home with a Marine that I knew, but 'he' has long since run out and therefore, "we" have had to find alternatives.

Currently I use a butt load of rags and "brake cleaner", but was wondering if anyone has a better solution?

Here are the before and after pics of my most recent "cleaning spree"....

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After:

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Good job, you are hired! I hate cleaning off old grease. Good way to use up old rags though...

 

[D2Cat]

Damn fellas....

I was hoping someone had a "magic bullet" to solve this problem.

I have never thought of using WD-40 though. I might have to get me a can to try.



Which one do you think works the best?-- "kitchen grade" paper towels, those expensive rolls of blue shop rags, or just regular old cut up T-shirts?

I think that old cotton T-shirts far out perform the "kitchen grade" paper towels, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. Those rolls of blue shop towels come in second, but are too pricey for me.

When I owned a Transmission shop I used to buy shop rags by the pound. Does anyone have a good source for "rags by the pound" currently?

i had a friend who had a used clothing store. He would buy bales of clothes. The had all been washed, but they were somehow baled like those cardboard box bales you see behind a grocery store. They were about the size of a large square bale of hay. They had to weigh near a ton. When the bands were cut there was enough clothes for two cities!

Probably not practical for grease rags!

 

[Hkb82]

This gives me a great idea. Tear away grease pads like motocross riders use on their helmet visors. lol
Personally I use whatever rag or paper towel I can find that’s closest. Usually pretty effortless to get it off. I wipe it down every grease except in the winter. Don’t really use the loader in the winters much for snow and usually is pretty clean. I also use Meguiar’s hybrid ceramic wax a bunch/lot of times throughout the year. Maybe this helps it come off easier. Maybe not. Using things like the pressure washer I tend to just spread chunks around including the windshield and that really sucks.
Goo gone spray might be worth trying if your looking for options. Never really looked into what’s in it so maybe a quick check first. I don’t like the idea of brake cleaner or carb cleaners on painted stuff. Probably fine to use for most but not with my luck. WD40 or other oil and lube sprays seem to do just fine for me when I do need something.

 

[ctfjr]

As others have mentioned I use a lot of paper towels. What I also do is use wooden tongue depressors to reach in and pull out as much of the dark crappy stuff. I also try to leave the joint full to help prevent water getting into the greased area.
I've tried many solvents to wipe off the cylinders and around the zerks but have pretty much settled on paper towels and call it quits.

 

[fried1765]

This gives me a great idea. Tear away grease pads like motocross riders use on their helmet visors. lol
Personally I use whatever rag or paper towel I can find that’s closest. Usually pretty effortless to get it off. I wipe it down every grease except in the winter. Don’t really use the loader in the winters much for snow and usually is pretty clean. I also use Meguiar’s hybrid ceramic wax a bunch/lot of times throughout the year. Maybe this helps it come off easier. Maybe not. Using things like the pressure washer I tend to just spread chunks around including the windshield and that really sucks.
Goo gone spray might be worth trying if your looking for options. Never really looked into what’s in it so maybe a quick check first. I don’t like the idea of brake cleaner or carb cleaners on painted stuff. Probably fine to use for most but not with my luck. WD40 or other oil and lube sprays seem to do just fine for me when I do need something.

"Using things like the pressure washer I tend to just spread chunks around".

Not so......If you use a HOT pressure washer!
Hot water (particularly with soap), will prevent grease from spreading around!

 

[Hkb82]

I don’t currently have a hot water line to any outside area but you got me thinking it wouldn’t take much.

 

[fried1765]

I don’t currently have a hot water line to any outside area but you got me thinking it wouldn’t take much.

If you take the route to extend a domestic hot water line to the outside, be certain to insulate it heavily.
Your water heater likely only puts out 120-130 degree water, but it WILL help!.
I do not use domestic hot water, because.....I want MORE!

I have an old HOTSY (oil fired) which gives me 200 degree water.
It is old,..... but a great machine!

 

[CGMKCM]

As others have mentioned I use a lot of paper towels. What I also do is use wooden tongue depressors to reach in and pull out as much of the dark crappy stuff. I also try to leave the joint full to help prevent water getting into the greased area.
I've tried many solvents to wipe off the cylinders and around the zerks but have pretty much settled on paper towels and call it quits.

I also use tongue depressors. I sand down the rounded ends to a gasket scraper profile and scrape the grease. I then remove grease from depressor with rags. Final wipe up was done with brake cleaner. I will have give WD 40 a try.
Our church has a clothing recycle program. Any towels, Tee shirts, denim, sweatshirts in poor condition or way out of fashion, I cut up and use for rags.

 

[The Evil Twin]

To wipe off the grease, I keep it simple and use rags (old clothes that spousal unit is too embarrassed / disgusted to see me wear or be seen with me wearing or to holy to donate). I only wipe off prior to greasing…I leave any clean grease that comes out as first line of defense of dirt / debris coming in. To me a little extra grease collects/captures the dirt / debris to protect the joint. Not sure that is right or not.

I know that the wife has had it with a article of clothing when I find it in my rag bin in the shop.

 

[Russell King]

Damn fellas....

I was hoping someone had a "magic bullet" to solve this problem.

I have never thought of using WD-40 though. I might have to get me a can to try.



Which one do you think works the best?-- "kitchen grade" paper towels, those expensive rolls of blue shop rags, or just regular old cut up T-shirts?

I think that old cotton T-shirts far out perform the "kitchen grade" paper towels, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. Those rolls of blue shop towels come in second, but are too pricey for me.

When I owned a Transmission shop I used to buy shop rags by the pound. Does anyone have a good source for "rags by the pound" currently?

Here you go

https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Industries-10085PB-Recycled-Multicolored/dp/B00EDFSFRI/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=bags%2Bof%2Brags&qid=1707959853&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

You might have a local source also. There are textile recycling sites that take in clean cloth and sell it as rags (wipers) after cutting it down.

 

[GeoHorn]

I know that the wife has had it with a article of clothing when I find it in my rag bin in the shop.

Start using all her panties.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Start using all her panties.

Cleaning grease with those would be like eating soup with a fork. And, the dog would have a new roommate

 

[Soopitup]

Personally I wouldn't like any solvent in the joint. Or all over the tractor.
I do like the idea of WD40; that should help with the worst of it while still leaving a protective layer.
Oily metal won't rust.

Damn fellas....

I was hoping someone had a "magic bullet" to solve this problem.

I have never thought of using WD-40 though. I might have to get me a can to try.

Which one do you think works the best?-- "kitchen grade" paper towels, those expensive rolls of blue shop rags, or just regular old cut up T-shirts?

I think that old cotton T-shirts far out perform the "kitchen grade" paper towels, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. Those rolls of blue shop towels come in second, but are too pricey for me.

When I owned a Transmission shop I used to buy shop rags by the pound. Does anyone have a good source for "rags by the pound" currently?

Kids old clothes man. Plus mine once they're worn out. I've got a huge plastic bin full.
I wouldn't even bother with regular paper towels, unless it was just a little bit. You need something much more substantial.

I do "over grease".

It's a habit developed way back in the day when Max, (the Grumman Tech Rep for EA-6B's) would constantly scold us for not greasing until "nothing but clean grease is coming out".

I simply can not stop until all bright red, clean grease is coming out.

Hanger rat?

That's not over greasing, that's greasing correctly.
Flushes out any crap that might have made its way in. And prevents old grease from hardening up inside.

If you take the route to extend a domestic hot water line to the outside, be certain to insulate it heavily.
Your water heater likely only puts out 120-130 degree water, but it WILL help!.
I do not use domestic hot water, because.....I want MORE!

I have an old HOTSY (oil fired) which gives me 200 degree water.
It is old,..... but a great machine!

Hell yeah man, nothing cleans like steam.
We used to use something like that to clean the inside of the M1A1 hulls when we pulled the power packs. Worked better than any degreaser.
And dries off relatively quick.

 

[GeoHorn]

It’s impossible to “over grease” a plain bearing or pin such as on a FEL.

Overgreasing can be done on sealed bearings and tie-rods etc which have glands that can be torn or damaged by overgreasing.

The “case” of paper towels I buy are mainly for the purpose of When I Grease …to wipe up the excess which has squeezed out during the exercise…..not necessarily for clean up….because that fresh grease which was expelled was easy to wipe away if caught before it becomes contaminated and “hard”.

 

[mikester]

"Using things like the pressure washer I tend to just spread chunks around".

Not so......If you use a HOT pressure washer!
Hot water (particularly with soap), will prevent grease from spreading around!

Just be sure to re-grease after pressure washing to push the water out from pins and bushings...doh, new grease globs to clean!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I know that the wife has had it with a article of clothing when I find it in my rag bin in the shop.

Sometimes I pull it out and put it back in my drawer, just to see if she is paying attention.....

 

[DustyRusty]

Damn fellas....

I was hoping someone had a "magic bullet" to solve this problem.

I have never thought of using WD-40 though. I might have to get me a can to try.



Which one do you think works the best?-- "kitchen grade" paper towels, those expensive rolls of blue shop rags, or just regular old cut up T-shirts?

I think that old cotton T-shirts far out perform the "kitchen grade" paper towels, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. Those rolls of blue shop towels come in second, but are too pricey for me.

When I owned a Transmission shop I used to buy shop rags by the pound. Does anyone have a good source for "rags by the pound" currently?

Ask any shop that fixes transmissions.

 

[DustyRusty]

Sometimes I pull it out and put it back in my drawer, just to see if she is paying attention.....

Our new puppy has taken to stealing socks from the laundry. I get all the socks that have lost their mate to use in the garage. Now I have to share with the puppy who thinks that they are toys.

 

[fried1765]

Personally I wouldn't like any solvent in the joint. Or all over the tractor.
I do like the idea of WD40; that should help with the worst of it while still leaving a protective layer.
Oily metal won't rust.


Kids old clothes man. Plus mine once they're worn out. I've got a huge plastic bin full.
I wouldn't even bother with regular paper towels, unless it was just a little bit. You need something much more substantial.



Hanger rat?

That's not over greasing, that's greasing correctly.
Flushes out any crap that might have made its way in. And prevents old grease from hardening up inside.




Hell yeah man, nothing cleans like steam.
We used to use something like that to clean the inside of the M1A1 hulls when we pulled the power packs. Worked better than any degreaser.
And dries off relatively quick.

Water has to reach more than 212 degrees, to form steam.
A "hot pressure washer" does not quite make steam.