Club 80-90 Forums

Are you developing a 'liking' for meths? Just an observation...

what2do wrote:Are you developing a 'liking' for meths? Just an observation...

yeh totally, only just last week I gave a rebuilt WBX away for free because I was smashed on meths....

anybody want one?

Serious question, is there a reason for your preference for meths as cleaner, or was it just what you had to hand.

Is that it now, job done or have you all the ancilliaries to put on ?

937carrera wrote:Serious question, is there a reason for your preference for meths as cleaner, or was it just what you had to hand.

Is that it now, job done or have you all the ancilliaries to put on ?

I'm open to better suggestions what do you use?

It's not my engine so that's it I'm finished

I would use brake cleaner, as that leaves no residue, and I have it to hand as I have a Wurth dispenser/spray bottle.

Congrats on a job well done. any idea when it will go back into a van, it would drive me mad to rebuild an engine and not be able to run it up to confirm all is well. Will you put some oil in the case / bores to keep everything fresh ?

937carrera wrote:I would use brake cleaner, as that leaves no residue, and I have it to hand as I have a Wurth dispenser/spray bottle.

Congrats on a job well done. any idea when it will go back into a van, it would drive me mad to rebuild an engine and not be able to run it up to confirm all is well. Will you put some oil in the case / bores to keep everything fresh ?

interesting what you say about residue with meths, not heard that before, perhaps the dye?, what is brake cleaner, I'm guessing isopropyl alcohol? I should get some of that.

Knowing the owner it probably won't turn a mile for some time

Anyway no payment was made ( it's a barter of labour system, I get some welding / stud removal services in return) so if it has a problem there is no warranty

Brake cleaner is acetone, toluene, methanol, perhaps naptha and tetrachloroethylene.

The comment about residue was more one of the features of brake cleaner (why it's used for cleaning brake dics etc) rather than meths (ethanol, methanol and denaturants).

Acetone & toluene are perhaps the best solvents (except for water, which a QC manager I worked with in the chemical industry used as a test for a young trainee)

You can buy in in aerosol form, but much better with the manual pump https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wurth-Brake- ... .l4275.c10. I pay about £12 for a 5 litre refil

Don't spray it on a hot engine

937carrera wrote:Brake cleaner is acetone, toluene, methanol, perhaps naptha and tetrachloroethylene.

The comment about residue was more one of the features of brake cleaner (why it's used for cleaning brake dics etc) rather than meths (ethanol, methanol and denaturants).

Acetone & toluene are perhaps the best solvents (except for water, which a QC manager I worked with in the chemical industry used as a test for a young trainee)

You can buy in in aerosol form, but much better with the manual pump https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wurth-Brake- ... .l4275.c10. I pay about £12 for a 5 litre refil

Don't spray it on a hot engine

chemical geekyness... love it

why do you need a pump can't you just use it on a rag?
don't like spraying chemicals you tend to breathe it in.

Sprays reach places rags don't, the jet setting on the pump gets into nooks & crannys, you'll understand why when you've used it for cleaning a sump off. You think it's clean, then another spray and more oily residue runs off.

The aromatics are so light they just dissipate upwards before you have chance to get happy. Cellulose thinners so much better for that.

937carrera wrote:Sprays reach places rags don't, the jet setting on the pump gets into nooks & crannys, you'll understand why when you've used it for cleaning a sump off. You think it's clean, then another spray and more oily residue runs off.

The aromatics are so light they just dissipate upwards before you have chance to get happy. Cellulose thinners so much better for that.

^this^
Exactly what I use and do. I get through gallons of brake cleaner and use it for 101 different jobs. Sometimes I clean brakes too. Best engine degreaser available.

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Thanks chaps will get some

I'm surprised nobody mentioned it before?

I use acetone - brilliant on oil. I last used it to clean an extremely oil and carp covered bilge in the boat prior to glassing in a new fuel tank. Fibreglass resin will not stick if there is the slightest trace of oil. Meths does have its uses but not if you want a film free substrate.
(Acetone strips the oils from your skin also )

Well I have done a few WBX with meths before and no problems yet.

We have also used it at work for donkeys years as a degreaser before using silicone based products and if you try to take them apart you can't. Interesting that occasionally we find poor adhesion so perhaps meths was used without being wiped off or perhaps it wasn't used at all.

I'm sure there are better products ( and I'm going to swap to brake cleaner as reccomended) but I doubt there is anything wrong with meths and a rag for degreasing sealing surfaces from my experience.

Wipe some meths across a clean mirror and allow to dry - you should be able to see the residue.