Cleaning engine and frame advice

[the_flying_scotsman]

I'm learning as I go here so apologies for what might be a dumb question.
I am fixing up an old C10 and have taken the front clip off, I want to wash the engine area and front end.

Are their parts of the engine I might want to cover up when hosing down?

Oh and can anyone recommend a good product to remove decades of crud!

[cwcarpenter98]

Definitely cover the carb so you don't get any water down the intake. Be careful around the electrical components. Also be careful around the dipstick and oil fill. Don't want to get water down in the crank case.

I've had decent results with the Gunk brand engine degreaser. Some of the thick stuff on the frame might need some scraping before you hose it down. A stiff drywall putty knife works well for that. Probably won't have to scrape much if you use a pressure washer on the frame, just be cautious around the engine with that one

[65truckowner]

I thought I was careful pressure washing my engine one time and ended up filling the engine with water so take your time. Oven cleaner works good just protect your face when spraying

[theastronaut]

Pressure wash, then scrape as much off as possible. If you're trying to remove greasy/oily buildup then soaking with gas/kerosene/diesel will help loosen up and thin out the oils better than most degreasers will. Just be super careful if using anything flamable. Once the thicker buildup is scrubbed off you can switch to a normal degreaser like Purple Power.

Harbor Freight has a good assortment of brushes, you'll need a variety of stiff brushes to reach in all the hard to reach spots.

I just did this on my '66 C10 and the A-arms had to be soaked in a tub of gasoline before the layer of caked on dirt and grease would come off. Our pressure washer didn't do much to strip it off, the mix of red clay and oil/grease seems to set up like concrete. The gas also stripped the paint which made prepping for new paint easier.

[the_flying_scotsman]

Awesome. Thanks for all the tips..

[AcampoDave]

I clean a lot of greasy stuff with brushes and waterless hand cleaner. You know, good ol' Gojo. Also Dawn is another non-caustic de-greaser that I like and the leftovers get used later for other stuff.

[the_flying_scotsman]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

.

I just did this on my '66 C10 and the A-arms had to be soaked in a tub of gasoline before the layer of caked on dirt and grease would come off. Our pressure washer didn't do much to strip it off, the mix of red clay and oil/grease seems to set up like concrete. The gas also stripped the paint which made prepping for new paint easier.

I was going to just clean and paint them while attached to frame, is it just those two ubolts to remove?.. Might be easier to clean with them off.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by the_flying_scotsman

I was going to just clean and paint them while attached to frame, is it just those two ubolts to remove?.. Might be easier to clean with them off.

All you have to do is pop the lower ball joint out of the spindle, take the shock off, use a floor jack to gently allow the spring to decompress, pull 2 u bolts, and it's out.

If you decide to pull arms completely off, would be a good time to do the caster mod if desired and upgrade to the 9/16" u bolts from the squarebodys

[the_flying_scotsman]

Originally Posted by cwcarpenter98

All you have to do is pop the lower ball joint out of the spindle, take the shock off, use a floor jack to gently allow the spring to decompress, pull 2 u bolts, and it's out.

If you decide to pull arms completely off, would be a good time to do the caster mod if desired and upgrade to the 9/16" u bolts from the squarebodys

The only thing I haven't done is pull both ubolts, as I was nervous about precise positioning when reconnecting..

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by the_flying_scotsman

The only thing I haven't done is pull both ubolts, as I was nervous about precise positioning when reconnecting..

The LCA shafts have a hole drilled for a locating pin. There's only one spot you can put them back on, unless you add a hole in the LCA. Should be easier to clean up now for ya

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by 65truckowner

I thought I was careful pressure washing my engine one time and ended up filling the engine with water so take your time. Oven cleaner works good just protect your face when spraying

You have to be careful w/oven cleaner. You need to use the HD type (Walmart or dollar store stuff vs 'Easy-Off) for best results but they're caustic enough to remove paint & can stain certain non-painted finishes if it sits. It does work well for removing greasy build-up when used w/some caution.

Castrol 'Super Clean' or the parts store cleaners Simple Green (the non-diluted) & 'Purple-Power' are all good cleaners.

The more dirt & grease removed physically w/scrapers, screw-drivers, & wire brushes before spraying things down the better. It takes more than one pass to get the best results.

[sstock]

Unless you have hot water, pressure washing-mixed results- really isnt worth the effort in my opinion versus the mess. I like to scrape the thick stuff off with a screwdriver and putty knife, then hit the part with a pneumatic needle scaler. That is the tool I wish I had years ago. It is money for clearing off scale and rust. Stiff solvent brush and brake clean(keep off the rubber and wires) works well too, gunk and other degreasers are all water down less than really good these days. my .02 only