how to clean parts (gears)

[teddyyyy]

now that I got my transmission disassembled, I need to clean the parts before I put them back : either I was careless and my glove is full of the gunk on the outside surface so that dirt transferred onto the gears, or the inside of the tranny had accumulated years of metal shavings. cleaning out the dirt and metal particles would probably help reduce friction for the rebuilt one.


so, being a tree-shade-mechanic type of DIYer, what is the best approach to clean my parts? I was thinking maybe 1) engine oil in a pan 2) gasoline 3) acetone ----- can't afford too much, also super flammable
just splash the parts in the fluid bucket, and hopefully the dirt will drop down ??

[eggman918]

I have a large Rubermaid storage tub that i use with the Zep purple de greaser use it full strength with a brush and gloves for the gears and shafts and the like,when they are basically clean rinse them off real good with the rise and a pressure nozzle and let them dry in the sun.if they are gonna sit for a long time spray some WD40 on them amd wrap in news paper or plastic to keep them dirt and rust free.the bolts and small parts you can soak in the purple stuff brush a bit then soak over night then rinse well.the case shifter cover ect.Use the purple in a spray bottle with a brush to loosen and break up the thick stuff and rinse with the power nozzle a scraper/screwdriver might help if it's real stubborn.
Metal shavings in the case are a sign of wear brass from the syncros and steel from the parts that they run on,the overhaul kit should cover the syncros.When it's all clean you need to visually inspect each part with special emphasis on the areas that make contact with each other and parts/areas that you are concerned with or have doubt about post good pics of and we should be able to give a second opinion on,on a lot of parts you can use the original tool marks as a sort of "witness" to gauge wear and the signs of wear will tell there own tale.Hope this helps you out good luck and have fun
Steve.

[alphawave7]

What he said..but I prefer silicone spray to protect against oxidation after a thorough hand-dry of the parts (microfiber towel), as it dries fast, and slick, so the parts don't collect dust/debris like they would with WD40. Cheers!

[Madman]

If you intend to do this alot, I'd recommend a small parts cleaner and see if you can find a solvent dealer in your area....my solvent is suppose to dry clean, meaning you don't have to rewmove any residual solvent, but I always wipe down everything with alcohol, and coat it with a little oil or assembly grease,

[r4360]

You can purchase mineral spirits (paint thinner) from Lowes or whatever store you may have locally. It dries quickly and leaves no residue. Don't buy thinner with conditioners or anything else added.

[tqwrench]

Varsol was the best parts cleaner, but I can't find it commercially anymore. Industrially, it might still be available. There's about 16 different grades of mineral spirits (or so it would seem). The parts washer solvent sold at many parts stores (mineral spirits based) is pretty safe compared to Varsol, but not as effective. I believe it's all the same product, Exxosol, repackaged by whomever. At any rate, if you don't want to go that route and only have a small job to do, Zep makes an orange colored cleaner that has d-limonene which is pretty strong, cleans oil and is water-soluble. It can be overwhelmingly strong smelling of oranges though.