Boiling Purple Power degreasing- SUCCESS

[Quickv4]

Hey inmates

Being stuck in an apartment in ND has given me the opportunity to see how much you can do with little when it come to working on things. I am currently motorcyle less, but I picked up a dilapitated 10 speed bike to redo and turn into a awesome commuter/haul all.

It included getting rid of the 30 year old caked on grease in the hub assemblies. Back home I would just throw the axles/bearing/cones into some carb/parts cleaner and let er sit. Being in A 1bdrm apartment and having no garage to speak of, having noxious cleaners being released into my indoor atmosphere was not a option.

I remember from working at NAPA that Purple Power degreaser was a staple for strong, yet enviromentally safe degreasing. So I went to Wallywurld an picked up a small spray bottle. I proceeded to clean the parts cold with a toothbrush and a rag. It worked OK, better than dish soap, by far. I then got the bright idea to mix the purple power about 8-10/1 with water, and boil it on the cookstove for time. I put the range hood on high as a precaution. With my concoction made and up to a rolling boil, i dumped the dirty, nasty, hardened greasy parts from my rear hub in. I waited about 15-20 minutes, and my curosity got the bet of me and I pulled a previously greasy washer out. Lo and behold, it was shiney and clean!
By now the water had turned from a royal purple color to a maroon mess. I knew the PP had been doing its job. 5 minutes lateri took it off the range and poured the water off. This is what I found...



I was a bit antsy, I figure if I would have kept it boiling for another 15 minutes ALL of the grease would have literally melted away. There is still a bit of it stuck in the threads, but NOWHERE as bad as it was when the parts where placed in the flux. The picture doe not do justice on how clean the zinc plating is now.

[Navin]

And now you have a pot handy for boiling dirty water dogs just like in the big city!

[russellkt]

That's great to hear about purple power. I'd also suggest pine sol which yields outstanding results if left to soak overnight or a few days. A boiling 50/50 vinegar and water solution also works but does not work as well as the pine sol.

[Quickv4]

Originally Posted by russellkt

That's great to hear about purple power. I'd also suggest pine sol which yields outstanding results if left to soak overnight or a few days. A boiling 50/50 vinegar and water solution also works but does not work as well as the pine sol.

Yes, I have quite a bit of experience (cold) with pinesol for cleaning. I was actually inspired by Hondo's pinesol degreaser thread. I thought I would try PP so I could see of that works just as good as duh pinesol.

[Quickv4]

Originally Posted by Navin

And now you have a pot handy for boiling dirty water dogs just like in the big city!

Haha, I had to look that one up... I did use a disused pot of ours. It sure nice being in a pad full of bachelors! Being able to work on bicycles in the living room, and degrease things in the kitchen!

[showkey]

Just remember purple power and the other purple type cleaners are sodium hydroxide base (LYE) and even cold are not good on aluminum and hot purple power bath good be real hard on the surface finish and worse case could destroy the part.

Point two......breathing hot lye vapor maybe not so good either.....................

[Quickv4]

Boiled my derailer...


BEFORE:



During: right before it is boiled...



AFTER: thirty minutes rolling boil and simple water rinse NO scrubbing

[Gummee!]

...and now you get to open up the pivots and replace all the grease you just boiled out.

There's a bicycle thread down in Sports if you have bicycle-specific questions

M

[ChromeSux]

For years i have never been without a gal of purple power, sometimes i buy 2, i will try the boiling trick, i have a parts washer filled with the commercial stuff but only use it when i have to, gotta use gloves with that stuff, purple power is hard on your skin but at least the label does not say haz mat on it like the parts washer stuff.

[concours]

Be careful... my buddy used it to clean grease from his Duc monster, ruined the finish on wheels, frame..

[guitarin]

Funny story

Couple of years ago my buddy and I were restoring a Triumph TR3 sportscar. He purchaced an expensive (800 bucks) set of liners and pistons for the engine. One friday he went to the local Car Quest and bought a gallon of degreaser. He figured it was some kind of kerosene or clarkathane and did not read the label. Before we finished for the night, he unpacked the piston kit and set the new aluminum pistons in a tub filled with new degreaser to clean the kosmoline off and went home.

We came back a week later and couldn't find the pistons!