Using lye as a degreaser

atlarge54 · Jul 14, 2009

Well I've got the head and block at the machine shop and need to clean the oil pan, timing cover etc. etc. I've got plenty of lye and a decent tank to soak the parts in but don't know how to treat the parts when they're removed and cleaned. Would a quick rinse in hot water and a wipedown with mineral spirits followed by an immediate primer be ok? I do know lye will eat any aluminum so the rear main seal won't be touching any lye.

GeneMO · Jul 14, 2009

I degreased and stripped the paint of an old CAT using Lye. bought regular grocery store lye, then mixed it with water to make a paste. Painted it on, let it set about 30 minutes or so, then power washed off. Took it to bare metal. Then used laquer thinnner to clean, then primed.

So far it has worked, but I wasn't trying for a show job. The paint held good, but it's been banged up a bit the last 15 years.

Gene

Anonymous-0 · Jul 14, 2009

Pappy used to steam-clean tractors prior to painting, with an old steam jenny and something called 49-S compound, which was essentially lye-based. It would peel paint, grease, grime, grit, and all manner of crap and corruption. After the solution of 49-S was done, then he'd flush the tractors down with plenty of clean, clear water. [Back then, the EPA wasn't looking over his shoulder as to where the runoff went.]

But I'd highly recommend a rinse after the lye, but not necessarily a quick one...just make sure all the lye residue is gone before you quit rinsing.

beau5278 · Jul 15, 2009

I've used a lye bath to clean cast iron parts that I didn't want to sand blast,black iron skillets and a few tin pieces,I've also used it to clean aluminum off the crankpin on small engine crankshafts when you seize a rod.One method that I read said to rinse the parts,then put them in a vinegar bath to neutralize the lye but all I've ever done is rinse them good and finish cleaning them then coat them with whatever they needed to keep them from rusting again.

Using lye as a degreaser

atlarge54

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GeneMO

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Anonymous-0

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beau5278

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