[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by Ram Air IV Jack

People use brake clean because it removes just about everything with an oil base, leaves no residue and dries very quickly. I've used this to clean clock works before oiling!!

I say this because you can buy something that does the job better, Carb cleaner is better at removing oil and grease and CRC Degreaser works better yet. Gasoline is oil based, brake fluid is not. Brake fluid is closer to anti freeze than engine oil. Water and alcohol mix with brake fluid. But wont mix with engine oil.
So many act like a product made for cleaning something, brakes, that has a fluid that is not oil based is the go to, be all for cleaning oily parts. Its not. It has to have ingredients in it taking up space in that can designed to work with brake fluid, not engine oil. So its less efficient.
Don't believe me, try some CRC. I had to clean a OEM oil filter adapter for a new expensive build. I used Brakeclean and was not happy with how clean I could get it. Got some CRC Heavy Duty Degreaser and it was night and day better.
Does it work, yes but its far from being the best.
And if it did not leave a residue this thread would not exist. Potentially deadly residue it leaves.
People go down to the parts store all the time with the intention of buying a product to clean oily parts and no plans on going home and working on brakes.
Then buy Brakeclean when there are cans of CARBcleaner right next to them that does a better job.

[65 Lamnas]

Originally Posted by jonmachota78

I remember a big thread about this years ago on this forum. Im no chemist but i think this warning doesn't apply to non-chlorine brake cleaner in the green can

Correct

[VCho455]

Originally Posted by jonmachota78

I remember a big thread about this years ago on this forum. Im no chemist but i think this warning doesn't apply to non-chlorine brake cleaner in the green can

If you could find it and link it here that would be cool. I didn't find anything when I searched.

[Mr Anonymous]

Brake cleaner also works very well at removing stains in clothes, dry-cleaners use the hell out of it.

[Sirrotica]

Alcohol is also a very good cleaner for oily greasy dirt. Many tmes I've used dry gas when I had no access to brake cleaner. Old timer told me about using dry gas/alcohol to clean with. Isopropyl, ethanol, or methanol all work, and you can buy it at a dollar store.

Alcohol has none of the health damaging petro chemicals in it, and if you buy one of the pressurized spray vessels you can use it as an aerosol.

Ether, or starting fluid, also cuts grease and oil in a pinch where you don't have anything else around. Again, an old timer that was a diesel mechanic showed me that trick. This is fairly expensive though to be using as a cleaning agent, but it works well, and evaporates almost immediately.

It was used decades ago as a anesthetic, so breathing it shouldn't have as bad effects on the respitory system as some other compounds do.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by einstein

CRC Brakleen is a stellar product for removing oil and grease. Only the red can, not that useless crap in the green. Worse, they sell a red can at Dollar General with a yellow stripe band at the top, it's worse than the green can.

I've never found an alternate brand of brake cleaner tha takes oil film off like the true CRC product. Especially good at cleaning up after repairing engine oil leaks.

I appreciate the warnings in this thread, it's news to me and I'll be welding in future.

The green can is non chlorinated, the safer stuff.
Folk, if you are looking for the inexpensive stuff to remove oil and grease, its carb cleaner.
The best, CRC Heavy Duty Degeaser is around 14$ a can.
Brakeclean is for cleaning brakes and in a pinch oil and grease. Just not in any way the best.
One thing Brakclean does very well is mix with water. So I use it all the time to clean out something like a gas can with a little crud/water in the bottom. It will mix with water, clean and you can pour it out.
Oil and water do not mix, everyone knows that.
So why use a product that mixes with water to clean oil and grease ? When you can buy a product that every ounce in the can does not mix with water, carb cleaner.
The only reason I use it to clean oil and grease is they buy it at work for brakes and we have no "carbs" at the mill.

[einstein]

Originally Posted by Mr Anonymous

Brake cleaner also works very well at removing stains in clothes, dry-cleaners use the hell out of it.

Agreed. Get any greasy stain on nice garment, hold a white Wyp-All or other suitable paper product on the stained side and spray through the cloth, usually turned inside out.

I recall dry cleaning shops smelling quite similar to the original red can CRC Brakleen.

[Cammer-6]

Originally Posted by Scarebird

I warned a guy on another forum about this - he told me to fark off with that chemistry shiat.

survival of the fittest

[MatthewKlein]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

The best, CRC Heavy Duty Degeaser is around 14$ a can

Don't know where you guys get your brake cleaner but I pay 2.70 a can, And I'll Spray the grease off with 5 cans of that before I buy a 14.00 can of degreaser. Or use the solvent tank, then a tiny bit of brake cleaner. To each their own.

I've also been cleaning metal for welding with non chlorinated brake cleaner for a long time. First time hearing about phosgene gas from chlorinated brake cleaner was in 2012 and we had already stopped using the chlorinated stuff by then. I remember everyone in that shop looking at each other slightly concerned for a moment and internally calculating all the welds we had done after cleaning with brake cleaner. We somehow survived.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by MatthewKlein

Don't know where you guys get your brake cleaner but I pay 2.70 a can, And I'll Spray the grease off with 5 cans of that before I buy a 14.00 can of degreaser. Or use the solvent tank, then a tiny bit of brake cleaner. To each their own.

I've also been cleaning metal for welding with non chlorinated brake cleaner for a long time. First time hearing about phosgene gas from chlorinated brake cleaner was in 2012 and we had already stopped using the chlorinated stuff by then. I remember everyone in that shop looking at each other slightly concerned for a moment and internally calculating all the welds we had done after cleaning with brake cleaner. We somehow survived.

Carb cleaner is in the same price range as Brakclean and it cleans oil and grease better than something designed for brakes.

[dataway]

If I am not mistaken, the entire reason for the existence of "brake cleaner" is that it leaves absolutely no petroleum residue on the friction surfaces. Which is why it makes a good pre-weld cleaner. I've been welding for about 40 years and have used non-chlorinated brake cleaner for a pre-weld cleaner for about 35 years, prior to that I used carb cleaner but found the fumes while welding objectionable, and the price of brake cleaner much lower (I buy it by the case). The fumes from Chlorinated brake cleaner are very noticable and the delayed effect is brutal .. you won't make that mistake more than a couple of times.

Alcohol is great for pre cleaning anything you want to adhere to, glue, paint, stickers, tape, also great for glass and eye glasses too. And anything that won't tolerate petroleum cleaners or harsh cleaners like brake cleaner.

I use a degreaser (Zep etc) on shop cleanup, floors, tools, general automotive cleaning.

[Sirrotica]

If you want to kill stink bugs, without the smell, or any insect, isopropyl works very well too. Stink bugs are hard to kill, but the isopropyl in a spray bottle works well for that. We use it in the fall when they start migrating into the house as the weather gets colder.

I tried using the plastic spray bottles in the garage, but after awhile the pump quits working. Before aerosol brake cleaner we used dry gas to clean brake parts, yeah I'm old enough to predate aerosol brake cleaner..........

[MatthewKlein]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

Carb cleaner is in the same price range as Brakclean and it cleans oil and grease better than something designed for brakes.

Been a long time since I've had any carb cleaner around the shop. Only the dunk bucket. Just ordered a case. Thanks for the suggestion, will try it out. Its about 10c a can more expensive than my brake cleaner.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by MatthewKlein

Been a long time since I've had any carb cleaner around the shop. Only the dunk bucket. Just ordered a case. Thanks for the suggestion, will try it out. Its about 10c a can more expensive than my brake cleaner.

Just don't get any of that stuff in your eye, its unpleasant.
It kills spiders and yellow jackets like right now !
Both work getting of oil/grease. Carb cleaner just works a little better.

[dataway]

I gotta admit ... I've used way more carb cleaner killing things, torching creepy crawlers, starting bon fires, punishing things that bit me, scared me, harrassed me, than I ever used actually cleaning carbs

[chiefbigb]

It applies to more than a welding situation. My old work shop was 20 by 24. Insulated and dry wall throughout. I could heat it with a wick type kerosene heater. Putting a engine together I was spraying some parts off with clorinated brake clean. I was overcome with the fumes and started coughing. Went outside and started puking. Took weeks to regain normal lung capacity.

[chiefbigb]

The chemicals were sucked up and run through the heaters flame. It happened very fast.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by dataway

I gotta admit ... I've used way more carb cleaner killing things, torching creepy crawlers, starting bon fires, punishing things that bit me, scared me, harrassed me, than I ever used actually cleaning carbs

So a few years ago some guy went on a stabbing spree in some businesses. Randomly walking into insurance offices ect and knifing people. It was in a city down south where a niece of mine lived and worked in a office.
She was scared so I bought 2 cans of carb cleaner, the kind with the big button on top. I showed her how far they sprayed.
Then gave one to her and a bic lighter and told her to keep it in a drawer in her desk. She could not keep a weapon and pepper spray does not always work.
But being lit up like a Roman Candle always does.
Mind you, its illegal to use something like that as a weapon. But its better than being stabbed.
I have heard of a case where someone got in trouble with defending their home with a can of wasp killer spray. That stuff sprays 20'+ too.
I also trust carb cleaner to kill nasty bugs more than insecticide and whatever it leaves behind.