Ali cleaning tip.

[Chris Bohane]

I was sceptical when I first heard of this trick, as used by an old British bike restorer.....but try it for yourself!

To clean aluminium parts with lots of awkward contours like carb bowls, fuel taps and odd brackets etc submerse them in TOMATO SAUCE ( you know, the stuff you put on hot dogs and burgers ??? ketchup in the USA) Four large bottles of Tesco's value range was £1-04 ($2)

Leave to soak for a couple of days, there is a mild acid in there, and hey presto a quick rub with your favourit metal polish.....shiney bits!!!

Tried it on my carb bowls, tops and brackets, I was amazed.

[Billyboy]

Add a mild electric current to it and it'll eat though cell bars.

(It was on mythbusters.)

[GS850_Coug]

The acid content is just acetic acid. It is also the main component of vinegar. My suggestion is to use vinegar 50/50 with water. Will do the same thing without having to try to remove all the tomato solids afterwards. :-D

[Jarrod]

next time you have some rusty bolts or carbon steel parts
mix up a batch of GRAPE KOOL-AID and let them soak over night.
you won't believe your eyes the next day.....
it works better than you would expect.

[Jarrod]

BTW no sugar and mix it a little stronger than you would if you were
going to drink it....

[The Fiddler]

I bought a large tin of that white jelly type hand cleaner a few years ago, the kind you just rub your hands together and then wipe with a towel to get it off. The brand I have is DL Hand Cleaner. It sat in the garage and did a freeze thaw for a couple of years and I recently discovered it had separated into jelly on the bottom and liquid on the top. I had been trying to decide how to properly dispose of it when I thought of trying it on bike parts as a degreaser.

I took on the task of cleaning my chain guard, rear rim and swing arm of all the built up grease the other day and tried the jelly from the hand cleaner. It worked amazingly well. Just spread it on with a toothbrush or rag, leave it sit for a few minutes and then wipe off. Cuts better than anything I have tried except for varsol and raw gasoline and no bad fumes. I imagine new unseparated cleaner would work about as well and the stuff seems much nicer on the hands, doesn't mar paint or damage wires as do other heavy duty degreasers.

F

[jknappsax]

Jarrod, do you have a name for this treatment?

How about a Jim Jones?

[MelodicMetalGod]

Add a mild electric current to it and it'll eat though cell bars.

(It was on mythbusters.)

Totally saw that!\\/ The things you learn while being entertained. :-D

[Jarrod]

How about a Jim Jones?

LOL thats a good name:-D

a friend of mine who was in the Navy said they used the Kool-aid
as Green a.k.a enviromentally freindly cleaner.
I have to admit it worked on some carbon steel bolts I was using
on a tractor I was restoring....

[gsgeezer]

yes, vinegar is acetic acid and tomato sauce makes it look like somebody tossed up their bloody mary on your parts!

i like the kool aid idea. never tried that one!