The Three Offenders

In addition to grime (grease and dirt), you will also need to be concerned with removing rust and old paint. No one solvent or process is best for all three offenders. If you are using solvents only, consider rotating your parts in different solutions. For example, use a parts dip to remove grease and dirt, then a paint remover, and finally a rust remover. Repeat if necessary. Rinse and dry the parts in between solutions so you don’t contaminate one solvent with another or cause unwanted or even dangerous chemical reactions. If you are planning on bead blasting, cleaning the parts with solvent first will speed up the process.

Luckily, your options for cleaning small parts are wide-ranging and much less expensive than the methods used for larger pieces such as the frame and bodywork.

Bead Blasting

One of the easiest ways to clean small parts is to blast them with an abrasive compound. An abrasive blast cabinet or bead blaster is a metal box in which a compound is propelled toward your parts using air pressure. The cabinet has a glass window so you can see what you are doing and integrated rubber gloves so you can handle the parts without blasting your hands. Cabinets start at under $150 but there are related expenses: You will need an air compressor that can keep up with the demands of the blaster (typically a working pressure of 100 pounds or more.) An inadequate compressor will result in you needing to pause every time the pressure starts to fall. Also, there is the expense of the abrasive compound, gloves, and glass which will need replacing over time.

Bead blasting will remove grime, paint, and rust but start with parts that are as clean as possible or you’ll end up replacing the abrasive compound frequently.

Hint...

Solvents

You can start with a bucket and soapy water, or a large can of solvent such as B12 Chemtool or mineral spirits. For a bit more money, you can buy a benchtop or free-standing parts washer that uses either water or solvent-based fluids. Many restorers use gasoline, bio-diesel, or kerosene instead of more expensive solvents in these cleaners.

Trichloroethane (TCE) and Perchloroethane are used in “Brake Cleaner” sprays. These solvents are very effective at dissolving all kinds of grunge, but they’re expensive and you don’t want to have prolonged exposure to these chemicals on your bare skin, or in an unventilated working area. It’s best to avoid them for major cleaning jobs.

If you plan to clean a lot of parts, and you have a sewer connection in your garage or shop, you can usually obtain a working dishwasher at very low cost and install it in your shop. Take out the top rack and you can fit some very large pieces into it and wash them with detergent and steaming hot water. This works very well!

There are some tradeoffs to each of these options, and that’s why many shops have more than one type of cleaning station. Many solvents will dissolve or substantially weaken rubber parts, including the diaphragms in mechanical fuel pumps. Room-temperature water-based cleansers are less effective on grease and oil-based gunk, even with soap or detergent additives. Water can also pose a rust problem on some surfaces.

In general you’ll do well with a small benchtop solvent-based parts washer and a bucket with some Simple Green or Oil Eater detergent and hot tap water. Be sure to buy a set of varied scrubbing brushes for each one, and don’t trade those brushes back and forth! You’ll want a variety of steel wire brushes, a brass wire brush, and some nylon brushes in your water-based bucket.

Mechanical Cleaning Methods

This last category includes manual and motorized cleaning methods. In addition to wire and nylon brushes, you will want to have a couple of scrapers on hand to remove caked grime. A good putty knife works well for surfaces where scratches won’t matter. Otherwise consider a plastic spatula.

Another great cleaning tool is a big pack of common kitchen “Scotch-bright” pads. You can use these and throw them away when they get dirty. They also make good filter elements if your benchtop parts washer has a fluid pump. You can also use kitchen scouring powder with your Scotch-bright pads for very good results.

For longer bolts, you should have a bench grinder outfitted with a fine steel wire wheel or a softer bristle wheel to remove rust and accumulated gunk. If you want to be complete, a buffing wheel is a nice addition. You can polish up many parts to a high shine with some jeweler’s rouge.

For bolt heads, you may also spend some time with your set of dental picks, working the crud out of the stampings on top. The same technique is often used on the nooks and crannies of brackets and castings.

Commercial Cleaners

If your shop doesn’t lend itself to cleaning equipment, or the thought of spending hours scrubbing and picking each and every part doesn’t appeal to you, you can have your small parts professionally cleaned for less than the cost of a benchtop parts washer. The tradeoff with this method is that the cleansing company will not generally be able to keep all your parts strictly organized while they do their work. Plus, you’ll still have to clean up those fuel pumps, brass bits, and other odd parts that can’t go through a hot tank.

Summary

Whichever method you choose, the rewards for being diligent and attentive to detail come back to you immediately and last for the life of your restoration. You’ll uncover the beauty and design of your car’s parts as the yuck comes off, and reassembling your car will be a pleasure. Finally, using clean parts makes future maintenance and repair much easier, and you’ll be confident that your restoration can pass any white glove test the judges may want to give.