Engine/motor cleaner

[60103]

A couple of us were talking at the train show today, and we both remember ads for a locomotive cleaner.
The picture in the ads showed a loco chassis dunked in a bath of some liquid, with the motor wired up and running, and the liquid cleaned all the gunk out of the motor, bearings, ...
Does anyone remember what the stuff was? Did it work? Is it still available?
(It wasn't an ultrasonic cleaner -- older that that.)

 

[jon-monon]

No but I used spray brake cleaner to un oil the oily mess in my 44T motor. Worked well. We'll have to see how the plastic is in a couple of months.

 

[babydot94513]

There is a spray product used in the electronics industry that can be applied to "live" circuits to clean away solder-flux, grime, dirt etc.

Is that what you are looking for?

 

[60103]

The ad I remember showed a 2-8-0 or so chassis sitting in a big tub of the stuff, with power clips on the motor.

 

[Vic]

WARNING! DANGEROUS STUFF!

The solution that was used to clean motors/etc. is trichlorethane more commonly know as 1,1,1. It is an industrial solvent that was commonly used in cleaning applications. Its use and manufacture was banned in the US in 1996. It is a substance similar to Freon 12 and was banned at the same time due to ozone depleation in the atmosphere. It was also found to cause lung cancer from inhaling the vapors and also skin cancer via direct contact.

 

[60103]

... I guess that's why they're not advertising any more.

 

[jon-monon]

Either of the mentioned sprays are substitutes for 111 and should work pretty good. If you open it up enough to get the spray onto all the moving parts, they should work fine. There's no benifit to running it while cleaning it. Kinda like eating while you brush you teeth. Looks cool, sells, but doen't help.

 

[Vic]

Another Warning!!!

If you use any kind of electronics cleaner on your motors or gears be sure that the can says that it is plastic compatible....some of it isn't and will eat up motor frames, plastic gears and the enamel insulation on the motor windings.

 

[babydot94513]

Re: Another Warning!!!

Oops, yeah and a REALLY good suggestion too. I totally forgot about that significant issue.

Geesh, what a good way to ruin a good shell all because of the incompatability of chemical solvents to plastics.

Originally posted by Vic
If you use any kind of electronics cleaner on your motors or gears be sure that the can says that it is plastic compatible....some of it isn't and will eat up motor frames, plastic gears and the enamel insulation on the motor windings.

 

[Clerk]

When I was in the TV repair business in the late 60's and early 70's we had what was called "Tuner cleaner" it is in a can. We used it to clean TV tuners which contained plastic gears. It is also a lubricant.

 

[babydot94513]

This was the stuff I was thinking of. Does anyone know if it is safe to use on locomotives???

Originally posted by Clerk
When I was in the TV repair business in the late 60's and early 70's we had what was called "Tuner cleaner" it is in a can. We used it to clean TV tuners which contained plastic gears. It is also a lubricant.

 

[Clerk]

As far as I can determine, it should not damage plastic. It "might" take the paint off. It doesn't damage the plastic gears in the tuners and also the nozzle is plastic and does not damage it.

 

[Clerk]

Just checked the can I have on hand and it doesn't say anything about plastic.