Removing Grease from WD
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=135315
Printed Date: 09 Oct 2025 at 10:41pm
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Topic: Removing Grease from WD
Posted By: EPALLIS
Subject: Removing Grease from WD
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2017 at 8:27pm
| Just curious what others use as the easiest/best way to remove caked on grease on a tractor. My WD has some spots that need to be cleaned. I noticed a product called "gunk" that you can spray on and then wash off. A putty knife might be cheaper but seems harsh on the paint. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks! |
Replies:
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2017 at 8:46pm
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If its old and hard grease, sometimes it takes a putty knife or steam cleaner, to cut it off. Best stuff I have found, is the purple power stuff wallyworld sells, but it will damage paint, if you leave it on too long...
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Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2017 at 8:48pm
| If the grease is thick enough that you are considering using a putty knife then you would need to scrape it anyway before using Gunk. Unless you planned on using multiple applications. Gunk has been around a long time, but I don't think it's as easy as spray it on and hose it off. I've heard it works better on hot engines. |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 12:34am
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I always start with a putty knife to remove the heaviest, caked on stuff. You can get a plastic putty knife or a body filler spreader, if you are worried about the paint Step 2 is Dawn dishwashing soap applied in a 50/50 mix with a spray bottle. Keep it moist by applying Dawn, rinsing it off with a garden hose, then reapplying more Dawn until you get the most of it off. I finish up with WD-40. It's a very good cleaner. |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 6:12am
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Once, at the AC dealership, they had me take a coffee can of parts cleaning fluid and a parts cleaning bush and cleaned up a Super C. It worked and didn't harm the paint but took a good while. Use a pair of chemical resistant gloves. ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: Stan IL&TN
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 6:58am
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Putty knife followed by easy off oven cleaner followed by pressure washer followed by easy off oven cleaner followed by the pressure washer. BUT you will never get all the crud packed inside the frame rails without removing said rails. OH and Easy Off will remove the paint. ------------- 1957 WD45 dad's first AC 1968 one-seventy 1956 F40 Ferguson |
Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 9:06am
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Where there is thick heavy grease build-up where its like clay, you'll need to use a putty knife to scrape that heavy stuff off. For a cleaner, I use a product called "Grez-Off" made by Knights, the people who make Spray 9. Grez-Off doesn't remove paint, but it does a great job in melting grease and oil. If you have a pressure washer (or access to one) if you soak down the engine with Grez-Off and let it sit for 10 minutes, the pressure washer does a fabulous job cleaning things off and down to the painted block. Of coarse, to much pressure can remove the paint from the block so you have to be careful there. Before I re-paint any of my engines, I spray some Brakekleen on a rag and wipe down the engine block to remove the residue left behind from the Grez-Off to make a clean surface for the engine enamel to stick to. Works quite well.... BTW, you can purchase Grez-Off in Gallons or in a spray bottle. HTH Steve@B&B ------------- 39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife |
Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 9:29am
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Plus one more for using a putty knife to get that hard caked on grease off. I haven't actually used it, but Eastwood Products has a spray on product that is intended to soften the old hard rubberized tar like stuff the automakers used to put in the wheel wells of cars. A pressure washer is going to do as much as anything. I have a turbo nozzle on mine. It blasts a solid stream in a circular motion. Really works good on concrete. ------------- "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford |
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 9:39am
| pretty hard to beat plain old diesel fuel to start softening old hard grease then all the new soap and degreasers will work , plus the diesel wont streak or ruin the paint . |
Posted By: TREVMAN
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 7:28pm
| Hotsy. Ive never seen anything clean like near boiling water at 2000 psi. If you can rent one, it'll be worth it. jmho, Trev. |
Posted By: j.w.freck
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 7:29pm
| putty knife and easy offo oven cleaner.none better it will take it down to the bare metal.works real well to clean the inside of the block including the oil passages |
Posted By: bigmoe
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 8:31pm
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2nd the Hotsy! Used it on my WD and it was dissolved 1/2" grime off without any pre-soak ------------- 64 D17 IV 50 WD |
Posted By: Dan73
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 8:56pm
2x on that one of the steam cleaners will save you soo much time it is money well spent to rent it for the day. This is how I cleaned up my d15 before repainting it. They do an amazing job. |
TREVMAN wrote:Posted By: j.w.freck
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2017 at 10:40pm
| yes steam cleaners are worth the money and time..... |
Posted By: 1947WC
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2017 at 8:49pm
| Zep Industrial cleaner. |
Posted By: truckerfarmer
Date Posted: 01 Mar 2017 at 11:10pm
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ZEP heavy-duty citrus degreaser. Just used it last night to clean an Edelbrock carb I was kitting. Looks almost as good as new. Have also used it to clean gas stains off the aluminum case on my motorcycle. $10/gal at Menards. ------------- Looking at the past to see the future. '53 WD, '53 WD45, WD snap coupler field cultivator, #53 plow,'53 HD5B dozer Duct tape.... Can't fix stupidity. But will muffle the sound of it! |