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Cleaning

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B

BZBOARDCO

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I just broke my front right stock upper and lower a-arms. (T-Maxx will not plow over full grown trees at about 35 mph...lol) I ordered RPM a-arms and waiting for them to come in. While the truck is pretty torn apart now is there any tips I can get on cleaning it (exhaust residue and dirt)? Maybe some cleaners and stuff like that.:doh:
 
Buy nitro cleaner or just use rubbing alchohol from the dollar store
 
Well since he's done with this thread, What can I do when compressed air doesn't blow off all the gunk?
 
Denatured alcohol and compressed air works good for me. Gets all the gunk and dirt off. I plug my carb and exhaust up and just soak the whole truck top and bottom and let it sit for about 3 min then shoot compressed air and presto good as new. I use a old tooth brush for the really tuff gunk. Oh yeah, take your wheels off when you use DA cause they tend to stain your chrome rims. You can find Denatured Alcohol at any home improvement store in the paint department. I buy it by a gallon, cost me $13.00. I was told not to use rubbing alcohol cause something about the 30% water in it will screw up your electronics.
 
Bump. Speaking of cleaning, is the Nitro Clean or denatured alcohol ok to use on the head. I was wanting to break gunk loose with a cleaner then use compressed air to blow out the area around the glow plug before removing it so that no crud falls down into the combustion chamber when removing the glow plug. Thanks.
 
FFMedicWoody said:
Bump. Speaking of cleaning, is the Nitro Clean or denatured alcohol ok to use on the head. I was wanting to break gunk loose with a cleaner then use compressed air to blow out the area around the glow plug before removing it so that no crud falls down into the combustion chamber when removing the glow plug. Thanks.
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I use DA on the outside and inside of my head, just make sure you leave your glow plug in when using it so nothing can get in you engine. Don't forget to plug your headers and carb also, and like I said just soak it and let it sit for a few minutes then blow compressed air. Presto good as new..
 
I personally don't like the spray on aeorsol nitro cleaner, it seems to make a bigger mess. The only way to clean your rig is to do it right, and there's no shortcuts about it. Pull all of the components off of the chassis. You can leave the a arms on sometimes if you pull the shocks, turnbuckles, and bearing carriers and hubs off, but I find it easier to deal with once I've removed everything. I then lay everything out on a clean towel in a neat organized manner. It's easier to keep up with small parts that way, rather than just throwing everything in one big sloppy pile. I then use Windex multi surface with vinegar, and clean all of the components good and put them on another clean towel to keep them seperate. I use Q-Tips with the same cleaner to get in the small cracks and crevices, and a toothbrush works good as well. Once I get all of the components cleaned, I claen the fuel tank really good and wash it good and make REALLY sure to rinse all residue of whatever soap or cleaner that you use. I then dry it out as best I can with paper towels, and prop it up with the lid proped open so that it can air out for a day or two. Then I start on the chassis with the same Windex multi-surface cleaner. I always make sure not to let it set on the chassis for very long, just in case the vinegar could harm the anodizing. Once that's all finished, I take the wheels and tires and wash them really good in the sink with dish soap, being very careful with them so not much soap gets into the foam. I then let them dry. Lastly, I coat all of the plastic and nylon (such as RPM arms) with Armor-All. It acts as a wax and helps keep dirt and dust, pollen, stuff like that from sticking and makes them easier to clean.

Now I know it takes longer than just spraying it down with aerosol, but at least you'll have a clean rig that you can be proud of, and when you post it for sale, it wont look like some people that take a picture of their ride after it looks like it's been eaten and digested by pigs, with 2 years worth of caked on dirt. How can you be proud of something like that?
 
spoken like a man who loves his RCs, charlie, i also use that method you describe. works like a charm everytime.

if you want your RCs nice and clean. this is a REALLY good way to do it. keep in mind, if i know I'm going to use my RC the next day. i just take my engine and electrics out and spray with a high pressure nozzle and blow it off quickly with an air gun.
if I'm storing my RC for anything more than and 2-3 days it gets the RC treatment like charles the man said before.
 
well i did what charlie described a month or 2 ago for the first time and i havent drove my truck since cause i dont wanna get it dirty and its so clean. if you want it done right thats definately the way to do it.
 
While I have to admit that disassembly and meticulous cleaning is by far the best way to have a showroom clean truck, I don't have the patience and time for that.

I clean with a combination of compressed air and CRC Lectra Motive spray cleaner. It's cheaper than Nitro cleaner, non flammable, doesn't leave a residue, and is completely safe for plastics and electronics. Virtually all autmotive stores carry it, normally around $4.5 a can in SoCal.

But, I will agree that it won't do as thorough of a job as disassembly and precision cleaning.
 

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