Best way to clean motors?

[LaoChe85]

I have a few gramophones now that need a service and for the springs to be cleaned a regreased.
I have bought new grease and oil but I was wondering how to remove all the old grease and what solvent(s) to use? I've seen a lot of suggestions on the forum and youtube etc such as diesel, petrol, kerosene but I thought I'd ask as well.
Also, I am fully aware of the dangers of servicing motors etc but I still want to try and do it so I can eventually get good at that sort of thing.
Thanks

[stetam]

I would use kerosene

[JerryVan]

Any one of the solvents you mentioned would be fine. Pick the one that is the safest and will produce the least fumes, especially combustible fumes, and use them all in an outdoor setting, especially if you're married and wish to remain so. For heavy, dried grease, scrape it off with a putty knife to get the bulk removed and use the solvent for the final clean-up. That cuts down some on fumes and mess. Do not bring oily/greasy rags back into your home or garage. Leave them out until they can be collected.

While others have skipped this step, the very best way to clean the motor is to fully disassemble it and remove the springs, (note how they're wound before removing. Wound CW or CCW, for example.)

[LaoChe85]

Thanks for the recommendations, I had thought about kerosene but I worried about it being quite costly or dangerous but I'll look into this a bit more.
Thanks again

[JerryVan]

Thanks for the recommendations, I had thought about kerosene but I worried about it being quite costly or dangerous but I'll look into this a bit more.
Thanks again

You really don't need any solvent if you carefully scrape the springs clean and use enough rags. It's helpful though.

[Jim_Cannon]

Petrol is too volatile and flammable, too dangerous, even outdoors.

I have only done one spring so far, in a portable. (I have a 4-spring motor in my VV-XVII that I need to do; I'm a bit intimidated.) After removing the spring and scraping as much of the old dried grease off that I could, I used White Spirit (Mineral Spirits in America) on a rag to clean the rest off. It was not too bad. That is also what I used, with a small brush, to clean the gears and such.

Loading the spring back into the can while simultaneously greasing it was like wrestling an anaconda. My friend helped me by serving as a "keeper" after each wrap, to hold the spring into the can while I worked on the next wrap.

[JerryVan]

After removing the spring and scraping as much of the old dried grease off that I could, I used White Spirit (Mineral Spirits in America) on a rag to clean the rest off. It was not too bad. That is also what I used, with a small brush, to clean the gears and such.

Exactly! At the most, you should be able to do this with maybe a few tablespoons of solvent. There is no need to flood or bathe the parts in solvent.

[JeffR1]

I like this product, it's basically a water soluble type solvent, (paint thinner/varisol).

[Curt A]

Thanks for the recommendations, I had thought about kerosene but I worried about it being quite costly or dangerous but I'll look into this a bit more.
Thanks again

Kerosene is not costly or dangerous (non-explosive and used in indoor lamps and camp stoves for years). Gasoline, is however, dangerous and explosive and not recommended. Lamp oil is the same thing as kerosene, with or without a scent and diesel fuel will work, if you don't mind the smell.

Jerry is correct about the BEST way - disassembly and cleaning each part, BUT not for most people who are new to this or don't want to deal with strong, sharp, dirty springs and their potential danger.

Do not re-grease with Vaseline and graphite, whale blubber or buffalo fat...

[LaoChe85]

Hahaha, I have bought some moly grease for it and plan to use that + sewing machine oil for the governor etc. For solvents, I have bought white spirit firstly just to see if it works enough. If that doesn't work I'll move onto paraffin/kerosene. Thanks for all the suggestions and tips