Hoppes #9 solvent

I have never tried the heated antifreeze method to be honest, but many folks say it works well. I don't have a crock pot I can dedicate to that to even try.

Duke is a pretty smart guy so I am sure it works for him. All I can say is try both and see what happens.

Ron

Ron:

All can say in response is that using Hoppe's is lot less complicated and dangerous than messing with a crock pot and anti-freeze which is a hazardous waste because it's based on ethlyene gylicol.

SD

I love the smell of Hoppes 9. Can't convince her to wear it as perfume. Probably thinks she'd get no rest if she did.

I've always been told to stay out of another man's fight (para phasing), but JEEZE SD why drag me into this. 
I've been told it work's great and there are a ton of different glycols to choose from if you are worried about HazMat. And you use it and put it back in the bottle for next time. I was just warming up to your idea for cleaning the outside of an engine. I have that gun cleaner and thought I'd try it.

Ron-SD's a pretty smart guy, me, just your standard goof. 

Amazon has quarts for 20$, about 60 cents oz, add 5$ more stuff and you get free shipping, or get two and have a 10 year supply.
My local Bass Pro has 2 oz for $4.50- $2.25 oz and pint for $15 almost $1 oz.
Walmart shows 5 oz for $3- 60 cents oz but you can't find it there.

http://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-Cleaning-Solvent-1-Quart-Bottle/dp/B00109AAN2

lol, i'll jump in on the crockpot side! for cleaning a really grubby engine (or several) there's nothing better, period! I've used #9 and its works pretty good. I guess it would depend on how many engines you need to clean.

Yikes, I created firestorm of criticism which was certainly not my intention!

I'll stick with Hoppe's as a convenient solvent for cleaning both firearms AND nitro engines.

Critics: use any cleaning agent/method that you wish.  I couldn't care less.

I withdraw from further discussion of the matter.   

SD

It's no biggie, the fact is there's usually several different ways to do something and to say one is better or to criticize, even in jest is to open yourself up to some good natured ribbing, i hope u didn't take offense.

I started using Hoppe's #9 a few years ago, about the
same time I got a cheapo(Chicago Tools $35) parts cleaner.
Parts or whole engine go in a shallow jar with #9, submerge in the water bath, turn on.
Worked pretty well. Was gifted a real sonicator at work by a scientist
who was leaving 2 years ago. L&R PC-3. Probably doable for about $100 or so, used.
I can't imagine anything working better.
It feels great disassembling an old, varnished engine without any damage.
A little heat fron a small torch afterwards helps too.


Bob

SD- I don't think anyone got mad at you, at all. I even put happy faces on mine. Please don't take it that way.

SuperDave wrote:
Critics: use any cleaning agent/method that you wish.  I couldn't care less.

I withdraw from further discussion of the matter.   

SD

SD --

I really haven't read anything that I thought was critical of either method. I use Hoppes on my firearms, but I do prefer the crockpot method, especially on larger engines with lots of baked on castor. We're all sharing experience and information, so I'm always open to different, and many times, better ways of skinning the cat, so to speak.

andrew

SuperDave wrote:Yikes, I created firestorm of criticism which was certainly not my intention!

I'll stick with Hoppe's as a convenient solvent for cleaning both firearms AND nitro engines.

Critics: use any cleaning agent/method that you wish.  I couldn't care less.

I withdraw from further discussion of the matter.   

SD

Geeez Superdave, settle back and relax a little.  I just went back and re-read the entire thread.  Nobody's had a go at you, or done anything to deserve that kind of petulance.

This doesn't particularly apply to "this" thread... but I thought it might be of interest to any of you that remember this product...

General Motors "used to"... offer a great penetrant at their parts counters in the early 1980's called; (if I remember correctly) "GM Heat-Valve Lubricant".  It came in a 12oz. aerosol can with a nozzle that would accept an extension-tube for pin-point application.

The ingredient that did the work was "colloidal graphite". It's "auto-motive" use; was to free-up the frozen/rusted parts which were located down on the engine's exhaust manifold, and connected to the air-cleaner scoop via a pipe. (it was designed to improve cold-start drivability, and it "did" work, when it worked correctly...) The system was however; prone to rust and would seize-up if not kept serviced regularly.

It was a super penetrant, and I've never found anything that works as well. If you can find it; or know of a buddy who might have some, give it a try.

info-colloidal graphite aerosol

Cribbs74 wrote:Since it's held in such high regard by SD. I decided to pick some up as I had a couple guns to clean.

Let me just say I have never seen anything dissolve and remove carbon as quickly as this stuff did. I haven't tried it on the engines, but I imagine it will work equally as well.

I'm sold on it.

Ron

I thought I would try this Hoppes stuff on an engine. It isn't easy to find in the UK but I tracked it down - just didn't buy enough of it!

Anyway, I am into restoring a few PAW 149s at the moment and I had a particularly bad one.



I put it into a jar with Hoppes for a couple of hours.



I was taken by surprise when I fished the engine out - no wiping, just a quick shake over a paper towel!



This is to be recommended!

If that's not enough of an endorsment....
Glad it worked well for you Ian.
I love this stuff, and have used it for a few years now.
I checked, and sadly it's way over priced in the U.K.
I get it for $17.00 per quart with Amazon Prime.
I would ship you a couple of quarts, but the HazMat
shipping would be insane.
Bob

After being impressed with the Hoppes no 9, I bought some more and have started Hopping. In fact, I am now a regular Hopper.

Here is another example of a simple overnight soaking - no brushing or scrubbing - just a bit of dabbing with a paper towel.





I have used many methods of degumming engines but this one is much, much quicker and needs no attention at all. How hard can it be - just pop the engine into a jar of the stuff - leave overnight and fish it out.

I must admit to one difficulty - I have been using a coffee jar ( instant powdered coffe just add hot water and stir!). The neck is narrower than the body and sometimes popping the engine in is easy but wiggling it around to fish it out. Often I wonder how I'd managed to get it in!

ian1954 wrote:
I must admit to one difficulty - I have been using a coffee jar ( instant powdered coffe just add hot water and stir!). The neck is narrower than the body and sometimes popping the engine in is easy but wiggling it around to fish it out. Often I wonder how I'd managed to get it in!

Here's a solution... get a 2nd jar, a small stainless steel strainer to fit the neck and a paper coffee filter. After soaking a dirty engine... pour the Hoppes into the other bottle through the filter/screen... and you're ready to clean your next engine without any grit in the jar from the previous one.

(edit) Loop a wire around the prop-nut/screw/spinner before "dipping it down. Lift the wire and turn the engine 90 deg. while pulling out through bottle-neck when clean.

re:  anti-freeze/crock pot cleaning

One of the reasons I don't go this route is that we have cats?

Do you realize what happens when "Kitty" injests even a slightest amount of anti-freeze?

It isn't pretty.    

SuperDave

I want to get some of that Hoppes to shine up my "new" OS engines. They're pretty brown on the outside.

"Crusty":  

Surely you have a Cabela's in SC.

Hoppes is $16.99 a quart per the Cabela's website.

A quart will last you good long while or you can get it in 4 oz containers for less.

SD

SuperDave wrote:"Crusty":   

Surely you have a Cabela's in SC.

Hoppes is $16.99 a quart per the Cabela's website.

A quart will last you good long while or you can get it in 4 oz containers for less.

SD

Never heard of it, but being South Carolina, we have plenty of huntn' and fishin' outfitters. Barron's outfitters would be mine.

C.R.

I just bought a 5 oz. (not 4...) bottle last month at WalMart for $2.97 (in RI)... about $10.00/pint in that quantity.

Roddie:

Hoppes has a variety of uses.  Live it up and buy a quart. Buying in volume will lower the price per ounce.

(I'm told it makes a great aphrodesiac too)  

"Cheapness is it's own reward"

SD

SD