| OK to Power Wash Grease? [message #175149] |
Sat, 30 June 2012 15:55  |
Jerry Hartley
Messages: 17
Registered: May 2004
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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I noticed a lot of grease on one of my outer CV Boots and have removed the axle following directions found on the internet. Had very little difficulty removing the axle. The surrounding area has a little grease from the CV joint but a lot of accumulated grease from various suspension zerks/joints. I would like to steam clean grease from the surrounding area but I do not have a steam cleaner. I do have a power washer which has more than enough pressure to remove (blow away) grease, dirt, grime, etc.
The power washer also has enough pressure to potentially penetrate seals, zerks, joints and other small openings. It would be difficult or impossible to avoid hitting all such openings. Also, all of the grease blown off the motorhome would end up on my driveway and need to be cleaned up again. Is this a bad idea? Or a Very Bad idea?
I am cautious so unless someone says "No problem, I have done it for years" I intend to just scrape and wipe all grease I can get to.
Jerry Hartley
Sequim, WA
1977 Birchaven Cad 500
1976 Royale
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| Re: OK to Power Wash Grease? [message #175151 is a reply to message #175149] |
Sat, 30 June 2012 16:14  |
zhagrieb
Messages: 676
Registered: August 2009
Location: Portland Oregon
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Unless you need it to look pretty I'd just wipe away the lumps and leave the rest. Pressure washer certainly will go where you don't want it to go.
Glenn
Glenn Giere, Portland OR, K7GAG
'73 "Moby the Motorhome" 26'
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| Re: OK to Power Wash Grease? [message #175153 is a reply to message #175149] |
Sat, 30 June 2012 16:57 |
rwbmitiopt@comcast.net
Messages: 189
Registered: April 2005
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Jerry
I scraped as much of the old grease and road crud as I could then sprayed it with Gunk or some such. Worked fine but I would rinse it off in the grass or in the gravel.
JWID
Randall
| Jerry Hartley wrote on Sat, 30 June 2012 13:55 |
I noticed a lot of grease on one of my outer CV Boots and have removed the axle following directions found on the internet. Had very little difficulty removing the axle. The surrounding area has a little grease from the CV joint but a lot of accumulated grease from various suspension zerks/joints. I would like to steam clean grease from the surrounding area but I do not have a steam cleaner. I do have a power washer which has more than enough pressure to remove (blow away) grease, dirt, grime, etc.
The power washer also has enough pressure to potentially penetrate seals, zerks, joints and other small openings. It would be difficult or impossible to avoid hitting all such openings. Also, all of the grease blown off the motorhome would end up on my driveway and need to be cleaned up again. Is this a bad idea? Or a Very Bad idea?
I am cautious so unless someone says "No problem, I have done it for years" I intend to just scrape and wipe all grease I can get to.
Jerry Hartley
Sequim, WA
1977 Birchaven Cad 500
1976 Royale
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Randall Burns
Sammamish WA
75 EX GB
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| Re: [GMCnet] OK to Power Wash Grease? [message #175166 is a reply to message #175149] |
Sat, 30 June 2012 19:05 |
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USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Jerry,
I would not go anywhere near the CV joint boots with a high pressure washer or a steam cleaner for fear of tearing a hole in the
boots. They ain't very thick!
I would also be cautious of using any kind of solvents on them as it might have deleterious effects on the rubber.
Get a roll of paper towels and keep wiping the grease off until the boots are as clean as you want them.
Since the axle is out you will be able to move the joint around to get to the "bottom" of the convolutes.
Be careful about how much pressure you put on them as you could tear the.
Yes it will be a PITA but you won't wind up damaging them!
Regards,
Rob M.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Hartley
I noticed a lot of grease on one of my outer CV Boots and have removed the axle following directions found on the internet. Had very
little difficulty removing the axle. The surrounding area has a little grease from the CV joint but a lot of accumulated grease from
various suspension zerks/joints. I would like to steam clean grease from the surrounding area but I do not have a steam cleaner. I
do have a power washer which has more than enough pressure to remove (blow away) grease, dirt, grime, etc.
The power washer also has enough pressure to potentially penetrate seals, zerks, joints and other small openings. It would be
difficult or impossible to avoid hitting all such openings. Also, all of the grease blown off the motorhome would end up on my
driveway and need to be cleaned up again. Is this a bad idea? Or a Very Bad idea?
I am cautious so unless someone says "No problem, I have done it for years" I intend to just scrape and wipe all grease I can get
to.
Jerry
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Regards,
Rob M. (USAussie)
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
'75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
'75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
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| Re: [GMCnet] OK to Power Wash Grease? [message #175167 is a reply to message #175166] |
Sat, 30 June 2012 19:14 |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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And if you're going to remove the axles but not remove & repack the wheel
bearings, clean just as thoroughly as you possibly can around the back of
the knuckle when the axle enters the back side of the bearings. When you
remove the axle, you open the sealed bearing and the possibility of
contaminating them.
Ken H.
On Sat, Jun 30, 2012 at 8:08 PM, Robert Mueller wrote:
> Jerry,
>
> I would not go anywhere near the CV joint boots with a high pressure
> washer or a steam cleaner for fear of tearing a hole in the
> boots. They ain't very thick!
>
> I would also be cautious of using any kind of solvents on them as it might
> have deleterious effects on the rubber.
>
> Get a roll of paper towels and keep wiping the grease off until the boots
> are as clean as you want them.
>
> Since the axle is out you will be able to move the joint around to get to
> the "bottom" of the convolutes.
>
> Be careful about how much pressure you put on them as you could tear the.
>
> Yes it will be a PITA but you won't wind up damaging them!
>
>
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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