Brake Cleaner

[Wake27]

Lots of stuff online shows people using non-chlorinated brake cleaner to degrease guns before painting, in place of acetone to clean threads, etc. This is my first time using it and I’m surprised by the coloration it left. Thoughts?



In the SF WarComp install video, Barry was spraying the threads with acetone pretty liberally, a quick Google made it seem like brake cleaner is less aggressive so I’m curious about this now.

I’m thinking that there was enough oil on the barrel that it’s just the cleaner working, but it seems like a stark contrast between the part the brake cleaner hit and the rest of the barrel. I’m wondering if I just didn’t realize the entire barrel had some oil on it but my OCD would like confirmation.

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[georgeib]

I believe this is due to chemical reaction between the brake cleaner and the metal. A light dish washing detergent, water, and nylon brush will get take care of it.

[npena84]

I did the same before painting a gun, and then got paranoid and re cleaned everything with dawn dish soap. Paint held up well, many paint coats, and finished with a matte clearcoat

[One More Time]

For painting purposes use Acetone, no residue left behind.

I've had stuff fish eye after hosing it down with brake cleaner.
Handy for washing the paint back off though or prepping parts for assembly juice.

I wash it in hot water and Simple Green first with a hot water rinse.
Warm it up to flash off the water and spray it down with Acetone, towels and phosphate is the devil, unless you don't care about fuzzies.

[JediGuy]

I wash it in hot water and Simple Green first with a hot water rinse.

Be sure to use the aluminum safe version of Simple Green.

I uglified a Mustang GT engine a long time ago not knowing Simple Green and aluminum don’t play nicely together.

[1168]

Its fine. I use non-Cl brake cleaner for silencers fairly frequently, and have years and cases of ammo doing that.

[T2C]

I've used non-chlorinated brake cleaner on filthy carbines over the years and it works. I noticed the oil is drawn out of the metal finish and a light coat of oil restores the color.

When I don't have brake cleaner on hand, I use boiling water for cleaning and it definitely draws the oil out of the metal finish. I remove the handguards before applying the boiling water.

[vicious_cb]

Not a worry, I always follow decoppering solvent with a blast of brake cleaner down the bore and gas tube to remove any residue, any staining goes away with a pass through with a CLP patch.

[mark5pt56]

This is a really great read to know what you are buying and the contents of such.
https://www.realgunreviews.com/whats...cleaners-lube/

[Wake27]

Thanks guys. I hit the threads with rocksett and got the 4P installed, then put a little oil on the barrel and it seems to have evened out. I almost never use any chemicals besides lube so it had me worried for a sec.