Help in cleaning asphalt and tar from a chainsaw

[txgp17]

Use an axe

Not quick enough.

50 ms460's?! How big is the fire department where you work?

550+ employees. We have:
15 MS460's
2 MS461's
About 28 026's
About 5 MS 290's (which are a pain to work on)

You are not working on the space shuttle.....

Didn't think I was. I just need the strongest thing I can find that doesn't ruin plastic, hoses and gaskets.

You could also opt to just burn it off. You are a fireman and its just a stihl and you do have 49 others.

Seeing as how a new MS461 is $1,100, it would be poor stewardship of the citizen's money.

 

[7sleeper]

A seldom trait cairing about the tax payers money!

7

 

[txgp17]

It could be that the saws will die not from overheating due to tar covering some of the cooling fins, but from ingesting smoke, debris, being dropped off a roof, plastic melting from the heat, etc.

The only failures we've experienced are from operator error. Straight gas or they leave the saw idling which overheats the clutch and melts the oiler.

Edit: Also, how much time will it take you to disassemble, clean, reassemble, & test each saw?

Not long, I've got my tools and techniques pretty streamlined.

 

[7sleeper]

I have a strange question, maybe someone knows the answer, but could a cylinder be plated (like teflon?!) on the outside with something that makes cleaning easier?

7

 

[GeorgiaVol]

I have also used dry ice at the foundry I worked at on some equipment there. Anyone ever tried one of those dry ice pressure washer things on a saw before? I am curious to how well they would work for that application.

 

[txgp17]

I have a strange question, maybe someone knows the answer, but could a cylinder be plated (like teflon?!) on the outside with something that makes cleaning easier?

7

I'm a gun nut, a there's a coating called NP3 https://robarguns.com/custom-firearm-finishes/np3/

The problem is that Teflon (PTFE) breaks down and falls off at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[Marshy]

Sounds like here are a few products on the market to try. With anything similar to this but always helps to remove the bulk of the material manually before applying a solvent as previously mentioned. I would avoid gasoline but would consider kerosene/diesel. Maybe buy small quantities of the other products mentioned to try and compare to diesel. With 50 saws to maintain it sounds like you will require a significant volume to clean them all so consider disposal as well.
If allowed, you might want to buy a cheap harbor freight parts washer and use the cleaner/fuel in.

How much of the saw are you expecting to disassemble? Maybe it makes sense to remove the muffler, ignition, carb, and block the ports with a block off plate. That way you can go to town at it in the parts washer and not get anything in the cylinder. That would allow you to rinse/brush the cylinder, case and flywheel all in one shot. Good luck.

 

[CentaurG2]

Of course you're joking.....

But if you aint - might that not melt the alloy? cos alloy has quite a low melting point for a metal. Childhood memories of throwing ally things in fires, and collecting the pretty solidified pools a few days later

I never joke about my work.

Seriously, I would imagine once the magnesium in the case got going it would burn hotter than hell.

 

[CentaurG2]

Not quick enough. 550+ employees. We have:
15 MS460's
2 MS461's
About 28 026's
About 5 MS 290's (which are a pain to work on)Didn't think I was. I just need the strongest thing I can find that doesn't ruin plastic, hoses and gaskets.Seeing as how a new MS461 is $1,100, it would be poor stewardship of the citizen's money.

Oh come on. Haven’t you always wanted to burn an ms460r?? You could do three at once and juggle them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-i-HAG_9_I

 

[Michigan Escapee]

You are not working on the space shuttle.....

Hmm, interesting notion. So what DO they use on space shuttles, rockets, aircraft. In the past, WD40 for moisture repellent. And TCE, which is made for melting your liver, and causing flipper babies.

So, WD40 results.

http://removeandreplace.com/2015/01...icky-adhesive-goo-gunk-from-various-surfaces/

Sort of spray on, let set, and be prepared to toothbrush it out. Like any sort of penetrating oil.

and TCE results(in case you want to turn your workplace into a superfund toxic waste site)

https://trid.trb.org/view.aspx?id=348909

Makes the asphalt harden, and brittle. While giving you liver cancer, and chloracne.

 

[svk]

Welcome to the site!

I would use gasoline and a scrub brush. Then once these are all cleaned (50 of them is going to take you some time!!!!) I would clean each one after each use so there is only a minimal amount of crud to remove.

 

[ffchewy17]

I sent you a PM.

 

[hseII]

I think I would warm the saw up, scrape what I could off the use a paint brush with diesel fuel after it had cooled off to remove the rest.

GO DAWGS!!

 

[kr5258]

We do A lot of paving and use a citrus based solvent. See orange-sol.com.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

We do A lot of paving and use a citrus based solvent. See orange-sol.com.

I remember that stuff. We used it too. I 2nd that suggestion.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

GO DAWGS!!

I'm a transplanted Tennessee Volunteer. Hince Georgia VOL. LOL

 

[hseII]

I'm a transplanted Tennessee Volunteer. Hince Georgia VOL. LOL

I was giving you the Benefit of the Doubt. [emoji38][emoji38]

You Know,
Maybe a Volunteer Fireman, or EMT.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Buy brake clean in bulk, it's cheap. We get it for about $20 a case (12 cans)

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

Gasoline and an assortment of detailing brushes, pokers and scrapers seems to be the most cost and time effective way. Most cleaners strong enough to work are going to turn the tar into dye and stain all the white paint and possibly cause damage to the rubber intake boot and impulse line.
One thing I'd consider is cleaning around the base of the cylinder on a half dozen at a time so the dirty cylinders can be removed without contaminating the inside of the crank. Then you can set the bare cylinders in a parts cleaner using any chem cleaner you can get it done the fastest with.

 

[Topbuilder]

I have a strange question, maybe someone knows the answer, but could a cylinder be plated (like teflon?!) on the outside with something that makes cleaning easier?

7

That's what I was thinking, even coating the parts with Pam or another cooking spray?