Motorcyclist did some tests on rubber seals recently. WD has other stuff, but is primarily kerosene.
Jet A would work as well and be a bit less stinky.
Help in cleaning asphalt and tar from a chainsaw
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Jet A would work as well and be a bit less stinky.
HeRoze
Addicted to ArboristSite
Diesel is my go to. None of the boom of gasoline, all the benefits of kerosene, and some oil helps dissolve the grime
txgp17
ArboristSite Lurker
So a follow-up on this project.
From the saw we removed:
Then placed the saw in a 5 gallon bucket (outside), and filled it with gasoline and let it soak. After an hour or so, it was removed, allowed to air dry.
The saw is cleaner than I hoped. We check the oil and fuel tanks for contamination, then reassemble. We'll stick with this method until we find a problem with it. The old gas is poured into a Type I safety can for reuse later on the next dirty saw.
Thanks to everyone who lent some advice on how to do this.
From the saw we removed:
- starter assembly
- air filter and carb
- the top cover
- coil
- spark plug and decompression plug
- bar & chain
- handle
Then placed the saw in a 5 gallon bucket (outside), and filled it with gasoline and let it soak. After an hour or so, it was removed, allowed to air dry.
The saw is cleaner than I hoped. We check the oil and fuel tanks for contamination, then reassemble. We'll stick with this method until we find a problem with it. The old gas is poured into a Type I safety can for reuse later on the next dirty saw.
Thanks to everyone who lent some advice on how to do this.
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My wife hired her brother to blacktop our roof this spring, we ended up with a black coating over almost everything on our property. Believe me, gasoline is the best way to go......
just curious, do you have a problem with contaminated gasoline getting into the cylinder and crankcase thru the intake port, spark plug hole and compression release?
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He would come in the house, go to the bathroom, get ice for his tea, get some lunch, left tar everywhere....
Toilet, ice cube tray, tracks through the house.......
Toilet, ice cube tray, tracks through the house.......
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That is a good point!
Disappointing that as a fire department you chose the least safe method for doing this.
http://www.ameriburn.org/Preven/2001Prevention/Newsletter.pdf
http://www.ameriburn.org/Preven/GasolineSafetyEducator'sGuide.pdf
Philbert
Woos31
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I work for a county entity in central oregon and this time of year is our hurry go season for chip sealing roads, hot tar like oils are out down then rock spread over top with a big machine ect ect. Our shop gets a product called Citrol made by Schaffer's lubricants and lemme tell you what that stuff will flat dissolve any oil, tar, asphalt, wax, you name it. Smeels like oranges so you could use it in your fire house as our mechanics use it to clean the shop floor after projects. Our oil truck drivers use it like water to clean the trucks and practically bathe in it, although it has liver warnings as well but we usually use nitrile gloves and it won't eat them. We get it in 50 gallon drums then transfer into 2 gallon sprayers and also get cases in aerosol cans to keep in dump trucks. I talked my wife into trying it on laundry that had a crayon melted on it in the dryer........sprayed liberally on affected clothing, re-washed, and good as new. My work clothes get the oil spots sprayed with Citrol then soaked with clean water in the bathtub to rinse so the oil residue doesn't go through the washer. Works great for us and I swear by it, just have to watch out for continual skin contact. Another they got us is called Big Orange which is okay for skin contact but doesn't work as well so there's some other options as well. Good luck sir and thanks for the service you provide to your community
Rockjock
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100% in agreement. I have had several saws that customers used to cut through asphalt shingles. WD40 worked treat. That citrus product posted does sound like a great option!
txgp17
ArboristSite Lurker
The contaminated gas absolutely gets inside the cylinder, but we blow it out and clear it pretty well before putting the plug and decompression valve back in.
Thank you for the concern. But the page 3 of the 2nd link says gasoline "vapors are ignitable at a wide range of mixtures with air." Which is inaccurate. 1.6% to 7.2% is a narrow range, even diesel fuel is wider. Ever tried igniting gasoline with a lit cigarette?
WD-40 has a wider flammability range than gasoline: 0.6% to 8.0%
http://wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd482671453.pdf
If, even as a career firefighter, you cannot recognize the hazards of a bucket of gasoline, then I can't help you.
You know that the Upper Flammable Limit, and Lower Flammable Limit are laboratory values, and the vapors surrounding an open bucket, with dipped parts, will vary greatly with the distance, and include those critical values. You cite that as a narrow range, rather than recognizing that it only takes a small amount of gasoline vapor, mixed with air, to be ignitable. An ignition source within that zone will propagate explosively.
People get complacent with gasoline due to it's familiarity. However, I have known of entire factories destroyed, with multiple fatalities, by ignition sources as seemingly minor as static electricity. It is not common, but it does not have to happen often for it to be tragic, especially, when you have alternatives.
https://www.hess.com/docs/us-safety-data-sheets/gasoline-all-grades.pdf?sfvrsn=2 (example)
Philbert
Thomas Venditto
ArboristSite Operative
Kerosene. Won't flash and goes right thru tar. Turn the saw on it's side and work over a suitable pan. Use a scraper, then wire brush and keep up with the kero. Blow it out when done. I'd be thinking of fabbing a cover for the head.
TomJV
TomJV
Little Al
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have had good results using Road Grime liquid as used by Auto detailers the initial mix was 2 times the rec mix, spray on & leave 10 or so mins may need a couple of go'sHello Gents, I've lurked here many times but this is my first post.
I'm career firefighter and presently I'm assigned to maintain tools and equipment. One item that falls into that category is chainsaws. My Dept owns 50 chainsaws, all Stihl.
The model we use for roof ventilation is a MS 460 Rescue. It's your standard 460 with a guard to keep debris off the muffler, a wrap handle, and a carbide tooth chain.
As you can imagine, cutting asphalt shingles with a chainsaw is messy. The saw chain slings bits of asphalt into the air, and they get sucked into the air cooling channel by the flywheel, and when they land on the hot engine block, they melt, and stick to the cooling fins. It's very hard to get off.
So I'm looking for a way to easily remove this stuff without a lot of labor and without ruining the plastic, hoses, and gaskets.
I tried engine degreaser and it didn't touch it. Brake cleaner is awesome but very expensive. Berryman Chem-Dip melts it like butter but it strips paint and discolors the plastic. Gasoline works great but it really make a mess and there's the obvious fire hazard. We've also tried a parts washer that uses Ozzyjuice cleaning fluid but it just won't do the job.
I'm considering removing the carburetor, bar, and handlebar, then draining the fuel and bar oil tanks, and putting it in a 5 gallon bucket, then filling the bucket with kerosene and leaving until the tar is dissolved.
I'd welcome any advice you guys can lend my way.
Here's a pic of one saw, this amount of contamination is common.
joe kool
Addicted to ArboristSite
after seeing this thread yesterday, and looking into a "cleaning " of a not as dirty cylinder head.
needless to say the discussion bothered me enough to think about the chance of something happening..
i found this lil article
http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.co...this-how-you-treat-your-chainsaw-at-home.html
RAUL A. ANGULO, a veteran of the Seattle (WA) Fire Department and captain of Ladder Company 6, has more than 30 years in the fire service. He is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment editorial advisory board. He lectures on fire service leadership, company officer development, and fireground strategy and accountability throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
needless to say the discussion bothered me enough to think about the chance of something happening..
i found this lil article
http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.co...this-how-you-treat-your-chainsaw-at-home.html
RAUL A. ANGULO, a veteran of the Seattle (WA) Fire Department and captain of Ladder Company 6, has more than 30 years in the fire service. He is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment editorial advisory board. He lectures on fire service leadership, company officer development, and fireground strategy and accountability throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
jr27236
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Great article from well seasoned experience.
