Brake Cleaner Substitutes?

[Dave9]

Depends on what you are cleaning. Brakes, often compressed air does enough for me, though an anti-rust coating on rotors can be washed off with plain hot detergent solution.

In some grimy situations, a spray bottle of gasoline works and is cheaper, though takes a lot longer to dry but is effective at removing petroleum based brake grease, except I would rather not have the residue left behind on the pads themselves.

Sometimes the solution for those not in a hurry is to just use compressed air or a brush, rag, whatever to remove as much gunk as possible then use LESS brakeclean to lower the cost of use.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

We use this stuff because the label is awesome (lol), about two cases a month. It's about $3 a can.

 

[Silver]

I've considered using heptane. Would it make a good cleaner?

 

[zzyzzx]

I buy acetone by the gallon and just use an acetone soaked rag.

 

[Schurkey]

Brakes, often compressed air does enough for me...

...just use compressed air or a brush, rag, whatever to remove as much gunk as possible then use LESS brakeclean to lower the cost of use.

Seriously? You're advocating blowing brake dust all over? Do you wear a respirator? Do all the people around you wear a respirator, too? Do you bring that hazardous brake dust into your home on your clothes? Do you expose your family to that brake dust?

I make a point of NOT disturbing the brake dust when it's dry. The brake cleaner's main job is to get the dust wet, and liquefying it into a drainpan so there's no inhalation hazard.

 

[Dave9]

Seriously? You're advocating blowing brake dust all over? Do you wear a respirator? Do all the people around you wear a respirator, too? Do you bring that hazardous brake dust into your home on your clothes? Do you expose your family to that brake dust?

I make a point of NOT disturbing the brake dust when it's dry. The brake cleaner's main job is to get the dust wet, and liquefying it into a drainpan so there's no inhalation hazard.

If you are THAT worried, then you can never even take a wheel off, or park in your garage! At the same time, yes if I'm doing something that creates a lot of dust, I wear a mask till it settles. This does not create a lot of dust. If there's that much it has already fallen out by the time you get the wheels and caliper off.

Besides, modern brake pads no longer contain asbestos, and frankly you do yourself more harm breathing the brake clean fumes. That stuff is toxic, and that much worse if you use a massive quantity to try to trap all possible dust in it.

Regardless, there is a not a crowd of people around me (cheering me on? lol) when I'm doing brakes. I'm not hugging family members while wearing clothing worn to do car repairs, and ultimately just no, brake cleaner's job is to clean, not get dust wet. IN FACT, the moment you point the brake clean at the dust, it also blows it from the stream of air pushed forward, into the air, not trapped in liquid. Simple physics.

Plus I don't do brakes all day, every day, so my exposure level, let along some trace PPM that might make it into the house, is trivial and has never caused a problem. Some suggest it can take years later for problems to surface. Well it's been years later, I've been doing brakes for decades.

 

[nthach]

Those of us in california are just glad to be able to buy any kind of bracklceaner without paying a fine or having a waiting period.

I’ve seen a CARB-legal chlorinated cleaner at the local parts house here. It works somewhat better than the non-chlorinated one.

 

[Soft Cars]

Wish they had a chlorinated version though. Works much better and dries a lot faster than the non-chlorinated type.

If I remember correctly, the chlorinated type is harmful to plastics.

 

[Soft Cars]

I use this from Walmart..works and does not harm rubber or plastic..mostly heptane I think

That stuff is seriously expensive, but the only option when cleaning oil off of electrical connectors.

 

[ammolab]

That stuff is seriously expensive, but the only option when cleaning oil off of electrical connectors.

$5-$6 but it doesn’t ruin rubber, plastic or ex$pensive gunstock finishes

 

[Soft Cars]

$5-$6 but it doesn’t ruin rubber, plastic or ex$pensive gunstock finishes

Home Depot $8.97 - 11 oz.
NAPA $11.49 - 11 oz.
O'Reilly's $12.99 - 11 oz.
Autozone $12.99 - 11 oz.
Advance Auto $14.49 - 11 oz.

 

[Cyoungso1]

Princess auto has it on sale for less that cad$3 per can often. Alternatively you can get a drum of trike, acetone etc and use a refillable sprayer

 

[ammolab]

Home Depot $8.97 - 11 oz.
NAPA $11.49 - 11 oz.
O'Reilly's $12.99 - 11 oz.
Autozone $12.99 - 11 oz.
Advance Auto $14.49 - 11 oz.

$8.48 at Walmart…yes pricy. I haven purchased any recently. Stuff has really GONE UP. Today SuperTech synthetic was $26+ bucks a jug!

 

[Soft Cars]

$8.48 at Walmart…yes pricy. I haven purchased any recently. Stuff has really GONE UP. Today SuperTech synthetic was $26+ bucks a jug!

I didn't know they had any at Walmart. I'll keep that in mind for the next time I need some.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

Walmart Super Tech is probably your best option . The Non Chlorinated stuff is an awesome gun cleaner .

Super tech carb cleaner is great.

 

[ArcherDriver]

Plain old mineral sprits. Guns, fishing reels, cars.

 

[FCD]

I don't think there are many better products than brake cleaner to quickly clean away grease and oil, i have a few spots on my engine that like to intermittently weep out a bit of oil , so about once a month i just get a can of brake cleaner and spray it down, keeps everything nice and dry.

 

[twouvakind]

I buy acetone by the gallon and just use an acetone soaked rag.

Home (Not So) Cheapo for the source.

 

[zzyzzx]

Home (Not So) Cheapo for the source.

Acetone by the gallon is cheaper at HD when compared to Walmart?

 

[twouvakind]

Robot or human?

Search Results for acetone at The Home Depot

Search Results for acetone at The Home Depot

www.homedepot.com