Over the last year or so, I'm seeing spray cans labeled "parts cleaner" show up next to the the aerosol cans of carb and brake cleaner. Can anybody give the low down on this stuff? I'm guessing it's in response to some EPA regulation or something but would like to know for sure. Is it just relabled carb cleaner? Or brake cleaner with the "good stuff" still in it or maybe with the "good stuff" removed?
"Parts cleaner" vs brake cleaner
- Thread starter ripcord
- Start date
Well, what stuff is in it?
Some stuff you don't want to get on your hands, other stuff, not too bad.
Well, no, you really don't want to get any of that stuff on you.
Some stuff you don't want to get on your hands, other stuff, not too bad.
Well, no, you really don't want to get any of that stuff on you.
Read on the back of the cleaner is meant for metal only. If it's safe for plastic then there should be no acetone in it. Throttle body cleaners normally are safe or safer for plastics. Potent brake cleaners can melt plastics.
You can get a pressure spray bottle and mix Simple Green Industrial cleaner with water for parts cleaning.
You can get a pressure spray bottle and mix Simple Green Industrial cleaner with water for parts cleaning.
I like mineral spirits, the real stuff, not fake mineral spirits substitute. It works great as a degreaser. The sludge will settle to the bottom over time, and you can skim off clean solvent on the top, for reuse again and again.
Regarding that spray can stuff, find the SDS. It may be more mild than brake and carb cleaner.
Regarding that spray can stuff, find the SDS. It may be more mild than brake and carb cleaner.
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You're not kidding. I used brake cleaner to clean an R/C nitro engine and it melted some important plastic bits in the carb. Didn't just soften it, it literally liquefied it.
I don't look that closely anymore, but I think "the good stuff" is still available in some stores, at least auto parts stores, 'cause it's more expensive, like 2x the price of the other stuff.
I don't think I've ever seen just parts cleaner. I've seen "brake parts cleaner" though I always mis-read it as "brake & parts cleaner" and then there's (only) "brake cleaner". I presume the brake (only) cleaner isn't safe on plastic, rubber, etc.
Going down the rabbit hole, looking at AutoZone for "Parts Cleaner"... These products are all over the place.
ShopPro All Purpose Parts Cleaner
Shop Pro California All Purpose Parts Cleaner
Gumout Regane Parts Cleaner Aerosol Spray
Gunk Instant Parts Cleaner and Degreaser
CRC Parts Cleaner and Degreaser
ShopPro All Purpose Parts Cleaner
- #SPPC-15, $5.99 for 15 oz
- Contains Tetrachloroethane, Carbon Dioxide
- This is basically old-fashioned chlorinated brake cleaner. It's nonflammable, can't be sold in California, is great at cutting grease, dries quickly, leaves no residue, destroys rubber/plastic/paint, and is terrible for the environment.
- I would not buy or use this product.
Shop Pro California All Purpose Parts Cleaner
- #SPPC-15CA, $5.99 for 15 oz
- Contains Acetone, Carbon Dioxide, Heptane, Methanol, n-Heptane, Toluene, Benzene
- This looks similar to modern non-chlorinated brake cleaner. It's mainly acetone, so it is flammable, is great at cutting grease, dries quickly, and is bad for rubber and many plastics/paint. The small quantities of toluene and benzene might leave a very very slight oily residue.
- I've been trying to cut back on benzene, so I'd avoid this one.
Gumout Regane Parts Cleaner Aerosol Spray
- #540001, $7.49 for 16 oz
- Contains Acetone, Toluene, Carbon Dioxide, and allegedly Polyetheramine
- This looks like nonchlorinated brake cleaner, with the added marketing hype of PEA. It's mainly acetone, with some toluene, so it's flammable, dries quickly, might leave a small oily residue, and damages rubber/paint and many plastics.
- PEA is a great detergent for removing varnish and carbon deposits inside a combustion chamber, but I don't see the benefit for brakes or throttle bodies. Toluene and acetone do a perfectly good job (in my limited experience). This stuff contains too much acetone and not enough PEA to be safe as a GDI Intake Cleaner.
- I'd use it, but gripe about the PEA marketing garbage. Should be fine for throttle bodies and brakes.
Gunk Instant Parts Cleaner and Degreaser
- #PCD14T, $9.99 for 14 oz
- Contains Acetone, Carbon Dioxide, and Heptane
- This is mainly acetone, with some heptane, similar to many non-chlorinated brake cleaners. It's flammable, dries quickly, leaves no residue, is terrible for rubber and paint and many plastics.
- I'd use it. Should be fine for throttle bodies and brakes.
CRC Parts Cleaner and Degreaser
- #1751863, $11.99 for 18 oz
- Contains methyl acetate, acetone, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, carbon dioxide, naphtha, heptanes
- This looks like a less toxic, more environmentally friendly forumulation. It's mainly methyl acetate and acetone with the siloxane, so it should be very good at cutting grease, won't dry quite as quickly as normal brake cleaner. It's not great for rubber. paint, or plastics, though it probably won't damage them immediately. The siloxane could somewhat protect rubber and some plastics from the acetone.
- I'd use it. Should be fine for throttle bodies and brakes. Okay if you had to remove a tiny bit of grease from a painted/plastic/rubber surface, though there are safer options.
Great post. Although I will take tetrachloroethane over benzene anyday. Tetrachloroethane is a probable carcinogen, while benzene is a know carcinogen, specifically causing leukemia. I only use the least toxic stuff i can find which gunk fits the bill for that.
Chlorinated brake parts cleaner was the only product that worked to clean up power steering pump internals of old fluid and residue during a rebuild.
Carb cleaner and non-chlorinated brake cleaner did nothing. I could have washed the parts in gasoline like we used to do 40 years ago but I don't feel like taking a gas bath or dealing with the explosion hazard.
Carb cleaner and non-chlorinated brake cleaner did nothing. I could have washed the parts in gasoline like we used to do 40 years ago but I don't feel like taking a gas bath or dealing with the explosion hazard.
MS smells terrible and is hard to get off your hands
Used to get free five gallon pails of 1,1,1 trichloroethane from the rep of a local chemical manufacturer. Best cleaner ever.
MS smells terrible and is hard to get off your hands
True. The odorless MS used to just cost a small amount more. Alas, though, I can't get either in So Calif where I live.
Mineral sprits aren't available in CA? Wow. That's wild. It's crazy to me that you can still buy spray paint though?
Carburetor cleaner is a good parts cleaner as well.
However, if I have bigger jobs I use plain gasoline - best and cheapest cleaner ever. With 16 oz of gasoline you can clean a lot of things. I usually use small batches of about 4-8 oz and refill my container, instead of pouring out 16 oz at once.
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What's wrong with good ol' benzene?
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
Benzene causes cancer, liver damage and liver cancer, and bone marrow loss = anemia, low white count. That's enough for today. But I do think it smells good mixed with castor oil and burned in a low compression two stroke.
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sounds like a good time to me
I tried a can of the Shop Pro Parts Cleaner from AutoZone. Didn’t like it. Was basically chlorinated brake cleaner. I don’t like chlorinated cleaners in general, besides the fact that they aren’t too good to breathe in, I want stuff that evaporates fast.
I use starter fluid, but have to be careful with fumes and use outside. Carburetor cleaner is the one that's hard on paint and rubber.
