2 replies to this topic

[chuffed]

Hi,

The other day I cleaned up a gearbox I'm going to rebuild with gunk, the degreaser. However, I've just realised this may have been a bad move.
What effects will this have? Will I need to replace all the bearings?

Thanks

[Stu1961]

Using 'Gunk' shouldn't cause you any issues as far as I know, the only side effect it will have is it will very effectively clean any components of grease and grime. If you have first stripped the box and cleaned all the components individually all that is then needed is to wash them in hot soapy water to remove the remaining 'Gunk' residue. If you have cleaned the box in a built up state now is the time to strip it and again use the hot soapy water on the Individual components I wouldn't use the water on a built up box it may cause rust to set in especially if you plan on leaving the box in a built up state  for any amount of time. Why do you suspect you may have made a bad move?   

[dklawson]

Gunk is typically applied, allowed to soak, scrubbed, and rinsed with water.  If you followed all those steps, you need to tear the box down, wash it again, dry the parts individually, and coat them with clean oil to protect them from rust.  

 

If on the other hand you just sprayed Gunk on and allowed it to drain out, you may not have to carry things quite so far.  Gunk is a mixture of soap and a petroleum product similar to diesel.  Therefore, you could fill the gearbox with diesel and turn it over by hand quite a few times to dilute the Gunk/soap.  Drain that fluid out and repeat one more time.  That should leave your gearbox clean without introducing water.  However, I would still consider doing an oil change within a few hundred miles of putting this gearbox back into service just to make sure any remaining soap has been diluted and/or drained away.