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Posted by D Sherman [72.47.9.228] on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 13:25:14 :
In Reply to: Removing cosmoline posted by Lyman in ohio [67.142.174.20] on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 12:55:34 :
Heat is the key with cosmoline. It's a mixture of beeswax and oil. You can get it off with gasoline and scrubbing, but heat is better. There's no solvent that will dissolve the beeswax component. Boiling hot water is adequate. I believe warm kerosene was recommended back in the day. Once the bulk of it is off with heat, you can use any solvent to remove the remaining thin film. It was put on by dipping the parts in melted cosmoline and melting is the best way to get it off. Sometimes I use an electric heat gun or propane torch, but you have to be gentle with the heat.
You can also usually get it off of small parts like bearings by soaking them for a long time in gasoline, cold, but obviously that's not going to work for a transmission cover. Sometimes with really old cosmoline, maybe depending on how it was stored, it sets up into a hard plastic-like substance that won't dissolve in anything, at which point you absolutely need to use heat no matter how mall the part is.
If there's paper wrapped around it, try to peel that off as the cosmoline melts or dissolves. Hot water really is the best method because it heats the whole part evenly and doesn't risk burning the paint or ruining the temper.
Rummage around in the kitchen and find your wife's biggest pot. Put your transmission cover in it, fill it up with enough water to cover it, put it on the stove, and heat it up. The cosmoline will melt and float to the surface. Pour it out the window (not down the drain unless you want to snake out your drain). Then set the nearly-clean part on the table, get her dish towel, dip it in gasoline, and clean off the residue. This has the added benefit of making the kitchen smell like a garage, which can only be a good thing in any home.
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