Cleaning oil from freight car trucks

[Trainman203]

i made the mistake of oiling the truck journals of several freight cars.  They are Walthers plastic frames with Proto metal wheelsets.  I'm looking for an easy way to clean them without taking them apart ( there are a lot.). Is there something I can soak the entire truck/wheels in over night that would dissolve the oil out, withou dissolving the trucks and axles?  Pat Flory

[jbrock27]

I must have seen here a million times (exaggeration ) no liquid lube recommended in truck journals, graphite powder only as a lube, bc the oil collects dust, dirt, grime, etc.

If these are original Walthers wheel-sets, I imagine they have brass axles, no?  While I would take the wheel-sets out and clean them individually while soaking all the trucks in a warm water and dish liquids soap, you may be able to get away with soaking the whole thing in soapy water bc of the brass axles.  I would not recommend this with steel axles.

[richardl]

There is a question that begs asking but I will not go down that path here.

As was said, graphite power for axles.

The truck tuner has always worked for me with machined metal wheels. Usually, Intermountain wheels.

Over many years, I have used 70 percent alcohol or denatured alcohol for preparing truck frames and wheels for painting.. Never any damage.

Rich

[jbrock27]

(I happen to like Intermountain wheels too )

An old but clean toothbrush may make the cleaning easier too, no matter which way you decide to approach it.  If you clean the wheel sets separately, Simple Green or a similar cleaner on a cloth may work well as an alternative to isopropyl.

[Trainman203]

Haven't been here as long as you Brock and Rich so all I've seen is what's here now, but good advice and solutions.  Think I'll drop the trucks in Simple Green overnight then soak 'em in water another day. Actually had not thought of it but dish  detergent would probably  do it too.  

[jbrock27]

My choice would be to soak them in the warm (not boiling or hot)  water and couple of drops of dish liquid in a plastic container, that you can put a lid on.  Just enough soap to get some suds.  Just enough water to cover the trucks you are doing.  With a lid, you can even gently shake or swirl the water around to help break up oil.  I would use the toothbrush to clean the inside of the trucks where the journals are before you are ready to rinse to be sure to get the oil out. When done, rinse with water and set them out on a paper towel or two to dry.

Rich has been around here muuuuuuch longer than me.  Of course, using various User Names.

[Len]

I'm a warm water with a drop of two of dish detergent kind of guy for this type of cleaning.

Be very careful with 'Simple Green', there's a fellow over on the O-Gauge Railroading forum that had massive problems with his layout after using it for a while to clean things. Apparently it has some kind of mild natural acid or caustic in it that slowly attacks metal. You can find the thread about his problems using the OGR Forum search function to find 'Simple Green'.

Len

[James in FL]

Obviously you two are water cleaner types, and that's good it works to your satisfaction.
I have heard of folks even cleaning motors with this method.
I just have never been in the practice to clean anything mechanical metal or electrical with water.
Just my personal choice, your mileage may vary.
I much prefer a solvent spray or liquid.
Not in the graphite camp either.
There is no right or wrong, what works for each of us is the best way to model.
What is your reasoning for preferring water?
Just curious.
Cost could be a major factor.

Can't comment on simple green, never bought or tried any.

[richardl]

MSDS for Simple Green.

http://simplegreen.com/pdfs/MSDS_EN-US_AllPurposeCleaner-Pad.pdf

I used Simple Green for about ten years when I was a machine mechanic. A much better substitute for solvent type cleaners. and safer Never experienced any side effects. I just paid attention to the MSDS sheet.

I now use it for cleaning my bicycle parts.

Rich

[jbrock27]

I just have never been in the practice to clean anything mechanical metal or electrical with water.
What is your reasoning for preferring water?

Just to clear, I am not in the practice either of cleaning mechanical metal or electrical, with water (not sure where the electrical connection came from ).  TM203 expressed an interest in having to remove and do as little as possible and at the same time, clean everything at once.  This is why I asked if the axles were brass and why I said if they were, he may get away with soaking trucks and wheel-sets in all in warm soapy water.  I also said it if was me, I would take the wheels-sets out and clean them separately, with a cloth and cleaner, not water, for the record.

Re: Reason for Water and Dish Liquid-It works great on plastics, like plastic/delrin trucks, delrin gears, things that are plastic.

The only negative thing I read about Simple Green, is not to soak something for an extended length of time in it fully concentrated.  Don't ask me who would be doing that to begin with .

[jbrock27]

I now see that TM203 initially said he was using P2K wheelsets, not Walthers brass axle ones-my bad for even asking that that question.  Duh on my part .  While the soap and water would not be bad for the delrin axles, I would not soak the metal wheels in the dish liquid/water mix and would stick to what I had said about using a cloth to clean them.  On the other hand, I see no reason why the wheelsets could not be dipped into soapy water, scrubed with the toothbrush and dried with a cloth or paper towel.

[rogertra]

Unscrew the trucks, drop them into warm soapy water, dry them with a hair drier, screw the trucks back on.

A little water isn't going to hurt the wheels if it is warm water, as the warm water will evaporate faster than cold and if they are dried quickly.

Easy, simple, not complicated.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Trainman203]

I soaked everything in a Dawn detergent solution for a couple of days, then in plain water for a couple of days.  The truck frames are fine, and the Proto metal wheelsets looked good until they dried.  Now ....... instead of oil, there is a white crust over much of the wheels, mostly on the treads that needed cleaning anyway, and around where the axle meets the wheel on the inside.  Looks like hard water scale but the water here isn't that hard. Some of this crud came off with a wet toothbrush but, isn't there some better and easier way to finish this job?  Man.  Am I ever sorry I oiled those  trucks.  This is the never ending job from hell.

[rogertra]

I soaked everything in a Dawn detergent solution for a couple of days, then in plain water for a couple of days.  The truck frames are fine, and the Proto metal wheelsets looked good until they dried.  Now ....... instead of oil, there is a white crust over much of the wheels, mostly on the treads that needed cleaning anyway, and around where the axle meets the wheel on the inside.  Looks like hard water scale but the water here isn't that hard. Some of this crud came off with a wet toothbrush but, isn't there some better and easier way to finish this job?  Man.  Am I ever sorry I oiled those  trucks.  This is the never ending job from hell.

Sorry to say but you left them in the soapy water and plain water way too long. 

You just needed to drop them in warm soapy water, swish it around for a few minutes to wash off the oil, take them out and dry them

Cheers

Roger T.

[Trainman203]

The question remains.... The best way to get the soap residue off?  Or should I just buy new wheels ?