Recently I spent some time at the TSW World HQ where Jeff and I rebuilt the front calipers of my BDM BBK. Instead of using the standard auto part store Brake Clean to remove caked on brake dust we used Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber. Why? It does not leave a residue and when cleaning internal caliper bits this is rather important.
I'll have to try that. I have a can on the shelf and need to finish cleaning the calipers on our cabrio before painting them. Brake cleaner isn't getting all of the caked/baked dust so it's taking lots of wire brushing with a drill motor.
This stuff got off the baked on crap from the pistons. It may be able to clean about anything! Plus every Texan probably has a can in the garage. :lol:
Interesting that the Birchwood-Casey product is designed for cleaning guns, more than likely in preparation for "blueing", which must be very clean so as not to get blotches. So it would be an excellent product for use on calipers. I have personally used some of their metal chemicals on a custom made fireplace we built, where the client wanted the color to be streaked with accents of brown, green, black and gold. This was all done with one of their chemicals to great effect. Might be another consideration instead of anodizing or powdercoating for MINI parts?
This looks like some good stuff until you posted the paint caution. I have for years used Simple Green. Even the suborn stuff will come clean. It might take a brush and a couple of application but it will not harm finishes.
Simple Green and brushes would be hard to use in the caliper passages unless one had the luxury of time to allow the caliper parts to sit in solution.
Not having looked into either, what is the price comparison between Gun Scrubber and Brake Clean like?
Its a lot more expensive. 16 bucks for a 26oz can, but a little goes a very long way so in real costs it may be close as one tends to not use as much of the Gun Scrubber.
Lack of residue sounds like it would be a decent prep for painting calipers, which I want to do at some point.
What works even better for me then Simple Green is Castrol Super Clean. I always have a bottle and sprayer of the stuff on hand.
:lol: I live in Santa Cruz California... If I get seen by any neighbor or pass byer using anything but Simple Green that might end up in the ocean I get the EPA coming by and doing a "Driveway" check on me! No Joke either! :frown2: Some cleaners will leave a dried surface residue that may form silicone which the paint will either not stick or will fish eye. Read the back of the paint to be used and the warning for such incompatibilities.