Cleanup of Champion 400 Gearcase

[Yashsedai]

Good evening all, I am rehabbing a champion 400 I got on a gamble from Ebay. 

The inside was full of grease. I would like to get it all removed and cleaned. Can you all suggest what I might soak it in to dissolve all the gunk? 

Diesel? Kerosene? Something else? I thought even dawn and some water. Any opinions about cast iron and water?

 

Thanks for your help

 

Freddy

[Marc1]

Kero works OK

[PaperPatched]

It will go faster if you physically remove as much grease as possible before you start with the solvent. I use cotton rags and something like a paint stirring paddle. For solvent I use undiluted orange oil cleaner, but kerosene or mineral spirits (paraffin or white spirits) will do the job although be less pleasant to work with. 

From what I've read you should not put grease back in there.  It's too thick and will make the blower hard to crank.  Oil is the preferred lube. Be very gentle with the fan its delicate. And watch for loose ball bearings! There are some comprehensive guides to a restoring Champion 400 available if you search. There are some YouTube videos also.  If yours did not come with a stand feel free to contact me and I'll let you know how I built the bracket to hold the blower. 

Alan

[ThomasPowers]

Usually it's not filled with grease; but rather the residue when all the lighter fractions in the oil evaporated off as it sat around for *decades*.

Small flexible putty knife to remove as much crud as possible, then a week long soak in Kerosene or diesel WITH PROPER SAFETY TECHNIQUES! Then put a board across the bucket/vat/? and scrub down the interior with a wire brush, dipping in your degreaser as needed This is where the elbow length nitrile gloves come in useful!  Next a a good wipe down with discarded towels. I live in the country and so can dispose of such towels by burning.  (Always something that needs to be burned in the country...)  I like to run the new oil for a short while and then swap it out to further get rid of any "left overs". I've also been known to go over the outside with WD40 to help remove the diesel or Kero.

DO NOT USE GASOLINE! DO NOT USE GASOLINE! DO NOT USE GASOLINE! DO NOT USE GASOLINE! DO NOT USE GASOLINE! DO NOT USE GASOLINE!

[Yashsedai]

All, thank you for the replies. Most of the info I used in disassembly came from the various posts and youtube videos. I intend to provide a more inclusive disassembly page as some details that I found useful were not found. Paperpatched, I sent you mail about the bracket, much appreciated. 

 

Thanks all!

 

Freddy

[PaperPatched]

Here are a couple of photos showing the improvised bracket. The round rod shown is welded to the base plate and the jaw to the right and serves as a pivot point for the movable jaw to the left.  Each jaw (cut from a segment of heavy wall tubing) has a rib (cut from the same tubing) on the inside.  There is a sheet of thick cork gasket between the blower and clamp, and the two bolts draw the clamp together.

[Borntoolate]

That blower is almost to pretty to use...