I wont' stick a bolt in a hole or a nut on a bolt without cleaning the grease and dirt off. Won't put a driveline together without cleaning the u-joints and yokes. I won't do a job in the shop without cleaning up a few times to keep the work area clean. How 'bout you? I'm worried if I have to get a job in a "for profit" shop, I'll get fired for taking the extra time.
I worked for an old man years ago who said " I want it clean enuff that you can wipe a biscuit on it and not be afraid to eat it " ..That a little extreme but he's right ..I can honestly say the best investment in my shop is my hot tank ..dont know how I lived without it ..
I try and clean the machine prior to working on it but is not always possible. I do clean the machine when i remove a component like an engine or trans. Once its out you can really get in there to clean it. i have had the guys at our wash rack completely wash the machine and then I'll spend another few hours cleaning in the areas they missed. I have also pulled, dragged and carried a machine to get washed after removing major component. Any metal to metal contact between critical parts then the paint and rust gets removed. Cutting edges, axle mounts etc.
For me it really depends on the situation . A 911 along the side of the road gets just what cleaning is needed to slam it back together. Back at the shop its different . My name is on that job .The shop keeps about every color of equipment spray paint on hand so I get carried away at times .
My best cleanup tool is the wire wheel in my shop. Clean threads are happy threads!
Every once in a while a tool comes along that makes you wonder how you lived with out it. Last month I ordered a hot water/steam cleaner add on for my pressure washer.After wanting one for 30 years -O why did I wait so long?
Not only do I not care for working in a mess, I try not be so messy while I'm working on machines. Oh sure, your going to dump some oil when you take lines loose, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about other mechanics that I've worked around doing something like a simple oil change on a rig. Walk by their project after they've been at it a bit, there's used black motor oil all over the place and on the floor. Filter boxes strewn about the floor along with oily rags, and oil drain pan full of oil and old filters. Just baffles me how someone can be such a grease pig. I guess I just trained myself to not be such a mess when working out in the field. Property owners take no liking to having oil all over their property. Can't says I blame them.
There is field breakdown clean, shop breakdown clean and winter service/repair clean. At bare min, the imeidate area in which you are working on gets the brake cleaner spray and a good brushing. All bolts nuts get the wipe off, etc. If you are able to get a machine into the shop for a breakdown it usually gets cleaned up a bit more. Winter service, try to strip all the pans and shields off, scrape all dirt, blow out all dirt, then steam clean before doing any work. There are always rush jobs but I feel its quicker to take your time and keep your area neat and orginized so you can find things and get the machine out the door quicker. Trbo
I do some mechanic work on the side.I keep parts clean.But the floor I like it all oily and greasy.Keeps snoopy people away from my work.They tend to borrow and lose things for you.
Well, there's a tactic I hadn't considered. LoL
I'm working on a Fiat Allis dozer.Three years ago some body removed the head now I'm over hauling it because it was out side in the weather.Looked for the new rebuilt injectors.Found them in a five gal.bucket full of water.
Well i rebuild all of my own equipment my general way of doing a job on a machine is to completely wash it down before pulling apart. All the bolts and nuts are put into tins of petrol to be de-greased, all mating surfaces and scraped with a workshop knife until completely cleaned, then once again de-greased with petrol. When i re-install all bolts are covered in Tac-2 which is an adhesive type lubricant, everything then runs together very sweetly and next time i take it apart i won't bust myself doing it My thoughts Alex