Is TSP Plus. It's a pre-paint cleaner/degreaser, but this **** is awesome. I've been pulling and rebuilding a lot of engines lately, and TSP has become my weapon of choice to keep from being completely covered in grease. Imagine for a minute pulling an engine and tranny from the car, both of which are COMPLETELY black with grease, dirt, and crap. The tranny (sadly, an automatic) now looks almost brand new, as do the housings on the engine. If it weren't for some trapped water, the irons would be exceptional as well.

I haven't figured out where to get this stuff, but a buddy of mine said he got the powdered version from Home Depot. I use the concentrate in the bottle (with no water) and it's friggin' awesome.

Just thought I'd let my fellow 1G restorers know about the greatest invention ever (behind the wankel).

 

If you are referring to Tri Sodium Phosphate be careful it is a product that is used to dull glossy paint before re-painting. It removes wallpaper if you get it on your paint it will screw it up, and your hands wear gloves. You can get it at Home Depot or True Value. I personally wouldn’t let near any car.

 

It's not that; slightly less evil but probably not much.

 

hey tunafish, then what do you use for cleaning?

 

It depends, if I am cleaning the engine in the car it is Gunk. If it is out of the car a variety of products Kerosene, Simple Green, Carb Cleaner, my newest tool is product for paint prep that degreases I cant remember the name its in the basement and I don’t feel like going down there right now. I don’t want to come across as some nut oh that stuff will kill you (TSP) I just remember when I remodeled my old house that was some wicked ****. I started to clean the horrible wallpaper in the kitchen and it took the pattern right off it. The former owner painted the interior in a burnt orange gloss paint when I washed the walls it dulled them to a flat finish perfect for painting. I just don’t know what its reaction would be to metal but I have seen the results on paint. Again I just would not use it on a car.

 

When I used to paint houses my boss made me wash everything with TSP. Mix some of the powder with warm water and sponge down houses. Got rid of all the dirt real quick, and a lot of the paint.

Makes me hands burn too.

Never used any on my car though

 

I've never used it in the car, just on engines out of the car. No problems yet.

EDIT: And it's hard to believe it will do much damage to bare metal... anything that will do any severe damage would NOT be available over the counter.

 

The True Value store I bought the TSP at, I had a clogged drain I said hey I bought the Drano it didn’t do a thing he directed me over to the plumbing isle where he said try this, it will clear the drain. Hydrochloric Acid (full Strength) had skull and cross bones right on the bottle. It ate through the pipe the sink strainers and splashed on the stainless steel pots there still etched to this day. I bought it over the counter there are plenty of products that will damage metal without a prescription.

 

Like muratic acid. we use it at work to clean brick and full strength will quickly eat metal and even concrete.