How to clean WD40 off of bare iron brake discs ?

Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

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What’s the best way to clean bare grey iron discs that have been WD40’d ?

Does WD40 soak into the pores of iron? Or does it just sit on the surface?

Will scrubbing with brake cleaning solvent suffice?

Or should I put them in the dishwasher? Boil them in a saucepan? Or some other ingenious method ??
 
WD40 is mostly solvent, and damn little oil. I use it to clean oil, chain lube, etc.


Then there was this one time at the Bikini Bike Wash in Daytona where the stripper used spray wax on my front rotors....

I didn't stop her.🤩
I figured the sintered bronze pads would carry me through. 🏁
 
concours said:
WD40 is mostly solvent, and damn little oil. I use it to clean oil, chain lube, etc.


Then there was this one time at the Bikini Bike Wash in Daytona where the stripper used spray wax on my front rotors....

I didn't stop her.🤩
I figured the sintered bronze pads would carry me through. 🏁
Click to expand...
That reminds me of when i ground a disc for a commando owner a few years ago, I sprayed it with a rust preventative immediately after grinding (the water based coolant causes discs to rust before your eyes) This rust preventative was akin to Waxoyl. The silly sod just bolted the disc on without cleaning it and then complained his brake didn't work! Needless to say i left him with a flea in his ear with a few choice words about his workmanship!
 
dobba99 said:
That reminds me of when i ground a disc for a commando owner a few years ago, I sprayed it with a rust preventative immediately after grinding (the water based coolant causes discs to rust before your eyes) This rust preventative was akin to Waxoyl. The silly sod just bolted the disc on without cleaning it and then complained his brake didn't work! Needless to say i left him with a flea in his ear with a few choice words about his workmanship!
Click to expand...
You can place the whiffle ball on a plastic T for them.... but the slack jaw doofuses still need to swing the plastic bat.
 
Fast Eddie said:
What’s the best way to clean bare grey iron discs that have been WD40’d ?

Does WD40 soak into the pores of iron? Or does it just sit on the surface?

Will scrubbing with brake cleaning solvent suffice?

Or should I put them in the dishwasher? Boil them in a saucepan? Or some other ingenious method ??
Click to expand...
The brake cleaner I have seems to leave a slightly oily finish on the disc, so I used IPA (isopropyl alcohol, not the pub IPA!!!) on a clean rag. Quite a lot of gunk came off and the brakes were much better afterwards.
 
Fast Eddie said:
What’s the best way to clean bare grey iron discs that have been WD40’d ?

Does WD40 soak into the pores of iron? Or does it just sit on the surface?

Will scrubbing with brake cleaning solvent suffice?

Or should I put them in the dishwasher? Boil them in a saucepan? Or some other ingenious method ??
Click to expand...
Acetone and or Naptha.
 
Safety data sheets from what era.

Acetone is on the shelf of most every paint store or hardware store out there.
Amazon delivers it to your door.
Read the label.
Look up precautions before purchase.
Do a search on usage.
Employ common sense.
Like most chemicals proper precautions are pretty obvious.
When handled responsibly, as with most shop cleaning fluids, its a non issue.
If you are worried it about continue to avoid it and seek another method of cleaning.
 
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Lineslinger said:
Acetone is on the shelf of most every paint store or hardware store out there.
Amazon delivers it to your door.
Read the label.
Look up precautions before purchase.
Do a search on usage.
Employ common sense.
Like most chemicals proper precautions are pretty obvious.
When handled responsibly, as with most shop cleaning fluids, its a non issue.
If you are worried it about seek another method of cleaning.
Click to expand...
Acetone is an excellent octane booster.
I used it when racing many years ago
 
Lineslinger said:
Safety data sheets from what era.

Acetone is on the shelf of most every paint store or hardware store out there.
Amazon delivers it to your door.
Read the label.
Look up precautions before purchase.
Do a search on usage.
Employ common sense.
Like most chemicals proper precautions are pretty obvious.
When handled responsibly, as with most shop cleaning fluids, its a non issue.
If you are worried it about continue to avoid it and seek another method of cleaning.
Click to expand...
Which is rather much what I said :)
 
When I was young and dumb, as opposed to being older and wiser, but still sorta dumb, I intentionally sprayed WD-40 on my '82 KZ1000's discs to prepare for an ocean voyage from New Orleans to Greece. I had visions of disintegrated brake discs, so... yeah. Of course, I forgot, and at the port of Piraeus I got on the bike at the dock area, and rode off blithely. I almost took a dunk in the Aegean. Anyway MAF sensor stuff will also work, and leaves very little residue.
 
SteveBorland said:
I'm quite certain that you can work it out, you are a clever man.
Click to expand...
Only clever when I need to be, this interaction is not one of them.

Any insight from your data sheets regarding the use of Naptha? 😏
Some factual input at some point might be in order, other than offhand unfounded criticisms.
 
Last edited:

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