Method for Cleaning Tractor before painting

Ok so Ive redone many tractors (about 20) and am constantly trying to improve my methods to speed up and to make it easier. I typically power wash (with heat and purple power degreaser) the tractor 2 times before pulling in shop. Once In the shop I will disassemble the tractor and of course there is tons of dirt and grease buildup you find once disassembled. I then start scraping with putty knife, razor blade, screw driver, wore brush on grinder, etc. once it has been scraped and blown off with air, I would like to use some sort of degreaser to spot clean areas by scrubbing and rinsing with a regular garden hose. Once the whole tractor has been spot cleaned I would like to power wash one more time without degreaser

OR SHOULD I USE DEGREASER THEN ?

This should be when Im ready to prime it. Im thinking of using the product pictured to do the spot cleaning. I can get it at work but not sure if it will do the Job.

Secondly, when I do the final power wash before painting like I mentioned ; should I be using something before, during, or after to make sure any degreaser or oil is off the cast surface?? If so what do I need to use and when to use?? After reading a lot on here Im wanting to use an epoxy primer then paint the color coat within 24-48 hours on the tractor Case IH Ironguard dealer paint or sometimes urethane enamel from paint shop if I cant get ironguard in time.

Product I want to use for the spot clean scrubbing. Nature Solv. Says it has DLimonene , Propane , and Butane for the ingredients.

Really no shortcuts. Bunch of elbow grease. The power washer is probably your best asset. Oven cleaner helps on stubborn steps but there is still dirt you can't get to until you start taking it apart. Mine even had places where old dried grease was painted over and
it stuck as well to that as the cast. Took a screwdriver to break that up. Better to do an overkill scrubbing it than to have paint peal off later.

(quoted from post at 00:10:58 10/15/20) Really no shortcuts. Bunch of elbow grease. The power washer is probably your best asset. Oven cleaner helps on stubborn steps but there is still dirt you can't get to until you start taking it apart. Mine even had places where old dried grease was painted over and
it stuck as well to that as the cast. Took a screwdriver to break that up. Better to do an overkill scrubbing it than to have paint peal off later.

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I agree Stephen. Did you read the whole post and see my questions about prepping after scrubbing with degreaser?

You would use any degreaser as part of the cleaning process. Once you think you have any trace of oils off the tractor rinse it with the powerwasher and let it dry completely before sanding. As far as a degreaser I don't think you can do better than oven cleaner.
It's caustic enough it has the potential of stripping the paint. I wouldn't try to prime it in the same day after washing it. Water tends to hide in a lot of places and would come some rolling out into the primer.

As far as epoxy primer you don't really have to use primer on old paint using the ironguard paint. The benefit of epoxy is on bare metal. The ironguard paint will bond as well to the old paint as epoxy would. If epoxy were applied to old paint water could seep
under the primer through the old paint. Most paint is porous. You think of paint like it was a sheet of glass but water will penetrate through most paint. This is the benefit of epoxy, water won't penetrate through it. Using epoxy on bare metal if you get a
scratch to the metal the metal will rust right where the scratch is but only there. Other paint since it's porous such a scratch allows water to travel out laterally from the scratch under the paint eventually causing a lot of damage to the metal and lifts the
paint.

If you do use epoxy primer be sure to read the instructions on the product. Epoxy primers have a recoat window. This means you have to topcoat in usually 8 hours after applying the primer or it would need to be primed again.

Another issue which is difficult to advise is I don't know which Ironguard paint you plan on using. An oil based Ironguard paint would work fine on epoxy primer but they also make a water based paint which wouldn't. If you plan to use the water based then you
would be better off priming over everything with a water based bonding primer. Something like Kilz Adhesion. Ironguard also makes a waterborne primer but I'm unfamilar with the product so I can't say if it was a better choice.

I think that the best method is to do the putty knife underneath step first. I hate doing it when there is moisture contained in it. That is messy. If you are not using a cleaner in any step you are rinsing. Any wash can be followed by another rinse so that you are not putting paint on cleaner. I do many hours of mechanical prep with cup type twisted wire wheel and flap wheel in between washing and priming. I have sold cleaning chemicals for nearly fifty years. I have never seen anything as effective as Dlimonene.

Dawn dish soap gets lots of greased and
de- greaser off. I use it before final
rinse. Then wipe down with paint thinner

(quoted from post at 05:01:20 10/15/20) Dawn dish soap gets lots of greased and
de- greaser off. I use it before final
rinse. Then wipe down with paint thinner

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Kevin, If you think that Dawn works well you should try any old oven cleaner. They can't put anything aggressive into a product that is formulated for you to put your bare hands into, LOL.

I use the cheapest oven cleaner I can find. Usually at the Dollar Store. Melts oil, grease and old paint. Don't inhale or get it on your skin. Fastest cleaner I have found.

Would disassembling it (removing the sheet metal?) before power washing save a step or two?

Yellow cap oven cleaner is 100% Lye. it is very rough on skin, and can cause chemical burns if left too long. Be careful when using the Yellow cap oven cleaners.

(quoted from post at 10:34:04 10/16/20)

Yellow cap oven cleaner is 100% Lye. it is very rough on skin, and can cause chemical burns if left too long. Be careful when using the Yellow cap oven cleaners.

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Van, If you check some SDS sheets you will find that oven cleaners are 5-10% sodium or potassium Hydroxide. Both of these chemicals which are called lye, and are solids and usually handled as beads in the raw material form. Beads are not very good to work with so they are dissolved in water in order to make them do the job. 5-10% makes a very aggressive solution.

Thank you all. Very helpful.

Hello,
I am thinking about using Armour "tire foam" to clean before painting on my next project.

Any concern?

(quoted from post at 18:22:34 02/12/21) Hello,
I am thinking about using Armour "tire foam" to clean before painting on my next project.

Any concern?

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fdt, my only concern is that it would be hard on your pocket book, LOL. A look at the SDS shows that it is somewhat caustic as tire cleaners pretty much always are. Your question is wide open as to how much of the job you plan to use it for, the whole job or a final step? An old tractor is usually pretty greasy, and takes many applications of solution. As I noted above I prefer to do the "putty knife while lying on my back" step first instead of having mush falling on me after getting it wet. The tire foam would take cases, while a single gallon of Dollar store oven cleaner would do it. Being a caustic means you have to rinse well afterwards.