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I am cleaning up an old 809 fruit machine and would like to know what type of old grease removers I could use
on the reel mech to get rid of an accumulation of years of grease on the metal parts  and then place a new coat. The existing grease is still soft but it is OLD.

Thanks for any suggestions.

On older pinball machine mechanical movements a lot of people use WD-40 to help remove the old grease, then reapply small amounts of new grease. Keep in mind that WD-40 is flammable, shouldn't be used with power on or around open flame or where there is arcing such as switch contacts with power on.

Thank you rokqpsman. Appreciate the assistance.

What I have been using is PB Blaster. I get it at Home Depot and it has worked really well in freeing up old grease on credit units, coin units on the hopper and also the handle gears. I use mineral spirits on the old mechanical slots like Jennings, Mills ect ... ect...
Dave

I have been using dish soap for 28 years now.

I would think after using it for 28 years it would have loosened the grease by now...   :208-

I use baby wipes on the stove grease that is too stubborn to come off with other stuff. Scary how good baby wipes can be.
I now keep a steady stock of them, even though my kids are long out of diapers. Car mechanics have thanked me for the suggestion when they tried them on their hands.

I have no experience using them on electrical components though :)

-Styx

WD-40, No way, not if it is the old original formula.  It will crud/gum up on whatever you put it on.  W D stands for Water Displacement, it is not a solvent nor a lubricant.  The stuff totally messed up a teletype printer and a great .357 Mag, S&W, after sitting for a year after spraying the mag, it took me over an hour to get the cylinder open.  Got a wet ignition system on a car/truck, snowmobile, etc, now use the original WD-40, but nowhere else..

Sorry JMac, but that just isn't correct.

WD-40 is approx 50% mineral spirits (a solvent used at least since the 1920's) and 15% mineral oil (a light oil). The remainder of the product in the can is mostly carbon dioxide to propel it from the can plus some inert materials. It was never meant as a long-term lubricant, the solvent will evaporate and the light oil will dry out, so it should be used as a loosening or cleaning agent, not as a permanent lubricant. That's why it displaces water, it is an oily petroleum product.

Mineral spirits is basically a lighter version of kerosene. It is great at cleaning and loosening old grease. After cleaning an item you should wipe it thoroughly for the final cleaning step, then apply the correct grease for long-term use. Anywhere you can clean using mineral spirits you can use WD-40. You're right about leaving it on mechanical parts as the only lubricant, that's going to gum up things.

Sir, you are correct, what I should have said was that the formula (When introduced) was not meant as a solvent or lubricant.  How folks use it, that I won't go into...

If you want to gum it up, hose it down with WD-40 (Original) and leave it.

I agree with that last statement completely. I just didn't want someone to read & think that WD-40 was worthless, it does help loosen old grease and free up things with rust. But many people mistakenly spray it all over something and then leave it on there, thinking they have properly oiled or lubed it. It is a solvent (plus a light oil) sprayed out of a can that is meant to be used as a degreaser and can help with rusty parts that are binding. Because it is a petroleum product it is flammable, displaces water and is lubricating to a certain degree. But the solvent evaporates and the lubricating oil dries out soon since it is so light, so you are left with a residue. That's why it is important to wipe down good after using it.

I've also used kerosene as a solvent to clean dirty parts, plus it has an oily quality that helps get things moving while I'm working on it. But at the end of cleaning the item should be wiped clean and oiled with the right stuff, not WD-40.

I like to use brake cleaner spray cans for cleaning old gunk. Works great to get cosmoline out of barrels and bolts on old milsurp rifles too. :)

Just don't use it on plastics and properly lube things when done.

;-)

Richard;

Perhaps I am crazy but I have used a hair dryer and or heat gun on low in addition to PB Blaster and a dedicated tooth brush.  You would be surprised how much gunk reveals itself after only a few seconds in the hot seat so to speak.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ra

Wd-40's formula these days is diff. from the old/orginal stuff.  The orginal would crank a diesel engine no prob.  the new will not.  I think and I am sure I will be corrected,  There were multiple law suits for changing the orginal formula as one instance the can fell over and arched/touched neg/postive terminals on a 12v auto battery causing serious injury and explosion.  The older formula in my opinion worked better.  Pb blaster works very good also-good stuff but stinks-bad!.  -Winston

And another thing...lol

Richard someone on this list I believe suggested "Corrosion X"  Claims it penetrates Lubes Anti-Seize.  Sounds x-rated.  I bought a can about a year ago.  (expensive I remember)  A small quirt will do the trick.  Seems this will handle all of your issues at one time.

I now use it on all of my slot machines, My motorcycles, my car battery terminals and anything else that will hold still and let me spray it.

Ra

Well, I used the WD 40 to remove old grease and it worked well for that purpose. I then wiped off the metal after reach cleaning and applied the lube, either Bally lube from the tube (such a  poet) or 3 in 1 oil depending where I thought it appropriate. Actually I let the WD 40 dry or evaporate as stated in the  above postings and then applied the lube or oil.

The reel mech that I was cleaning had not been lubed or cleaned for who knows how many years, so there was dirt and old grease galore. Now it looks almost new.

So far so good, hopefully there will be no problems down the road from using WD-40. I tried to shield the wiring
from the WD-40 or wiped it off immediately after application.

I do appreciate the other suggestions for future cleanings.

While we are talking about Wd-40 here is an interesting article I ran across awhile back.

This just one mean trick.
Read where it says it cleans stains fro stainless steel sinks, so I thought I would give it a try.
Well it does work kinda, but not a good as a S.O.S pad. My wife is still laughing that "I" cleaned the sink.
I'm beginning to think this was written by a woman.  :290-

So...

Rocket scientists were all sitting around and invented WD-40 to take care of:

7. Lipstick stains and

8. Stubborn zippers.

Ahem.  Heh heh!

BTW I did know the origin of WD-40 and I know that around Christmas time the company makes these awesome WD-40 pens for about a buck each!

I'd stock up if anyone has any of those 40 issues, especially 7 or 8.

Will come in handy for getting out number 9 from number 8, too!  (You'll have to check the list!)

Neon  I don't have a stainless steel sink but this toilet bowl cleaner does wonders on a Enamel sink. Caution don't get it on the faucet, turns the chrome kind of black.

I would be remiss if I didn't try to explane this to some of our members in Alabama. All though recycling is highly recommended, with this product, using it from toilet bowl to kitchen sink isn't a good idea !!

Wow! A peek at Buzz's desk! And Im not even gonna ask what the Vaseline is for...

Well it is next to the phone.

I lost a Ham sandwich on that desk last week, sure hope I find it before it goes BAD

Oh man... :o

And I'm pretty sure that sandwich will be easier to find once it DOES gone bad...

We would strip the mechs, break them down, and drop everything into the dip tank for an hour or so.  Then spend the rest of the shift greasing and reassembling, and rebuilding the other subunits.  Could usually do a complete overhaul including handle, and take care of floor calls in a day.
Nowadays, if I'm finnicky, I'll clean the non-bearing areas with WD on a rag, and for the bearings, I add some light oil into the grease mixture that is already on there.  It'll soften the grease, and lubricate.  If the machine is to be on 24/7 surrounded by other hot machines, too, then I'd regrease.
Remember kiddies, to always let your EM warm up before you play it.....  Hard grease softens slowly, however, like a fine home-made wine, it can sometimes get better with age.

So if I understand Old Reno correctly, Bally EM's should be played frequently and not be permitted to sit and gather dust and let the grease harden up.

What a bunch of old coots (said lovingly).

I leave you guys wide open with an array of comebacks about lipstick stains and/or stubborn zippers or any winning combination of the two and you old buzzards talk about the joys of cleaning sinks and decaying ham sandwhiches.

What does a girl have to do to fit in around here?

A video of a strip tease will get my attention  everytime.

Maddison

Although closet pervs one and all, we were trying to be gentlemen.

Ra

NOT  ME  " Take it OFF " " Hey little Girl  want a piece of candy "  " Wanna come home with me and I'll show you my machines "

Gee, and to think that all I asked about was advise on a good grease remover for my Bally slot machines. Now I am getting advise on interpersonal relations. Wow what a forum!!

  You get more BANG for your buck this way !!

I know I was thinking  :299- of posting a comeback, but decided not too.

I think I need to go to Home Depot today, you'll probably find me in aisle 15  :190- :190- :190-

That's everyone's favorite aisle at HomeDepot....I know I giggle every time I see it! And you'd be surprised to find out the ages of some on here...probably not as old as you are thinking!

What's a girl gotta do to fit in? Not much, if you like owning or working on machines! Oh, and LISTENING and FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS is appreciated (you'd be surprised how many fail that last part!  :72-

Roz

So that's why I'm always drawn to isle 15.  Also 28.?
So I agree completely with channelmaniac, brake cleaner in a can will kick ass on just about anything.
It works as well as a file....
Nasty stuff but if you want it clean, it will do the job.  Yes, no plastics etc. it will melt them all.
WD is fine for general cleaning I think, and then a light oil should get your stuff lubed reasonably.
Unless you want to break it down, and really grease it, a mixture of oil and grease works great.
Mix it to near goopy, and the grease will get drawn down into your bushings.  Or so I suspect.  That's what I do.
Brake cleaner as a Last Resort, but is sure does work great.  Cough cough.
I've used 10 weight, 30 weight motor oil, mineral oil, sewing machine oil (3 in one) and olive oil once or twice  in a pinch for relubing.
I don't think the machines are too particular.
And, if the door's closed, no one can tell if there's old grease or not.

Someone just sent me this, so I had to post it for BadMadison

YOU NEED ONLY TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.  

Sorry Bad, but this just seem to fit your post. Not that you fix those Bally that way.  :30-

:204-

Oh, but I do, Neon.

If you look at the pics on my profile the Bally 742-A innards are held together by duct tape. 

It's the "Frankenstein" / pieced together /  beater I picked up after a storage unit auction. That's how I found it, not how I'm fixing it, tempting as that might be.

Oooh, although I have come up with a little invention I'm fine tuning for the older Ballys...

I would say the topic of OldGrease has become quite popular.

I find Buzz's photo of Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner hilarious, and the jabs about Vaseline? Priceless.

Are you guys sure the topic wasn't Old Grease-ers?

 :294-   :294-   :294-

 

Maddison If I remember correctly it was YOU who took this thing "askew."  lol.  What a ride.

Aww...you like me stirring up your little pot.

Jackpot.

 :294-

Neon No tool box is complete without at least one BFH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!