Cleaning tough gunk from a changer: Update

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

I'm working on a couple of really gunked up Sho-Bud Super Pro changers. Dawn 5X took off the nictotine and easy stuff, but some of the fingers have really stubborn,solidified gunk.

I have read numerous threads on the Forum recommending things like lighter, fluid, carburetor cleaner, and gasoline. Question: how do you dispose off the fluid when the job is done? I'm leaning towards gasoline since I have plenty of it around for the lawnmower, snowblower, and generator. But I don't want to use it in those after it's dissolved the grease, right?

Insight appreciated.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Take it to your local gas/service station. They should accept it

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Pull the changer, If white lithium grease was used in the changer when the changer was installed.
I pulled a changer Dawn Ultra and a ultra sonic cleaner would not remove it. Took a knife and 0000 steel wool to get to bare metal.

Then it went back in the Ultra Sonic Cleaner with Dawn Ultra.

Then it was ready to reinstall.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Gas works as well as anything else, and it mystifies me why so many guys are afraid to use it.. just be careful, work outside etc. If you are worried about disposing of it, you can just leave it outside and it will evaporate in a few days.. You only need a half pint to clean a changer anyway.... i always throw the dirty gas on a cardboard box in the yard, let it soak in for an hour, so the gas doesn't explode, and then burn the box..I suppose that depends on where you live...bob
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Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Yeah, I think ill go the gasoline and evaporating rags route.

As it happens, the three grungiest fingers were among five from the E9 changer that had a bad case of the Super Pro Notch. I'm guessing these were strings 3,4,5,6, and 10. The rest were fine, and there were hardly any notches at all in the C6 changer. I have an extra set of fingers from my other Super Pro after putting a NOS changer on the E9 of that guitar a couple of years ago. I'll borrow five from there and make the bad ones from this guitar a project. After I get them cleaned off with gas, I'll try Bob Metzger's JB Weld fix. I practiced that on some old Fender Artist fingers a long time ago and they came out very well.

Many miles to go on this one before it's ready to re-assemble!

Andy Gibson · From: Tennessee USA

This is the stuff you should be using…..

https://www.autozone.com/fuel-and-engine-cleaners-additives/carburetor-and-throttle-body-cleaner/p/berryman-chem-dip-carburetor-and-parts-cleaner-96oz/139313_0_0

I was told by a few experts, Harry Jackson, Bobbe Seymour, and the guys at emmons. This is what you should use NOT GAS!

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Yes like Andy said: NO GASOLINE.
I have been using Carb choke cleaner cans for over 25 years of my restorations; it has a strainer that makes so easy to soak; but after soaking; they are spit/shining but yes they will stink; and I soak in Dawn bucket; then dry and polish>

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Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

I like the bucket. I'll take this route.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

I take everything apart and let it soak overnight in a pan pf Formula 409, then scrub thoroughly. The 409 won't do any damage if it gets on lacquer, mica, or plastic by accident and it has always loosened the worst grease.

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Have you tried acetone on a small area? Acetone, naptha, isopropyl alcohol (91 or higher), and Simple Green are my go to chemicals. Carburetor cleaner is too gummy, IMO.

[EDIT] naptha is not a "friendly" chemical, and be sure to read MSDS for each thing I listed. My father cleaned watches with it in the 50's. And in 2000 Sherwin Williams had a naptha/ipa solvent called cleaner/degreaser. We used it to clean aluminum castings before sending them out to be anodized.
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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

As long as the parts are all metal, you can throw them all in a pot of water and boil them on your stove for about 15 minutes. That way, you don't have to buy anything, or deal with harsh chemicals. Winking

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

There are many cleaners that can be used. Many are not safe to use except outdoors, And wear protective gloves. No Smoking, No Open Flames.

Years ago, Gasoline had LEAD in it, Which made it double dangerous, Fire and Lead Poison absorbed through your skin too.

When cleaning on a steel guitar, DO NOT USE Lacquer thinner, (Damage lacquer finish and plastic) And Brake Cleaner Spray, Most Brake Cleaners have a Caustic additive to cut varnish from pads and disc. Caustics will eat and damage Aluminum Parts.

One reason Naptha (Cigarette lighter fluid) Acetone (Artificial finger nail remover) are used a lot is easy to get at many drug stores.

When I was a Wildlife Officer, I was a certified Police Armor for 15 years. My quick clean for firearms was Spray Can Starting Fluid. I had a wood tray with hardware cloth and fine screen bottom. Strip gun down, Take outside Spray, Brush and Spray again. Let set outside for 10 minutes, Bring back in to bench, Start lubing as needed, And reassembling the firearm.

If not in a hurry, Ultrasonic Cleaner, Hot water and Dawn is my go to cleaner.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Acetone, brake cleaner, or carburetor cleaner will damage paint and some plastics, and they will also remove or damage most wood finishes.

Been there, done that. Muttering

Naptha is very flammable, but safe for most surfaces. However, it's getting hard to find for some reason. If you use naptha, it's best to wear rubber gloves and work outside.

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

I had the impression that Dan was working with metal parts.

Don't put acetone in a plastic cup when using it!
_________________
--carl

"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown

Cartwright Thompson · Posted 18 Jun 2024 2:52 pm

Probably the same as what Ricky recommended.
Dan, This is what I used on that Professional that you had for a while. It was horrible when I got it, this stuff worked great

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Thanks for all the recommendations, folks. It mostly came down to those five fingers, which are now in the "to-do" bin since I had replacements from my old Super-Pro changer. When I get back to them, I'll figure out which method to employ.

At this point everything else of the guitar has been degunked and cleaned. I have to turn my attention back to my Carter project (since I'll sadly need to sell that axe to pay for this Super Pro), but will start reassembling this one in short order.

Just to give you an idea of what I was up against with the Super Pro, here are a few before and during-disassembly pics:

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

With a guitar in that shape, The wood and metal needs to be separated, Clean the metal using whatever is needed to accomplish a proper cleaning. And polishing of metal.

Treat the body wood like a piece of antique furniture, Being cleaned and polished, Or refinished.

Crossing metal cleaners and wood cleaning compounds can cause major problems.

Good Luck in this adventure.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Oh, fear not. Every single part was taken off and cleaned. The only parts I didn't remove were the wooden necks themselves. For the body I followed James Morehead's old suggestion of using dish soap on a damp wash cloth (followed by the necessary follow up steps).

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Great work Dan; that looks exactly like what I do for the last 28 years...yeeehaaa.
And for the fingers that has that notch where the lower arm pushes on top fulcrum piece pictured here red circled>

I'll get a pair of plyers and bend that in a smidge; so it doesn't slide the notch; but I'll still put those on strings that ONLY raise; use the good ones that raise AND LOWER.
Continue on Bro.
Ricky
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Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Thanks, Ricky. I'm going to do that to a few, and try the JBWeld technique on a few. I was fortunate that the previous owner(s) don't appear to have played much C6, so there are barely any marks on those finger, let alone notches.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Every time i see a changer gunked up like the one Dan showed us a picture of, all i can do is shake my head. For Pete's sake, do something once every few years (or decades) besides play the damn thing! Go to a craft store and buy a pack of floral ties. They're like a big fat pipe cleaner, and nothing works better to get the dust out of all the nooks and crannies in a changer. If it's particularly dirty, dip the pipe cleaner thingy in a solvent like naptha and just run it between all the fingers. That will remove a lot of the dust and gunk. Then just add a little oil and play it.
I don't recommend that people with little mechanical skills and no experience tear down a pedal steel just to clean it. If it works, clean out the dust, oil it and LEAVE IT ALONE! The forum is replete with players who thought they were doing something beneficial, only to wind up with a guitar that they have no idea how to put back together and set it up properly again.

"Need a rodding chart for a ..............".

Sound familiar? Confused

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Fortunately for me, I plan to replicate the set up on my ‘81 Super Pro on this (‘82) one, so I basically just have to “paint by numbers” to put this one together. No doubt I’ll discover I need a few different parts, but the likely culprits are things that Michael Yahl does have in stock at the moment.

Now, if I could get my hands on some white metal fretboards….

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Great job on wood and metal parts.
Having a guitar to use as a guide, For changer holes, Bell crank holes. And routing for the rods from Bell Crank to Changer Bar, Should make it an easy rerodding job.

Good Luck with reroding and Happy Steelin.

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