Cleaning guns with Avgas?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Cleaning guns with Avgas?

Posted: 2/19/2006 12:47:11 PM EDT

Pilots who work on their planes seem to prefer Avgas (Aviation Fuel) over most other solvents; it just seems to work better than anything else I have seen. I have a parts cleaner with normal parts cleaner solvent, and you still have to scrub, and then dry off the solvent (takes a while to dry). Yet you dip a part in Avgas, swoosh it around a little and pull it out and it’s CLEAN, and it dries in seconds with no residue.

I was wondering if anyone has tried it. I am thinking about doing it, and was wondering if anyone has had experience with it. You would just need to be sure to re-lube everything well, as it will strip off all the oil.

Note: Avgas is TOTALLY different than Mogas (Automotive fuel, Car gas), which seems to leave an oily residue, and continues to stink to high heaven, and doesn’t evaporate well.

Thanks,
David

Posted: 2/19/2006 12:49:06 PM EDT

[#1]

I might use it if it's cheap enough. How much does AV gas cost per gallon?

Posted: 2/19/2006 12:53:47 PM EDT

[#2]

Around here, it’s between 2.00 and 2.25 a gallon, but we sump small quantities out of the wing prior to flying (check for water/contaminants). Most pilots just pour it out on the ground, but we dump it in a jerry can, and use it for cleaning, so for us its basically free; but it is probably still cheaper than some other solvents.

-David

Posted: 2/19/2006 2:12:42 PM EDT

[#3]

Interesting, I'll have to give it a try. I've considered using E85 for this purpose but haven't tried it yet.

Posted: 2/19/2006 10:12:16 PM EDT

[#4]

Avgas will completely remove oils from areas you do NOT want to remove oil from.

Once again....if the gun cleaning industry thought all these wonder chemicals were good for weapons, they would have every sort of toxic/flammable concoction out there for use.

Stick to CLP and elbow grease for proper weapons maintenance.

Posted: 2/20/2006 3:01:36 AM EDT

[#5]

Guess you never herd of these? sonic cleaning

As with any petro solvent I would recomend you were gloves.

Posted: 2/20/2006 5:21:46 AM EDT

[#6]

One main reason they use is..........

.It' everywhere........and free!

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:54:33 AM EDT

[#7]

it's gotta be cheaper than brake cleaner

Posted: 2/20/2006 11:20:19 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Guess you never herd of these? sonic cleaning

As with any petro solvent I would recomend you were gloves.

Sure I've "herd" of them. Which is why we have to repair countless weapons from units that use them. They remove ALL PROTECTIVE OILS from the metal, leaving your weapon wide open to corrosion.

Posted: 2/20/2006 3:25:54 PM EDT

[#9]

For God's sake, and yours, no!

I know a guy who was cleaning car parts in gasoline. A spark lit the gas an fire. Since he was standing in th cloud of vapor, and had gotten little droplets on him, he lit too.

It took him about a week to die.

There are solvents that are much safer than gasoline. Pay a little more, please. BSW

Posted: 2/20/2006 3:33:09 PM EDT

[#10]

In addition to flamibility, Mr. Benzene can give you liver cancer.

People are way too cavalier with gasoling because it is a common substance.

It is proabally the most toxic substance we encounter regularly.

Posted: 2/20/2006 3:38:52 PM EDT

[#11]

Wonder what Mineral Spirits would do? That will clean anything.

I honestly hate the smell of avgas on a hot day. Now jet fuel, I love that stuff.

Posted: 2/20/2006 3:51:52 PM EDT

[#12]

Mineral spirits are ok.

Posted: 2/20/2006 5:18:40 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Wonder what Mineral Spirits would do? That will clean anything.

I honestly hate the smell of avgas on a hot day. Now jet fuel, I love that stuff.

I use a 50/50 mix of mineral spirits and Hoppes #9 to wash down my parts.

I’m also an A&P mechanic and have used sumped AVGAS my self to clean and degrease parts. It does do a good job of breaking down grease but like others have mentioned there are safer alternatives. Besides the risk of fire, AVGAS contains lead. I’ll never forget the ass chewing I got from our resident old crusty mechanic when he observed me cleaning wheel bearings in a bucket of AVGAS and not wearing rubber gloves!

Posted: 2/20/2006 6:05:18 PM EDT

[#14]

Avgas is nothing but gas -- If you have a death wish (for fast or slow), just get into the habit of using gasoline for cleaning solvent.

Back in the mid 60's, we called avgas 'Regular', and you could get it (100 octane, leaded - no ether,alchohol, or mtbe's) for about 26 cents a gallon during a gas war.

Posted: 2/24/2006 6:07:34 AM EDT

[#15]

A buddy who served in the Army during Vietnam, and was stationed at a fire base in the Delta used to clean his M16 with gasoline. Maybe that was before good cleaning procedures and tools became available to the troops. Probably was early on in the life of the M16 since he went through basic with the M14, then received his M16 when he got to Nam.

Anyway, gasoline kinda scares me. I hate to keep very much on hand in the attached garage because of the vapor flammability.

dvo

Posted: 2/28/2006 10:29:16 AM EDT

[#16]

I had a carrier assembly that was really gunked up and I go to clean and am out of everthing.I look around the shelf and saw some kingsford lighter fluid so what the hell, throw the carrier in a bucket and submerge in fluid, I was amazed at how well it ate up the carbon.May not be the best but is cheap and plentiful.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Cleaning guns with Avgas?

AR-15 » Maintenance & Cleaning

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