What's the best way to clean nasty 3rd member??

[Volcom]

The 3rd member out of my 84 4Runner was pulled this past weekend.  The gear lube was nasty and kinda green 

What's the easiest way to clean them to get ready to set some gears and lockers in them?  Car wash?  If I spray water in there and coat the inside of the 3rd with WD40, would that stop the rust?

[MiniSimp]

DIY carwash, then spray the inside with Electronics Cleaner (no residue) they coat with gear oil.

[Volcom]

DIY carwash, then spray the inside with Electronics Cleaner (no residue) they coat with gear oil.

Sweet, thanks.

[fordh8r]

If you,re already planning to put gears in this third, go ahead and pull it apart and clean all the pieces seperately  . I prefer to use solvent since it's more thorough and available to me and it doesn't blow back on me (messy) from high pressure. A car wash may work but I'll guess it will take a while since it isn't steamy hot water  . Also, as Mini said, you can use electrical cleaner to finish stripping the pieces clean. WD40 or any spray lubricant that won't run off or dry up will work to prevent rusting until you build your third. Just treat all the pieces you will be reusing.     How green  ? If this is a rear then the green color you described sounds like relatively fresh gear lube (normal).  If its a front and really green and thick/chunky you may have bad axle end seal and the lube is mixing with the knuckle grease in which case you might notice the knuckles leaking/dripping on the ground (time to reseal). hope this helps  

[Cheesemaker]

I like to use a biodegradeable degreaser on all the greasy parts!  Castrol has one and most of your local parts house carries a similar house brand!  Doesn't hurt the environment and works pretty darn good on alot of stuff!  Just makes the grease come off alot easier when you power wash it!

[Volcom]

I like to use a biodegradeable degreaser on all the greasy parts!  Castrol has one and most of your local parts house carries a similar house brand!  Doesn't hurt the environment and works pretty darn good on alot of stuff!  Just makes the grease come off alot easier when you power wash it!

I love using the Castol purple stuff.  I buy it by the gallon. 

[Tallchevy]

It's only bio-degradeable before it gets mixed with the grease & oil 

[paulyota25]

paint thinner or gasoline followed by brakleen, they're not too cheap but dissolve about anythig.
solvent works the best if you have access though

[Cheesemaker]

It's only bio-degradeable before it gets mixed with the grease & oil 

That's why I snag those absorbancy pads from work and take them back and dispose of them in the hazardous bin!  The castrol or house brand are the same and I use it for everything, including household cleaner.  Read the label! It will strip off the grass residue buildup on the under the mower deck like nothing!

[Duffil]

I know most of you are NOT in CA, but for those of you in CA, it is no longer made by Castrol.  Hasn't been for at least a year.  Big CARB deal about it.  Anyway, I used lacquer thinner and a brush/putty knife, then I used Superclean(that is the purple bottle) before the carwash.

[yotaweelr]

wear gloves with the purple stuff or superclean. All the lines in my skin disappeared and the skin kinda stretched. I thought I was going to be able to peel what was on my hands off like chicken skin. scared the out of me. next few days my hands snagged on my g/f's clothes cause the skin was dry and flaking off.
but I was dunking my hands into a bucket that was undiluted super clean that I was washing parts in and immediatley rinsing in cold water.

[yotaboy79]

a hot tank works the best just set them in there and go eat some lunch and come back and there all nice and shiny

[Volcom]

a hot tank works the best just set them in there and go eat some lunch and come back and there all nice and shiny

I wish I could afford to get them hot-tanked.  I took an oil pan to a place and they charged me $20 for the stupid thing!  I need to find somebody else to take my hot-tanked stuff to.

[Yota Tony]

Brake cleaner or a parts washer if I have access to one.

[*FFC*]

Soak it in a tub of diesel