• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Question about cleaning out axle tubes

old_man

NAXJA Forum User
I'm building a HP44. What do most of you guys use to clean the crud out of the axle tubes? I have a hot water pressure washer to do the final clean out, and I have seen people use a large washer on an all thread rod, but I was hoping to find something like a scaled down chimney brush. Anybody have any tips or tricks?
 
That is what I am looking for, but those are too small in diameter. Hoping for a lead on something a touch bigger.

I'm Jones'ing really bad. I have to get the rig back on the road. I've been working 70+ hours a week since January and the rig still isn't back together.
 
Tom when I did my rear 44 we soaked the tubes with simple green then got a 10 ga shotgun barrel brush (the wire bristle type) and worked the inside of the tubes, then pressure washed them out real good. Seemed to work well. Just took a little elbow grease with the 10 ga brush.
 
One of these:
4850ap1s.gif




Then some all thread and a drill. It cleans them better than anything I've seen. The wire wheel doesn't have to be exactly like that just something that will fit the hole or close to it. Remember it will wear some.

http://www.mcmaster.com/ctlg/DisplC...nWidth=593&ToolsetID=ToolPageFlip&ToolsetAct=
 
I got a knotted wire brush at the welding supply store, it had a ¼” shank the kind used in a die grinder. Welded it to a ¼” X 36” rod chucked it in the die grinder and went at it. It looks way to small but it spreads out at the high speed. Then I painted the inside of the axle with Glyptal.
 
For something like that I'd use a toilet bowl brush, one of the cylindrical type not the loop type. I find them at the dollar store or places like Big Lots for ...$1. That and some Castrol Super Clean would clean it good. If the handle isn't long nuff, just tape it to a long rod. If it gets too gunky (never really gets too gunky) then just throw it away.
 
Back
Top