Family Affair

[Kadiddlehopper]

Hi all,
I have been looking a SA for about a year now. My grandad had one and I can remember being 5 years old and sitting in his lap on the tractor while he plowed the garden with me steering the tractor. (That was 54 years ago). I found one on marketplace that was approximately 10 miles from my home. I bought it yesterday and brought it home. The guy I purchased it from had bought it years ago from an estate sale. He told me the name of the original owner and I ask my wife if he knew the guy. Not only did she know the guy I purchased the tractor from, but the original owner of the tractor was a relative of hers. Go figure. This tractor looks exactly like the one my grandad had. Runs good but has a few leaks. This is going to be a project of mine to clean her up a little.
What is the best way to clean dirt and grime off the motor block and transmission housing? Engine degreaser, steam cleaner? Don't want to take the paint off as I clean it.

[Sterff89]

Ive had good luck with Gunk degreaser and WD40 degreaser. I don't have access to a hot pressure washer so I applied those out of an aerosol can and then used my regular pressure washer to remove the grease/oils. This Super A was the nastiest tractor I have cleaned yet. It looked black.

[Kadiddlehopper]

Thanks for the info. Is that a 51 SA?

[ajhbike]

If it is a caked on mixture of oil, grease, dirt and manure I haven't found anything that gets that off or even loosens it and I will only resort to power washing the top tin and underside...not the engine. Every time I did the engine on all tractors they wouldn't start.

Scrape and wire brush manually and with an angle grinder....

[ricky racer]

Welcome aboard!! If you have access to a steam cleaner, nothing works better.

[Sterff89]

Thanks for the info. Is that a 51 SA?

It's a 48.

[Jim Becker]

If it is really caked on, I suggest starting with a putty knife. No point trying to dissolve your way through something that may peel off in large pieces.

[Dale Finch]

If it is really caked on, I suggest starting with a putty knife. No point trying to dissolve your way through something that may peel off in large pieces.

Putty knife (screwdrivers for tight areas) then wire brushes of various sizes. MUCH quicker! Then you can use whatever degreaser you like or I use Dawn dish detergent!

[Don McCombs]

Try some plastic putty knives at first. Less destructive on the painted surfaces.

[workinonit]

B-52 is the best degreaser I've ever used. Spray it on, let it sit for a bit and pressure wash it off.