Kerosene substitute

[JasonNC]

Kerosene is often recommended as a solvent for cleaning air filters, fluid clutch, etc. Has anyone checked the price of that substance lately? What's a cheaper substitute for cleaning an air filter?

[hudsonsplasher1]

I use either carb or brake cleaner in a spray can. You can often find them on sale, and they can be used for other things you need to clean.

[SuperDave]

Cleaning the filter is one thing. But the oily residue from the kerosene helps catch the dirt and dust until you clean it again,. perhaps one of those Airconditioner filter spray products would work?

[Jon B]

Actually, gallon for gallon, isn't kerosene still much cheaper than brake cleaner (I haven't followed kerosene prices lately...is the stuff now more than gasoline)?

As to residual cleaning effects, I thought the instructions were to dip the cleaner element in fresh engine oil before replacing?

[JasonNC]

Jon,
I don't know about the rest of the country, but kerosene is over twice the price of gasoline here in NC (over $5.00 a gallon). Thanks for the tips, guys.

[Uncle Josh]

Yas, but you can save the kero and use it for cleaning parts, then rinse with mineral spirits, which you also save in a can until it's filthy also.

[Geoff C., N.Z.]

AS far as cleaning parts goes, diesel is fine, and it's hugely cheaper than kero, if you can put up with the smell! A cup full of detergent in a gallon diesel works wonders. Stir it up, wash your parts, and you can then hose off with water. the detergetn acts a dispersant, and the gunk just hoses off.
Geoff.

[Uncle Josh]

Diesel is somewhat more than kerosene here in the US Geoff because of the road tax.

Great idea about the detergent tho. Thanks. If it will work with diesel, it should work with kerosene.

[Geoff C., N.Z.]

What a funny old world! Here we pay 95c per litre for diesel, and $1.35c for petrol, and kerosene is over $2. However, I get four gallons a month of FREE aviation kerosene. My son has a friend who has to check all the aircraft tanks for contamination, and drains half a litre from each when he does a check, and puts it in a four gallon can, which has to be disposed of. Guess where? This is better use in clutches than the lighting kero sold in the hardware stores, as it has more lubricant in it, much like the old power kerosene they used to run tractors on. I have even tried it in my Essex, in a 6:1 ratio with petrol and apart from smelling like a 747 taking off, it goes fine.
Geoff.