Degreasing door latches

[Dino]

What do you guy use to degrease door latches? My passenger side door latch is full of gunk and is getting hard to operate.  I'm pulling it tomorrow and want to clean it up and grease it.  What should I use to remove the gunk and old grease?  I have Super Clean but it's pretty caustic so I'd like to try something else.

[green69rt]

I've found that the stuff that Autobody toolmart sells, "naked gun" might work.  It's made to clean your paint gun but it comes in a spray can and might work.  Otherwise just soak the parts in lacquer thinner then blow with air (might be simpler and easier.)  If there are any plastic parts involved then don't use the lacquer thinner.  Other options, WD40, other spray type cleaners such as oven cleaner.

[Lennard]

I always use brake cleaner in a spray can for those kinda things.
I buy them at Walmart for 2,5 bucks per can or so.

[tan top]

stuff like this  , I normally just wipe as much off as I can with a cloth damp with   lacquer thinner / gun wash   , then use paint shop degrease / panel wipe , with a brush , in a suitable container , then blow dry with compressed air , re lubricate as necessary  , like ( G69RT said ) be careful with thinners on any plastic / nylon  parts

[Dino]

I'd like to stay away from the caustic stuff so brake cleaner would probably be a good option.  Now that sob Murphy came along and ruined the plans a bit.  Two out of 3 screws holding the latch to the door are stuck as hell and the heads are pretty worn.  I have several sizes Philips screw drivers but not fit as solid as they should.  Unless I find a way to undo them this latch is not going anywhere and I doubt I can do a good job cleaning the latch while it's installed.  I can see the cracked and caked on grease, this thing needs a thorough scrubbing! 

[Dino]

Alright, it's about 30 degrees in my garage so I  didn't feel like messing with this too long.  The bolt heads are ruined anyway so I took a drill slightly larger than the bolt threads and drilled the heads off.  The latch is soaking!

Now...where do I find new bolts?   

[Dino]

Brake cleaner works!  The latch works like new again.   

I also ordered the screws and the long screws for the strikers.  My driver's side striker is so tight I've never been able to budge them so that'll take something extreme.  I better have some eggs & bacon for breakfast before tackling that one!

[green69rt]

Brake cleaner works!  The latch works like new again.   

I also ordered the screws and the long screws for the strikers.  My driver's side striker is so tight I've never been able to budge them so that'll take something extreme.  I better have some eggs & bacon for breakfast before tackling that one!

Don't use a #2 philips on the screws, you have to use #3 (I think.)  the smaller philips will only route out the screw heads.  Ask me how I know.  I ended up using an impact wrench with the correct bit to get some out.  The others, that I routed out ended up being drilled and then used a screw extractor bit.  Then I broke the screw extractor off in one screw head so ended up grinding the screw out,  the screw extractor bit fragment was so hard that my drill bits didn't touch it.  Two hours getting one screw out!!

[440]

Brake cleaner works!

Ever since I tried Wurth brake cleaner I stopped using everything else, it doesn't attack plastic or rubber. It is some of the best stuff I have used.

[Kern Dog]

Does the brake cleaner damage paint?
I use gasoline in a spray bottle to clean oil and other stains from the underside of the car. Spray on, wipe off with almost no effort and no damage.

[Dino]

I wouldn't leave it on paint longer than a few seconds.  Gasoline is a great cleaner but it'll eat away at the undercoating if you have it.  I keep the underside greasy, it prevents it from rusting.   

[jaak]

To clean greasy stuff, I always use Lacquer thinner or Brake cleaner, depending on the situation.

Jason