degreasing/derusting

I am new at this stuff but through the process I am figuring what I want/don't want out of this project. WHAT I WANT in the end is a really sweet and beautiful machine to drive around in when I am done. WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH to get there is solvent-ing and wire brushing every rusty/grimy surface. I am now on brakes and it's all torn down to and past the backing plates. I think I would like to prime and paint it all prior to assembly, but would it be easy/not too expensive to have a shop clean them up and ready them for the prime/paint/assembly? I want to do the piece-work and assembly, but I have no interest in expending a ton of elbow grease just to get to the assembly part of the project (i'd like to have it finished before I die of old age!!). is it common/easy to farm this stuff out? who would I seek out to inquire about doing it? thanks

A machine or engine rebuilding shop sometimes charge about $25 to run a basket filled with dirty parts through their hot tank,,,,,,,I like to spray oven cleaner, scrub with a brush, spray with water and wipe it off with paper towels to get parts workable,,,,,,,,,

really nice.....I will give the oven cleaner a try, and I know of a machine shop I might talk to re: hot tank treatment. many thanks.

I would invest in a parts cleaner, harbor freight, buy 5 gals. of cleaning fluid, pretty easy to get parts clean.............

I have the h f one can hold 10 gals fluid= i added some copper lines That I drilled small holes in to attach to my air lines(compressor) that agitate the fluid removing all that junk on the parts -usually overnight!! I also have taken what ever parts to the machine shops & had them put into the parts washer/steamer. That does it all! cheaply enough!!

softesttouch wrote:I am new at this stuff but through the process I am figuring what I want/don't want out of this project.  WHAT I WANT in the end is a really sweet and beautiful machine to drive around in when I am done. WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH to get there is solvent-ing and wire brushing every rusty/grimy surface.  I am now on brakes and it's all torn down to and past the backing plates.  I think I would like to prime and paint it all prior to assembly, but would it be easy/not too expensive to have a shop clean them up and ready them for the prime/paint/assembly?  I want to do the piece-work and assembly, but I have no interest in expending a ton of elbow grease just to get to the assembly part of the project (i'd like to have it finished before I die of old age!!).  is it common/easy to farm this stuff out?  who would I seek out to inquire about doing it?  thanks  

Haha! Remember these vans are 50 years old! Every part is grimey and/or rusty and needs cleaning and restoration.

With drum brakes however, you actually can buy new drum brake hardware that is already all painted. New springs, clips, etc. available at the parts store. Its not too expensive. Simply ask for the 'hardware and spring kit'