Gear Oil Mishap! Need tips on cleanup please!

Alak · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:56 pm

So I was transporting a transmission for my Mazda Rx-7 in the back of my Jeep the other day. It toppled over after a big bump (it was really big) and spilled a fair amount of gear oil out of the tailshaft, even though it was plugged, inadequately obviously. Just couldn't park and dash to the back in time.

So I sucked some up with a carwash shop vac (never going back there) and soaked some with rags/towels. Anyone have any advice to remove the remaining soaked in oil? And fancy gadgets?

Or do I have to remove the carpet and spray Spray SPRAY!!??

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I tried to mask it but the wife has a nose like a bloodhound. "Whats that doo doo smell?" - "What smell hunny? Must be another car's exhaust."

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:05 pm

I dont know gear oil is messy. There is this stuff called "totally awsome" my dad bought like 6 bottles of this stuff at big lots a few years ago. It works good, my old g/f brushed up a against a fork lift at lowes and got grease all over her new jacket. This stuff beleive it or not gof all the grease off. I have no clue where else they sell this stuff. Is it just the carpet in the cargo area? Might be better off just replacing it. It's a separate piece if i'm not mistaken. Or just take it out and shampoo the doo doo out of it.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:00 am

start with kitty litter. It will soak an amazing amount of the oil from the carpet, apply some go-jo or something similar, then suck it out with a steam cleaner.

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

I don't know how hard it is to get that rear carpet out, but you might end up being better off if you do. There's probably oil under it now. If you can afford to replace it, that's probably the best bet IMO. If you take it out to clean it, you might want to keep it out for a bit: fumes from the cleaning solutions might be pretty harsh for a while.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:21 am

Go to an advance auto parts and get something called "Meguairs quik out." Soak the area with the stuff and let it sit then suck it all out with the shop vac. Rinse the area with some water then suck it all out again. Keep doing that.

Just how much did it spill? about a quart? More?

http://www.meguiars.com/?cloth-carpet-c ... in-Remover

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:29 pm

Kitty liter first, then the Quick out, then buy a rear cargo liner

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:32 pm

Two words,SIMPLE GREEN.Works awesome for cleaning greasy fabrics.

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:11 pm

GOD that stuff smells so bad.

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

Maximum Carnage wrote:

GOD that stuff smells so bad.

You mean the gear oil? Or the cleaning solutions mentioned above? Either way, not exactly what you want in your Jeep, I guess.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:41 pm

Simple Green does not smell bad at all,the gear oil does,plus the Simple Green is "enviromentaly" friendly,actually they have started banning(in the military at least) it's use since it does such a good job at removing grease(and oils) that when rinsing it sends all the grease(and oil) down the drains to.

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

Yep, I started using Simple Green a while back because of recommendations on this site. Someone was talking about using it in their engine bay, so I tracked some down. It's actually darn good stuff. I don't find it bad smelling either.....

Alak · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 7:53 pm

Im going to fart around the garage tonight and see about removing the carpet. I think some oil got in behind some of the trim (there was alot of oil). A friend said to inspect any rubber it might have contaminated, because that rubber is now f-ed.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:00 pm

I've never heard of rubber being broken down by oil... at least not the kind you'd have in a differential. It's hard as hell to clean out of it because it is porous and dense, though. Simple Green would be perfect to clean that with, as well.

Alak · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:21 pm

The carpet is easy to get to because its not attached to anything except the anchors. They look pop-rivetted in. Anyone have any instructions on how to remove them? that was the only obsticle.

Also the trim is easy to get out, just the seatbelt that is hard (if you dont have the right torx bit).

I also noticed while puttering around that my rear suspension link mount on the frame is bent. Probably from that darn rocky/steep hill. Hope I never need a new rod because the thing is bent around. lol.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:40 pm

Yup, held in by rivets. I know because they had to pull mine out to replace the fuel pump (another brilliant design feature). Then they didn't have the rivets for almost 2 weeks. Standard rivets, just drill em out.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:50 pm

simple green and elbow grease

Alak · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:56 pm

Cacher123 wrote:

Yup, held in by rivets. I know because they had to pull mine out to replace the fuel pump (another brilliant design feature). Then they didn't have the rivets for almost 2 weeks. Standard rivets, just drill em out.

YAAAAY! I get to make holes in my Jeep! Better mask the sound of the Drill from the wife. She homes in on that like bee's on honey.

The rubber Im talking about is things like exhaust hangers, or floor mats, etc. The cheap kind.

Also, the rear carpet is accually a layer of rubber with fuzz on top. Well, not rubber, but that rubber like material like old hatchbacks used to have when you went looking for the spare.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:25 pm

Petroleum based products will damage rubber. That's why you are not supposed to use vaseline on propha....... uh, never mind! :oops:

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:48 pm

Alak wrote:

Cacher123 wrote:

Yup, held in by rivets. I know because they had to pull mine out to replace the fuel pump (another brilliant design feature). Then they didn't have the rivets for almost 2 weeks. Standard rivets, just drill em out.

YAAAAY! I get to make holes in my Jeep! Better mask the sound of the Drill from the wife. She homes in on that like bee's on honey.

The rubber Im talking about is things like exhaust hangers, or floor mats, etc. The cheap kind.

Also, the rear carpet is accually a layer of rubber with fuzz on top. Well, not rubber, but that rubber like material like old hatchbacks used to have when you went looking for the spare.

well, the hole is already there, its just been filled with a rivet!

drill em out to remove carpet if you really feel the need, then goto harbor frieght and for $7.99 get the hand held riveter with rivets and put back in the cargo tie downs, or get some kick booty screws and use em.

Does the sound of a plasma cutter attract the wife? might be a more discrete and quicker solution than drilling!

lilmatty · **Posted:** Fri Sep 07, 2007 1:11 am

Brake Clean works great! Got a can at NAPA

Gear Oil Mishap! Need tips on cleanup please!

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