I'm in the middle of an engine rebuild and as you can image I have a LOT of hardware in maybe 30 labeled baggies. The problem is, the hardware is all covered in lots of dirt grime. It seems like a very bad idea to reuse and tighten hardware this dirty. What do you guys suggest for getting it all clean while keeping it organized?

 

Brake Parts Cleaner works wonders. But you will also want assembly lube. They also have a parts cleaner in like a gallon can, with a strainer basket, you immerse stuff in it then pull out and dry it.

Clean bolt heads can easily be marked with various color paint pens, so you can keep track of what you have torqued down, etc.

 

I also recommend the chem dip parts cleaner idea. Just do one baggie at a time dumped into the strainer basket, dropped into the bucket, then back into the (hopefully) marked baggie.

 

Just do it outside, that confined space plus air flow into the home will not make SWMBO in a good mood. And if you smell it for awhile it will take 20 points off your IQ.

 

I find that Purple Power works really well and is relatively cheap. Soak for a 15-30 min (depending on filth level) then brush some with a parts brush. I usually then rinse with water, dry and spray with WD40 or the like.
Just don't use it on aluminum, or at least don't let aluminum soak and be sure to rinse it well.

 

Isn't our rover hardware all steel?

 

or you could ask the local guy down the street to borrow his parts cleaner.

They use mineral spirits and works wonders.

if they have a parts washer then pay them to clean the major stuff. Its a timed oven that will heat up the water and clean off the parts. great for the big stuff.

 

That'd be ideal but I don't know if they'll get the parts back in the individual baggies correctly. Seems very tedious for them.

 

An ultrasonic parts cleaner filled with superclean does a great job on nasty hardware:

Speedway Ultrasonic Multi-Purpose Parts Cleaner - Speedway Motors, America's Oldest Speed Shop

 

If you can find one, a cheap rock tumbler works wonders on cleaning old crusty hardware. You can fill it with basic rock polishing media and run small batches of bolts for about an hour at a time, they come out looking brand new.