Gunk.... When did that change

[Striped shirt]

Hello all.
Does anyone know what's happened to Gunk?? The well-known engine degrease?
I tried to buy Gunk from Halfords yesterday. I thought I had some 'non' brand' degrease I bought from Ebay (that works well). Anyway... could not find it, so as I was passing a Halfords I thought I would get some Gunk.
Anyway.... They only had the spray cans....So I popped to a local motor factor, and they only had 5l bottles, which I bought.
To me, Gunk has ALWAYS been a dark liquid that looks like flat Coke (other Colas are available) and smells nasty. However, it has always worked well.
What Gunk is now is an orange liquid that smelled like a teenagers energy drink.
No matter, I gave it a go on a slightly mucky gear set.
This new Gunk stuff was as much use as a chocolate eyeball!! It honestly did nothing, it would not even clean the oily brush I was using!!! It's was terrible.
Has anyone else experience this??

[Andrew1967]

Sounds like the H&S police have been at it again.

Same with Nitromors paint stripper .. used to be fantastic stuff but now it’s not worth a **** !!

[whistler]

Fortunately you can still buy Jizer which was always better than Gunk and doesn't leave a residue.
Both products I think are made by Swarfega.

[olddave]

Hello all.
Does anyone know what's happened to Gunk?? The well-known engine degrease?
I tried to buy Gunk from Halfords yesterday. I thought I had some 'non' brand' degrease I bought from Ebay (that works well). Anyway... could not find it, so as I was passing a Halfords I thought I would get some Gunk.
Anyway.... They only had the spray cans....So I popped to a local motor factor, and they only had 5l bottles, which I bought.
To me, Gunk has ALWAYS been a dark liquid that looks like flat Coke (other Colas are available) and smells nasty. However, it has always worked well.
What Gunk is now is an orange liquid that smelled like a teenagers energy drink.
No matter, I gave it a go on a slightly mucky gear set.
This new Gunk stuff was as much use as a chocolate eyeball!! It honestly did nothing, it would not even clean the oily brush I was using!!! It's was terrible.
Has anyone else experience this??

I found a jar of "dark liquid that looks like flat Coke and smells nasty" that had been on the shelf for years. I wasn't sure what was so I chucked it. I need some degreaser next week

[abs]

I use stale petrol and there`s always some of that kicking around due to how crap it is now

[Classic1]

How about the old favorite paraffin showing
my age

[minibitz]

More often than not I just use brake cleaner. Strips grease and oil off in seconds and evaporates just as quickly leaving a clean dry surface.

I do have parts washer also for super cruddy stuff but find that leaves a residue and is very slow to dry so normally finish off with a spritz of the ole brake clean.

Aerosol cans are probably the way to go for home use. For the workshop I buy 20lt containers and use a pump up spray bottle to dispense it.

[Peter Laidler]

I bet all of us of a certain age remember GUNK. Used to smell like an Arab camel drivers Y fronts.......

Best of all and cheaper was that pink Jizer stuff.

[Exminiman]

I bet all of us of a certain age remember GUNK. Used to smell like an Arab camel drivers Y fronts.......

Best of all and cheaper was that pink Jizer stuff.

TBH I quite like the smell of Gunk , must be a bit odd .......I will cherish the last 5 litre can i have on shelf....

[Alex]

Linke Nick I've been using brake cleaner (which is incredibly cheap from Euro's in a 5-ltr tin compared to aerosols) for years.
Might change though, as I did my last lot of bit in cellulose thinners - good god what a difference !!

Gunk was always inferior to Jizer imho which is why my wash tank is full of the latter.

[Exminiman]

Is Jizer still the same ?

[bpirie1000]

Like most things these always get changed or adapted as chemicals advance or become controlled.

Hammerite has changed so much and not for the better,..

When I was a kid I used to chew on lead corgi cars... apparently not good for you,..

But I had never gone too crazy....

[gazza82]

Is Jizer still the same ?

Not sure but I've used it to clean up an engine and other filthy suspension and body parts. Agitated with and old paint brush and washes off.

It obviously isn't kind to rubber though. I put some in an old spray bottle to get to some awkward corners and after a couple of days it stopped pumping!

[Exminiman]

One of the best cleaners used to be Trichloethylene, amazing stuff, but I thought totally banned because of its carcinogenic properties, seems you can still get it in the US ?

https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/3 ... gJBWvD_BwE

[Peter Laidler]

You're dead right there MiniMan regarding trichlor.... Said many times that we had a vapour tank of boiling trichlor that you could lower a Bedford Chassis or Centurion gearbox into. So it made quick work of my MGB GT V8, Commando and Cooper stuff...........

Alas, no longer available.

[Alex]

Castrol Flick was an amazing penetrant, better than anything else and Suzy hoards an old aerosol of it.
I read the ingredients and it's full of trich !
No wonder it worked so well...

[Costafortune]

My own hand cleaner is cheapo Lidl washing up liquid and dust swept up from the road outside the workshop - add thinners/petrol/carb cleaner as required.

But using disposable nitrile gloves negates the use of too much.