asked bing AI how to clean my brass oil lines

[911finally]

so new oil cooler arrives this week, almost done rehabbing the tank and stone guard (yeah next time straight to pacific
)

been testing Bing AI search and thought this would make a good real world test

WDYT?

Query: what can I use to clean grease and oil from brass pipe

There are several ways to clean grease and oil from brass pipe, depending on whether the pipe is lacquered or not. Lacquered brass has a protective coating that prevents tarnishing, but it can also be damaged by harsh chemicals. Non-lacquered brass can be cleaned with acidic substances that remove tarnish, but they can also corrode the metal if left too long.

Some possible methods to clean grease and oil from brass pipe are:

- Use a grease-fighting dish soap and hot water to wash the pipe with a sponge or soft cloth. Rinse well and dry with a microfiber cloth⁵.
- Use a paste of equal parts salt, flour, and white vinegar. Apply the paste to the pipe and let sit for up to an hour. Rinse with warm water and buff dry².
- Use a paste of two parts cream of tartar powder to one part lemon juice. Rub the paste on the pipe, let sit for 30 minutes, rinse with warm water and buff².
- Use ketchup, tomato sauce, or tomato paste. Rub a thin coat onto the pipe, let sit for an hour or so, and then clean with hot, soapy water².
- Use salt and lemon. Cut a lemon in half and remove the seeds. Coat the cut half of the lemon with table salt and rub it over the surface of the pipe, re-coating the lemon with salt as needed. Buff to a shine with a clean, dry cloth².
- Use a commercial metal cleaner or polish that is safe for brass, such as Brasso , Bar Keepers Friend, Never Dull, Cameo, Hagerty or Blitz².

If the pipe is clogged with grease or oil, you may need to use a drain cleaner to clear it out. Some possible methods to unclog grease, oil and fat from pipes are:

- Use a mixture of half a cup of white vinegar and half a cup of baking soda. Pour this mixture into the affected drain and let it sit overnight. In the morning, flush with hot water¹.
- Use a product like BioOne , which uses naturally occurring cultures that are safe for your plumbing and septic tank. Follow the instructions on the label³.
- Use boiling hot water mixed with vinegar and baking soda. Dump this mixture down the drain and it will fizz out the grease or oily substances that got stuck there⁶.

I hope this helps you clean your brass pipe!

Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/10/2023(1) How to Clean Brass in 3 Simple Steps - The Spruce. https://www.thespruce.com/copper-and-brass-tarnish-remover-1387940 Accessed 4/10/2023.
(2) How to Clean Brass and Restore Its Lustrous Shine — Bob Vila. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-clean-brass/ Accessed 4/10/2023.
(3) Tips On How To Remove Grease From Pipes - Plumbers 911. https://plumbers911.com/how-to-remove-grease-from-pipes/ Accessed 4/10/2023.
(4) How to Safely Unclog Grease, Oil and Fat From Pipes. https://www.erplumbing.com/blog/how-to-safely-unclog-grease-oil-and-fat-from-pipes/ Accessed 4/10/2023.
(5) 3 Steps To Clean Grease Out of Drain Pipes - Miss Vickie. https://missvickie.com/how-to-clean-grease-out-of-drain-pipes/ Accessed 4/10/2023.
(6) How to Remove Oil Stains from Brass » How To Clean Stuff.net. https://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-oil-stains-from-brass/ Accessed 4/10/2023.

Not sure I'll try the ketchup option but only because I may never be able to eat another cheeseburger if it works.

[snbush67]

Lightly sand then fine steel wool.

[911finally]

Thanks snbush!

[911finally]

I followed uo the first response with this (prompted) question

Which method do you recommend for my situation?

I cannot recommend a specific method for your situation, as I do not know the exact condition of your brass pipe or the type and amount of grease and oil on it. However, in general, I would suggest you start with the mildest and safest method possible, such as dish soap and hot water, and then move on to stronger methods if needed. You should also test a small area of the pipe first before applying any cleaner or polish to the whole surface, to make sure it does not damage the brass or the lacquer. If you are unsure about any method, you may want to consult a professional plumber or metalworker for advice.

next question: the pipes I want to clean are for a cooling system in a car that uses oil

If the pipes you want to clean are for a cooling system in a car that uses oil, then you may have a different problem than just grease and oil on the surface of the brass. You may have oil leaking into your coolant system from a faulty gasket, a cracked cylinder head, or a damaged oil cooler². This can cause serious damage to your engine and transmission if not fixed.

To clean oil from your car's cooling system, you will need to flush it out with water and detergent. You can use dishwashing liquid or dishwasher detergent that does not contain 4-D Butyl Ester¹. You will also need a hose, a drain pan, and some containers to collect the contaminated coolant.

Here are the steps to follow:

- Remove the radiator cap and open the top of the overflow bottle.
- Start the engine and keep it on a low idle until it warms up.
- Pour ¼ cup of dishwashing liquid or ½ cup of dishwasher detergent into the overflow bottle. It will start to foam.
- Open the valve at the bottom of the radiator and place a drain pan underneath. Keep replacing the drain pan as it fills up and put the old coolant in sealed containers for proper disposal later.
- Turn on the hose and point the nozzle into the overflow bottle or directly into the radiator if you have an older car. Keep a steady flow of water to replace the coolant coming out of the drain plug.
- Keep flushing the system until there is no more foam coming out. This may take a while as the detergent works its way through.
- Turn off the engine and close the radiator drain plug. Let the water sit in the system for several minutes.
- Start the engine again and open the drain plug. Flush the system again with water to remove any remaining oil. Turn off the engine and let the water drain out. Close the drain plug.
- Refill your cooling system with a 50/50 mixture of coolant and distilled water¹.

I hope this helps you clean your car's cooling system!

Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/10/2023(1) How to clean oil out of cooling system - Leamas Technologies. https://www.leamastech.com/blog/how-to-clean-coolingsystem-that-is-contaminated-with-engine-oil-or-transmission-oil-10 Accessed 4/10/2023.
(2) How to Get Oil Out of Your Vehicle's Coolant System. https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-get-oil-out-of-your-vehicles-coolant-system Accessed 4/10/2023.
(3) How to Deal With Oil in Your Radiator - BlueDevil Products. https://gobdp.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-oil-in-your-radiator/ Accessed 4/10/2023.

my response: the car does not have a radiator it is a porsche with an oil and air cooled engine, so no coolant

I see. If your car has an oil and air cooled engine, then you may not have a radiator or a coolant system at all. Instead, your engine uses oil as the cooling agent, and air is pushed around the hot oil by metal cooling fins, heat exchangers, and large fans¹. This type of engine is common in older Porsche models, such as the 356, 914 and 911⁴.

To clean grease and oil from brass pipes in an oil and air cooled engine, you will need to use a high-performance oil that is specially designed for this type of engine. You will also need to change the oil regularly according to the service schedule. Some possible oils that are suitable for your Porsche are:

- Porsche Classic 20W-50 Motoroil for all air-cooled, pre-1977 Porsche models up to 2.7 liters⁴.
- Mobil 1 15W-50 for all air-cooled Porsche models from 1978 onwards³.
- LN Engineering Oil – What motor oil is best for my aircooled Porsche? (or any high performance engine) for all air-cooled Porsche models².

You should also check for any oil leaks in your engine, as they can cause damage and reduce performance. Some common places where oil leaks can occur are:

- Valve covers
- Camshaft seals
- Chain tensioner covers
- Oil pressure switch
- Oil cooler seals
- Oil return tubes
- Oil sump plate
- Oil breather hose⁵

To fix oil leaks, you will need to replace the faulty gaskets, seals, or hoses with new ones. You may also need to tighten or adjust some bolts or clamps. If you are unsure about how to do this, you may want to consult a professional mechanic or a Porsche specialist.

I hope this helps you clean your brass pipes!

Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/10/2023(1) Are Porsche Engines Still Air-Cooled? | Porsche Irvine. https://www.porscheirvine.com/blog/2019/april/11/are-porsche-engines-air-cooled.htm Accessed 4/10/2023.
(2) What’s the best engine oil for my classic Porsche?. https://www.porsche.com/stories/innovation/what-is-the-best-engine-oil Accessed 4/10/2023.
(3) Engine oil tailored to your Porsche | Optimizing performance - Porsche USA. https://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/porscheservice/parts/engineoil/ Accessed 4/10/2023.
(4) Oil – What motor oil is best for my aircooled Porsche? (or any high .... https://support.lnengineering.com/oil-what-motor-oil-is-best-for-my-aircooled-porsche-or-any-high-performance-engine/ Accessed 4/10/2023.
(5) How To Find And Fix Common Oil Leaks On A Classic Air-Cooled Porsche 911. https://blog.*******.com/find-fix-common-oil-leaks-classic-air-cooled-porsche-911 Accessed 4/10/2023.

oh boy even AI is getting on the 'what oil should I use in my aircooled 911' argument.

I post this only because I think it is helping me with parsing all the various answers a 'regular' search turns up, on this board or the open internet. Just enables more deep research and the citations in the answers I find really helpful.

The whole computer answering with "I see..." is a convo for somewhere off this channel

[Canada Kev]

I see. Not to mention the redundancy department of redundancy answer, merely parroting back some of the information you already stated in your query...

Regarding the unrequested oil information, I guess even the AI stuff is susceptible to, or very likely an engine to provide, marketing info. I'm envisioning a Vanna White version of Silicon Sally giving sage advice and clever suggestions for the actual products you should use to complete your task.

It's stuff like that which calls into question some of the reliability of this tech for information. It'll be hardly more than a thinly veiled marketing force, just like much of the rest of the internet; it's not about providing info but, rather, a sales machine. I wonder if it gets paid by the word count of the answers, as well...

Also, the manner in which one phrases the question, and likely punctuation, will affect the response. Your question: the pipes I want to clean are for a cooling system in a car that uses oil. A cooling system in a car that uses oil? You mean like every other car? Don't they all use oil?

Perhaps a phrase along the lines of, the pipes I want to clean are for an automotive oil cooling system, or something similar to that

Whatever. It's a brave new world and I suppose, like most everything, we'll have to adapt to the changes. Now, if I could only get my modem to stop dropping my internet connection when an autodialled tele-scammer calls...

[theiceman]

of course the car has a radiator .. what do you think the trombone cooler does .. yup .. its job is to radiate heat, just because it doesn't have water based coolant, doesnt mean it doesnt have a radiator ..

..carry on .

[7783911]

When lines are out there is a good thread on how to repair them with heat and compressed air if they have been crushed/damaged by reckless jacking