LEADASS

I'm trying to clean a filthy motor. I would have it hot dipped but don't want to strip it all the way down. I've remove everything down to block and heads(and all their bits). I'm looking for products to cut old oil grime etc that are relatively safe: to me , the engine, and the environment. One post mentioned Histo clear, I only see that as a medical/science product. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks Brian

hacker-pschorr

5 gallon drum of mineral spirits from your local paint store is a good start. Castrol super degreaser in the purple container is also good (I tend to use both). Sometimes Castrol is a bit harsh, Simple Green's automotive degreaser is also good.

If you have a Sherwin Williams automotive or other pro-level detailing place, this stuff is excellent to:
http://www.meguiars.com/estore/produ...ectionID=41101
http://www.meguiars.com/estore/produ...ectionID=46101

Can also be ordered online, I go through Auto Detailing Solutions. Even if you do not have an engine to clean, the above three products are nice to have around the garage.

Landseer

Here's what I've used, but maybe other suggetions are better.

CRC Brake cleaner, red can, does a great job but its a little nasty and you can go through a lot of cans, expensive.

Brushing in WD 40 does a good job, especially rinsing with CRC.

Hot water and 1:1 Gain or Tide in a bug sprayer, multi rinse brush repeats works but you've got to have a place to dump the soap complexed grease.

I just bought, yesterday for $25, a universal replacement pump/wash tube at Northern for a parts washer. Rigged it up with buckets and mineral spirits to wash CV joints outdoors. Hoping not to burn down the house and/or neighborhood.

Dirty jobs, time consuming, no matter how you slice it.

joejoe

I use cheap carb cleaner from autozone and walmart (whichever is cheapest) catch it with a drip pan and keep using. To begin I also use gasoline.

Mrmerlin

JoeJoe you might be a fire waiting to happen, I hope that you also have a few fire extinguishers handy.

If your using any kind of flammable solvents dont try to start the car till they have all be rinsed away and have evaporated.
FWIW......
I was cleaning an engine with engine gunk the spray on stuff, anyway since the engine was cold,
I started the car and began spraying this stuff onto the engine , after a few sprays .........
Phawoomp.............. turns out the spark plug wires were also leaking and this touched off the gunk,
though I didnt realize the flammability of it,
with the charged hose laying on the ground the remaining fire was out, this took all of about 10 seconds from can spray to hose spray....... so this was a quick lesson for me and I am passing it on...

dr bob

There was a thread about a product called "Royal Brown", including a testimony from the manufacturer that it isn't the typical caustic degreaser. Results from users all seemed positive.

All that said... Start off with the scraper and get as much of the crud off mechanically before you go after it with chemicals. Then two options. First is the detergent and pressure washer method, kind to the environmnet especially if you can easily trap the chunks from the runoff. Start off with just the water bl;ast, go to chems only to get the last film off. Second is the solvent method, with mineral spirits, the spray engine cleaners that are solvent based, follow with citrus degreaser or histoclear to get it all new-looking.

If the engine is completely apart, no worries with water blasting. Steel stuff gets immediately sprayed with preservative or coated with oil/grease to stop the corrosion. Depending on how much is still assembled, you'll want to take serious precautions against water getting inside.


Managing the runoff is a serious issue in my neighborhood. Dropping solvent-based junk into the storm sewers is a real no-no, and my front yard is a nature preserve. The detergent-based runoff may or may not be acceptable where you are. I catch the solvent drippings in plastic pans, scoop the gunk out to trash and send any remaining liquid with my hazmat recycle. The local waste management guys take the slime in buckets, so no worres there.

OBehave

+1 on the Castrol Super Clean in the purple bottles.Although now it's just called Super Clean because Castrol sold that line off to someone who's name escapes me right now.The stuff does a great job but make sure you RINSE COMPLETELY!!! This stuff contains LYE and will damage the aluminum if left on.

joejoe

Thanks for the input merlin. Guess I should add that I also use a steam cleaner after the other stuff. Also the car sat for a few days after cleaning while the undercarraige was steamed cleaned. I would not dream of starting a car immediatly after using any compressed spay cleaner due to the experience you had. Another suggestion if anyone uses what I did... no smoking.

joejoe

Ed how goes the holbert car? I had the oportunity to help some with the dismantling at sharktoberfest. It looks like a museum piece in your picture.

Erik N

Heavy-Duty oven cleaner for the tenacious stuff. It is a strong alkaloid so rinse well, water pretty much neutralizes it. Wear glasses!

LEADASS

OK DR Bob, What is Histo clear and where do I get it? This is the second or third time I've heard of it, and only in passing.I googled it and come up with a xylene replacement for histology applications, is this what I get? $44 per gallon? Is it environmentally safe (citrus)? How good is it? Have I said how much I love this site and you guys? Thanks

dr bob

I've never used it or bought any. Local pathologist/928 owner could get some for me I'm sure. But so far no need. Jim Morton and Bill Ball in the SF area used it for the last cleaning on Dennis K's rebuild/upgrade, and the block looks great in the pictures. I was just under mine today for a little inspection/maintenance, and the block looks just like the Dennis K pictures with nothing stronger than Simple Green and the hose, done a couple years ago.

If I need a solvent cleaner for stuff in the car, I like the Foamy Engine Brite but there are runoff issues. As I mentioned, the rest of that duty is with mineral spirits, with the results captured in a big dishpan, or maybe a concrete mixing tub from Home Depot.

LEADASS

thanks,The home depot tubs are great. I've got several sizes, mineral spirits and simple green it is!thanks again, Brian

NoVector

True dat!

Once clean, I used Napa's Aluminum Brightner to bring the aluminum to "new" looking. A little goes a long way--only leave it on for ~10 seconds. Comes in a bottle that looks like 409.

Post pics when you're done! / Bruce

Rob Edwards

For grins I looked at the Histoclear MSDS. It's 95-100% d-Limonene, or Orange Oil.

Begs the question of whether this would work:

http://www.shop3m.com/62461549305.ht...SE-ShoppingCom

Or just a scotchbrite pad and a bucket of mildly diluted GoJo hand cleaner...