vanster

I have read a number of post regarding cleaners. There are all types of environmentally very bad products that we can use. Nothing that flows down the street but....
I feel the best one that I have found is "Oil Eater". It's non toxic and bio degradable, no smell and no residue like Green Stuff. You can buy it at Costco for about $8 per gallon.
Check it out

Van
80 sp MSDS headers
67 Sunbeam
66 Lotus Cortina race car (sold)
66 Alfa Spyder Veloce race car (sold)

Landseer

Thanks.
What is its chemical composition, being as you believe its "green"?

Speedtoys

Theres this stuff, comes in 5gal bucket at the flight club..its citrusy..and you apply it with an air pressure wand..relatively low impact.

Was amazing on some patches of the frame rails I tried it on..instant black to white.

When it quits raining and I stop by again, I'll update this thread with it.

Landseer

Cool. Thanks.

danglerb

I don't think anybody sells full strength citrus cleaner to the general public, its extremely aggressive as a solvent, but I've found some carpet cleaning supply places have about the least diluted.

Speedtoys

Ya..not sure what specifically it is, but cant be too aggressive for aviation use...I would think.

danglerb

Jug of Citrasolv I have in my garage is from a guy that's a mechanic for FedEx. My guess is they have strict rules on how, and what its used on.

jon928se

In my experience as environmentally unfriendly as possible is the best.

Diesel works well. Petrol works better but do it on a wet day.

Dave928S

I agree ... but on hearing about histoclear and simple green combination that Dennis K ??? used to clean his engine components, I researched the active components of histoclear to see if there was a cheaper alternative.

The main active ingredient is D-limonene, which is pure citrus oil used in citrus cleaners. I found it here in Australia as citrus solvent, and it works really well in combination with simple green. I use it in a spray bottle and it works as well as hydrocarbon solvents.

Tampa 928s

My brothers has a 86.5 we rebuilt, he went to Walmart and purchased some type of De-greaser cleaner, which I advised him not to use it. Well it worked great "Except", he did not rinse it enough and completely disintegrated his condenser and turned some aluminum parts to white. I think that the phosphate level is what you must look out for!

Dave928S

You need to look at the chemical content of cleaners and only use what you know isn't going to ruin your work. Phosphoric acid is a common ingredient of aluminium cleaners and although it will do a good job it will etch the surface and leave a white surface by product of the reaction.

vanster

The description on the bottle of "Oil Eater" says: "Grease cutting agents, Surfactants, Alkaline Salts, Fragrance. Biodegradable, Non Toxic, Non Corrosive" .I am very careful not to use this product on a hot engine and I rinse off part with lots of clean water. It seems to work well for me and at $8 per gallon
"and that's not all" you get a handy squirt bottle. Try it at your own risk.

van

dr bob

The "alkaline salts" part is what scares me about many degreasers, including the popular 'purple' stuff sold under multiple brands. Look for sodium hydroxide for instance. The bottles correctly warn us to not use it on aluminum. Even Simple Green needs very thorough rinsing.

The petro products, paint thinners, xylene, Standard Stoddard Solvent (dry-cleaning fluids), on to acetone, methylene chloride, toluene, diesel fuel and petrol/gasoline, all are known to cause brain damage if breatehd or ingested, and some even from skin contact. I can personally attest to the longer-term effects. As much as I love the way Brake Clean seems to magically dissolve car crud, it gets very minimal and careful use here. As Jon says, the best products are the worst for us.

JPTL

"Cleaners" is a pretty broad term. Some products may be fine on rubber/plastic parts but may etch clear coated parts or discolor painted surfaces..and vice versa.
P21S makes good, PH controlled & non-acidic cleaning products.
I've found P21S wheel cleaner to be a good, safe start when cleaning painted engine parts. Since it's PH controlled and non-acidic it won't haze wheel's clear coat over time. If it's that gentle on a clear coat, I'm comfortable using it on my intake for instance.
It's more expensive than most cleaners, and you can't just swing into Autozone to pick it up, but the extra cost and limited distribution is worth it, IMO.
...plus it's German made. My 928 prefers it

Landseer

Another thing that works for me is a mix of 1 part Gain liquid to 3 parts hot water, spraying it onto the underside of engine and car with a pump-up sprayer. Problem is what to do with the rinsewater.