[LBSLOCALS]

What is the best way to clean my engine, what should I use??

 

[Chris]

What is the best way to clean my engine, what should I use??

Gunk engine bright...just cover your electrical and follow the directions.

 

[AZSCTACO]

Simple Green and a power sprayer

 

[spyder041]

Simple Green and a power sprayer

nooo...simple green eats away at metals:runaway:

 

[McKeever]

I just take it to the car wash and spray it down using the engine/tire/wheel cleaner, and then spray it down again with water.

 

[AZSCTACO]

nooo...simple green eats away at metals:runaway:

Where did you hear that???? :shrug:

 

[Enola Gaia]

nooo...simple green eats away at metals:runaway:

I thought it was the other way around - i.e., that 'Gunk' - style cleaners were corrosion problems because they contained caustic soda (lye) ... :shrug:

 

[AZSCTACO]

I thought it was the other way around - i.e., that 'Gunk' - style cleaners were corrosion problems because they contained caustic soda (lye) ... :shrug:

Thats what I thought.........Simple Green is safe :waytogo: Been using it for years

 

[Enola Gaia]

OK .... Here's something ....

In this Mustang forum thread:

http://www.mustangforums.com/archive/thread1362159-2.html

... one guy claims Simple Green can be corrosive on unpainted metal surfaces. His learning experience has to do with airplanes. That may be consistent with a couple of citations I found on other forums (of what was claimed to be a rumor only ...) that Simple Green might be hard on aluminum specifically ...

 

[Enola Gaia]

... And this _Motorcycle Consumer News_ article:

http://www.dogworldmag.com/mcn/technical/MCNmay06DevilDetails5.pdf

... mentions Simple Green as one of the detergents that can cause fading on *painted* engine parts because it can remove oils from exposed paint ...

 

[Enola Gaia]

... And in this SuperHonda forum thread:

http://www.superhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193483

... one person claims there'd been reports of Simple Green eating away at aluminum (and attributes the claim to t-i.net) ...

 

[Enola Gaia]

... And in the same thread (SuperHonda - cited above...) someone posted the following message - apparently from Simple Green or a Simple Green rep:

"Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All-Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation."

 

[spyder041]

guess it all depends on how long someone lets it sit on metals? I know back when i used to belong to a jeep forum, people used to clean mud off of the engines with simple green and then they'd have metals being eaten away

 

[Enola Gaia]

As near as I can tell from today's searching, any problems with Simple Green:

- are specifically related to aluminum
- seem to correlate with excessive exposure without rinsing
- are not unique to Simple Green (I've seen same complaints for other cleaners)

 

[kuyanoel]

Stay away from simple green and even that canned gunk trunk stuff. Will ruin your plastic over time. Fall in love with Meguiars!!!

They're all concentrate so u can dilute. I like the All purpose because you can use it every where like carpet and wheel wells etc. Cover up your sensitive stuff under hood like altenator, spray everything, let it sit for a minute or more, then wash it off. Then while everything is a still wet, spray the hyper dressing (shat is expensive btw ) Hyper dressing can be diluted up to four to one. Four to one for a satin finish, one to one for high gloss bling bling. Everything will be shiny including your engine block.


You can buy this stuff at http://www.autodetailingsolutions.com and go for the 32oz samplers. Or find one of those "mom n pop" car detailer/paint product stores around your area.


"SERIOUS CAR CARE FOR CAR CRAZY PEOPLE"
meguiars.com

 

[TACOMATruckin98]

i tried the gunk cleaner, it doesnt work worth a crap...what is best to use? im wondering the same thing

 

[tacoyota]

i dunno...any ideas? cuz my engine bay is full of caked on dirt/mud...i wonder how to make it pretty again?

 

[glassdoc]

mud and dirt does not require a degreaser.. simply power wash the mud and dirt off.. now, what I have used for years is a simple thing found in every grocery store.. ez off oven cleaner.. yep, its that ez, pardon the pun.. simply run engine until up to operating temp drive to car wash (self serve, wand type), raise hood and spray the engine compartment down with the ez off.. I spray everything.. **however** note, ez off will remove ink from any labels under the hood** let sit for apprx 3-4 minutes, insert your quarters nd power wash off the entire engine bay, big difference immediately. will it harm paint? good question, I never let it sit on my paint for any extended period andI have seen no issues from using it..
before:

after:

 

[glassdoc]

another vehicle after: 126,454 miles on it.

and after:

here's what someone in another forum had to say after trying gunk, simple green, bio-degradabkle degreaser etc.

poppop
Black Trails


Joined: 04 Sep 2005
Posts: 817
Location: Narvon, PA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 3:25 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
Don't forget this one. It worked best of all.
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/114/N/1182/Easy-Off_Oven_and_Grill_Cleaner.htm
_________________
Jonathan
Life is too short for a full time job.

 

[glassdoc]

couple more shots of the tracker:
before:

after: