suggestions on engine degreasing

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

rc51kid

rc51kid

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
May 31, 2010
Threads
692
Messages
2,810
I have a slight valve cover gasket leak and altinator leak. I bought all the OEM parts and i am planning on hitting it all tomorrw. I have some oil built up n the engine that i would like to clean off. It is not thick but it is kind of dry and hard. I bought a can of engine de greaser and sprayed it on, waited 5 min and hit it with a hose. It didnt do anything. Also i had a slight miss for about 10 min until the engine got nice and warm. I really dont like sprying water at the engine. But i guess if that is the only way then so be it. Any good way to get oil off of the engine? It is mostly down the front but also around the entire valve cover gasket area much lighter.
 
I have tried many things to clean grease off the engine. The alkaline cleaners (ingredients typically list NAOH, sodium hydroxide, caustic soda, KOH, potassium hydroxide) work best, but are not good for painted surfaces, aluminum, and some plastics. Goop hand cleaner works well if you can apply it by hand. I typically use Dawn + water in a 50/50 solution prayed on with a weed/bug sprayer. I also plumbed in a hot water line off my water heater to a high temp garden hose that helps a lot too.
I apply soap, rinse with hot water and repeat a few times and usually get good results.
 
Well first off cover the distributor cap with a plastic bag (from somewhere like wal-mart) then use over degreaser the run the vehicle (put the plastic bag on before you wash it but after it runs) then use a pressure washer and you should be good.

Sent using a phone with auto correct
 
Power washers work the best. You can take it to the local car wash and do it if you don't have access to one. I usually spray mine with dawn detergent a few minutes before hand. Then cover up the distributor. Just go easy around places like the air intake, belts, and those connectors near the throttle body.
 
Mudder said:
Well first off cover the distributor cap with a plastic bag (from somewhere like wal-mart) then use over degreaser the run the vehicle (put the plastic bag on before you wash it but after it runs) then use a pressure washer and you should be good.

Sent using a phone with auto correct
Click to expand...

If you mean a typical oven cleaner ie easy off etc, this stuff will remove paint and eat/pit aluminum. There are a lot of aluminum components in the engine compartment.
 
Meant oven but it got corrected to over. Sorry about that

Sent using a phone with auto correct
 
$0.02 worth

simple green with a stiff nylon parts cleaning brush, rinse it off with water. warm engine, not hot. be deliberate but gentle, it should all come off without hurting anything.
 
Best engine degreaser I can think of is diesel and ATF. Mix about a cup of ATF with a gallon of diesel in a sprayer. Make sure your engine is warm when you apply it. Let it soak for a few hours and look for dry spots where it has soaked in and retreat if needed. Then hit it with a pressure washer. If you still have a greasy film afterwards, you can spray a light soap like Dawn or Purple Power and pressure wash it again.
 
Purple power or simple green and a pressure washer work. Usually I scrape off as much as I can with a screwdriver or gasket scraper then hit it with a wire brush before using the degreaser.
 
Purple power! Just be careful around your paint. Especially in the engine bay because it isn't clear coated like the rest of your rig so the purple power will eat the paint if left on for more than a minute or two! It's excellent at removing grease/oil tho!


Sent from my iPad
 
Power washer at a car wash-then do it on a regular basis whenever you wash truck-open hood -do engine. It will stay great if you don't have huge leaks.
 
Funner said:
I have tried many things to clean grease off the engine. The alkaline cleaners (ingredients typically list NAOH, sodium hydroxide, caustic soda, KOH, potassium hydroxide) work best, but are not good for painted surfaces, aluminum, and some plastics. Goop hand cleaner works well if you can apply it by hand. I typically use Dawn + water in a 50/50 solution prayed on with a weed/bug sprayer. I also plumbed in a hot water line off my water heater to a high temp garden hose that helps a lot too.
I apply soap, rinse with hot water and repeat a few times and usually get good results.
Click to expand...



What he said -Simple Green + Hot water from your hot water heater. No need to use pressure, just some elbo grease.
 
Simple green is not good for aluminum, it can get into the pores and eventually cause foaming of your oil , I work in aviation and you would be fired if caught cleaning an engine this way, just use steam or leave it alone, it gives good rust protection anyways
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom