Cleaning the engine
5 Year Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 410
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From: Fayetteville, NC
I spray everything down with Simple Green, wait about 5 minutes and then spray off with water using the spray nozzle set on a fine spray. I then remove most of the water with a leaf blower. Then if I want to do a good detail I spray it with turtle wax super protectant and wipe it down with a rag.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Timbuk3, MI
Dan M. - I spray everything down with Simple Green, wait about 5 minutes and then spray off with water using the spray nozzle set on a fine spray. ...
Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminium items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminium 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 aluminium 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 aluminium cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation
One should never assume that aqueous solutions could be disposed of down the drain. Your local water treatment authority or publicly owned treatment works (POTW) will have information on treatment and disposal of these cleaners. Adjustment of pH and dilution are usually required before disposal to a drain.
Simple Green is corrosive and will react with bare aluminium causing hydrogen embrittlement (this is also known as stress cracking corrosion).
For REALLY gunked-up areas I use DAWN dish soap solution diluted with water, scrubbed with a paint brush, and rinsed with a low trickle from the hose. One should never assume that aqueous solutions could be disposed of down the drain. Your local water treatment authority or publicly owned treatment works (POTW) will have information on treatment and disposal of these cleaners. Adjustment of pH and dilution are usually required before disposal to a drain.
Simple Green is corrosive and will react with bare aluminium causing hydrogen embrittlement (this is also known as stress cracking corrosion).
To remove residue from aluminum I use silicone spray. If it's heavily oxidized, brass wire brushes (of various sizes) can be used to remove it - BE SURE TO SPRAY-ON A PROTECTANT AFTERWARDS
I use Pledge lemon spray on the engine bay components.
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 399
Likes: 41
I only wash a cold engine. Use a mild soap with good emulsion properties sort that lifts off the dirt. I just use the hose without sprayer cuz I only want to rinse off the dirt rather than spray and put water where I don't want it.
I degrease what is needed, wet the engine and plastic bits. Soap it up and move it around with a soft brush, then rinse it off. Then ill use some compressed or or leaf blower to dry it off.
I degrease what is needed, wet the engine and plastic bits. Soap it up and move it around with a soft brush, then rinse it off. Then ill use some compressed or or leaf blower to dry it off.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 16
Likes: 6
I spray everything down with Simple Green, wait about 5 minutes and then spray off with water using the spray nozzle set on a fine spray. I then remove most of the water with a leaf blower. Then if I want to do a good detail I spray it with turtle wax super protectant and wipe it down with a rag.
I use Chemical Guys orange degreaser, let it sit 5 minutes and then pressure wash everything down. I cover the alternator and distributer with tinfoil to avoid getting sensitive parts wet. I blow the engine dry with leafblower as it is running and then finish by spraying CG's G6 dressing on the rubber/plastic parts.
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Last edited by dogcatcher; Apr 7, 2014 at 01:57 PM. Reason: add photos
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Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Ontario, Canada
