I figure while I have my engine out that this would be a good time to paint the engine. I spent the weekend attempting to remove forty-five years of baked on oil. I used three cans of brake cleaner, two cans of carb cleaner, four cans of Gunk engine degreaser, Simple Green, a scrub brush, a toothbrush, scotchbrite pads; and I only worked on one half of the engine before I gave up! And the side I worked on still isn't clean enough for paint. :af: Does anyone have a better, more effective way to clean an engine and get it ready for paint? I was wondering if something like oven cleaner would work, but is the residue left behind (is there silicone in oven cleaner?) worse than the baked on oil I am trying to remove? Thanks.
Not sure about using 'oven cleaner', but a steam cleaner, or a pressure washer with the oscillating knozzel used to clean cement surfaces should remove most of the burned on crud. Prespray with Gunk or a similar grease cutter, and let it soak in for quite a while before you use the pressure washer - wear eye protection, and repeat as necessary till all that grease, and oily residue is gone - Do not use the Gunk on an asphalt surface, as it will disolve it !! A old tarp, flattened cardboard box, or plastic drop sheet under the engine should collect most of the crap. :TU:
Super Clean cuts through engine grease and grime like a hot knife through butter. I've used it on my engine with no adverse effects. Pour it into a spray bottle and go to town :TU: Available at K-Mart or Walmart:
Thanks for all that. I have a pressure washer, but I didn't use it because I do not have any way to dispose of the waste water. Right now I am letting the runoff from last Saturday evaporate in a pail. ou: I will give Super Clean a try and see how it works. It's the caked on stuff that is giving me fits. Thanks. PS. Mental note to self: Next time pull engine some time other than football season.
Mike,,, I have many times, submerged badly crudded up parts in simple green and they came completely clean... but you gotta submerge them and leave them for 12 or so hours.... kind of hard to do with a complete engine.... use it to soak then use a steam cleaner or pressure washer.... but steam works best.... the other alternative is a drill with a small rotating stiff brush and simple green.....
Now you have opened a can of worms. While your at it clean the engine bay of the car. Is it all oil/grease residue? Might better reseal the engine if its leaking oil. While your at it pull all the brackets and paint them too, no better time than now to paint these items whatever color scheme you want so it does not look like a DuPont rebuild.
X2 what woodchuck said. First it starts with the engine, then the engine compartment, etc. Consider this the first domino. This won't help much for a completed engine but as far as removing grease on engine parts there's one thing that cannot be beat. I found this in a restoration book for trucks. Fill a tub (wash tub, large plastic tub, etc) 3/4 full of warm water, dissolve a can of Drano in it, and submerge the part in the solution suspending it with wire coat hangers (like a chrome shop does). You really don't want to reach into this stuff. After a few minutes remove the part, rinse it off, dry it, and paint. It will be spotless when you pull it from the tub. If the part is painted or is chrome and painted the paint will be gone and the chrome will shine like new. I tried this when restoring my Corvette and it works great. Cheap, very effective, and quick.
