I've cleaned a few engine compartments in my time and I'm ready to do another one. It is grease and oil covered in 50% of area and the rest is just that old dull look. I have a car hoist and the engine is out. So that makes it a bit easier. I've always used good old elbow grease and a scraper. But at 60 something I'm really tired of doing it that way. Any suggestions out there? I plan on using Rustoleum satin black after it is cleaned.
i've had really good luck with lysol kitchen and bathroom cleaner in the pump spray bottle....it was the only thing around when i made a mess once and now i use it on most everything
I lost my oil filler cap and oiled down my firewall (white of course) almost immediately ...well within 6 months or so I decided to clean it up...all I had was a can of scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner....sprayed it on and watched the grease and oil run off...little fuckers (bubbles) worked their asses off!
May not be good for scrubbing down an old, dirty engine compartment, BUT...to keep your renovated engine compartment really clean AND shiny....S-100 motorcycle cleaner. Safe on paint, chrome, aluminum, wiring, vinyl, and leaves it all looking like it was waxed. Fast, too.
my friend mike, who owns a mechanic shop, uses a really good, high-powered, pressure washer of the gasoline powered variety. he's done this every way possible and has found that this is the easiest way and it does the job the best. he does it enough to warrent spending the $ to buy his own. i'm sure you could borrow or rent one.
If you're going to repaint the engine bay after you clean it, paint stripper will remove the grease & paint in one shot. My technique is to spread paint stripper over a large area using an old paint brush, and then start working it in with a wire brush. Wear thick gloves of course.. that shit stings like a mofo if you get it on your skin. Repeat this process a few times and then clean it off with your garden hose. The paint stripper leaves a film behind. I use carb cleaner, followed by wax & grease remover to clear off the film and get the surface ready for paint. In the past month I've used this method to clean up a 283 and the front of my 31's frame. The best part is that you'll only be out less than $20 by the time you're done if you're using Rustoleum (my new paint of choice). Ed
That's one way ed...to get to the base metal... My suggestion is to invest about 15.00 bucks and go to walmart...buy their engine degreaser a case or two should run you about 8 bucks, the generic version for 84 cents a can and go hog wild.. then spend teh other 8 bucks for the carb cleaner, and again...lay it in thick...then grab a pressure sprayer adn clean it off...that should get it pretty well clean... or take it to a car wash adn do it there... tok
A pressure washer works real good for getting the bulk grease and dirt off. Like said previously, get one of the gas powered ones that actually make enough rpessure to do some good. Wear old clothes and be prepared to get soaked, as the spray will come back on you, making you covered in dirt and grease while getting soaked. But the end result is a clean surface that just needs a little extra cleaner and elbow grease to finish up and prep for painting.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I do have a gas powered pressure washer but the temp has been around zero degrees here with no let up in sight, so that's out for awhile.
For me... I have done a little bit of everything. The best system I have come up with is to spray EVERYTHING with that purple degreaser, then fire up the preasure washer on high power and hit ever nook and cranny. After doing that, let it sit out in the sun till its mostly dry, and blast it with WD40 to keep the surface rust off of any bare metal. If you are just cleaning it up an plan to keep on driving it, not tearing it down... try steam cleaning it! Old trick for quick cleanups on fast turnaround sales. Just keep the ignition system and carb covered.
Could you hook the pressure washer up to the water heater? We had a steam cleaner (pressure washer with REALLY hot water) at work. It worked great. Feels like your in a sauna too .
I tried just about everything on mine, the crud was up to 2" thick on the frame in some places. I tried the car wash, but managed only to spray bits of grease all over everything, and then had to clean that up too. I couldn't find anything that would get through it but good 'ol elbow grease and a stiff putty knife. I have about 18 hours into whittling the dirt caked grease off of everthing. Once the thick stuff was gone, literally buckets of it, I used oven cleaner to degrease it. You can get oven cleaner that doesn't need to be heated to work, and it's a bit less nasty too. Then I used a hose to wash it all off and Brake-Clean to finish it off for paint. Pete
I like simple green, or 409 is what I use, but they're not the best for caked on thick stuff. For that, nothing beats a scraper, a screwdriver, and a hammer. -Bugman Jeff
Instead of cleaners and pressure washers I use a wire cup that attaches to my angle grinder...they are about 15 bucks at the hardware store, and 1 of em did the job on my frame, firewall, inner fenders and all the suspension parts. To get into nooks and crannys I use a wire wheel in my drill. This method will take it down to bare metal and will eat almost anything in its path. Beware that the little wires do come loose after a while and become tiny projectiles, so wear the proper protection!
The Jalopy Journal
