Engine Cleaning

[djscotty]

I just started pulling apart my motor for rebuild but my question is without having a parts washer, how is the easiest or best way to clean all of your parts?

Just Engine degreaser and brake clean? Somebody has to have some tricks and such.

 

[kd3pc]

in the olden days, one of mom's metal baking pans, a quart of kerosene and a selection of brushes and scrapers.

Initial dirt and caked on gunk, I stood over the metal trash can and scraped as much of that as I could. Then went to the "wet" stuff and did the same thing. Works(ed) well but not for the faint of heart or those afraid of getting dirty. I can still hear my mom, "don't track all that grease and **** in the house"...so you do need a place to do this. I used an old cardboard box set up around my "parts cleaner" to keep the splashes and spots from brushing contained. Still do.

More Green method:
spend about $200 on parts cleaner, another $100 on some green parts cleaner and so on, rubber gloves, air mover away from, respirator, safety glasses/shield, etc, etc. Still resort to spray on solvent to do the job. Priceless.

 

[sam03]

Oven cleaner 12-14oz cans from the dollar store works really well. I used it to clean frame and all with a pressure washer. Just let it sit and spray it off. Some with the motor and trans. cleaned as much as i could with brush and screw driven than sprayed it down the the cleaner and let it sit in the sun 15-20mins and spray off and repeat till its clean enough. If the motor was running you can get it to operational temp and spray it down the the cleaner that helps too but it will still get the job done with out a running motor.

 

[dclassical]

Well I am facing this now... but for a transmission rebuild in my tiny garage where there is absolutely no room for the car, the transmission, workbench, parts and a parts cleaner.

So last time (5 years ago) I used a lot of brake cleaner and it worked great but was expensive and sprayed everywhere though i tried my best to contained it (built a little "tent" with PVC pipes and plastic sheets).

So this is time I ordered a portable parts cleaner (that sits on the workbench). I am not sure if it works well or not but I wanted to try something different. Large parts will be washed with brake fluid or mineral spirit over a large container.

 

[djscotty]

Well I am facing this now... but for a transmission rebuild in my tiny garage where there is absolutely no room for the car, the transmission, workbench, parts and a parts cleaner.

So last time (5 years ago) I used a lot of brake cleaner and it worked great but was expensive and sprayed everywhere though i tried my best to contained it (built a little "tent" with PVC pipes and plastic sheets).

So this is time I ordered a portable parts cleaner (that sits on the workbench). I am not sure if it works well or not but I wanted to try something different. Large parts will be washed with brake fluid or mineral spirit over a large container.

I was just looking at those but the reviews were so so. Ok you get where I am coming from lol

 

[Olson Boy]

Easy off oven cleaner then Zep formula 50.

 

[warweapon762]

I found if you have an air compressor, this method works really well:

 

[zkling]

See if you have a local business that specializes in metal cleaning. There is a place a few blocks away from me that I've used a number of times. They have a setup of dip tanks, steam cleaners and dryers. Parts go in nasty and come back clean and dry. Well worth the price on some occasions.

 

[bob15]

I would remove the heavy sludge with a putty knife, then spray the block down with engine clean. I would then go to the local car wash and power wash it off. By the time i was home the block & heads were dry and then I coated everything with STP for rust prevention.

 

[APEowner]

For years my parts cleaner was a Rubbermaid Roughneck rub with kerosene in it. It's not as convenient as a real parts washer but it works just fine and you can put the top on it when you're not using it.

Brakeclean is an excellent cleaner but expensive and the fumes are dangerous. I darn near killed myself with the stuff cleaning a transmission one day.

 

[Wamsutta]

Purple Power and work it in with a stiff paint brush. Rinse with water.

 

[bobcatdan]

Diesel fuel in sure shot is my go to degreaser. I use it becuse when you stop to think about, diesel is cheap compaired to anything in a can. I have kerosene in my parts washer.

 

[Verg]

+1 on using FUEL. It turns out horrible non burnable Ethanol (about to send back to the EPA the gas too on so much h20) gas works way better for cleaning nasty parts then actual fuel. Just cleaned a ultra dirty Tr250 diff and carrier in about 1 hour to spotless clean (dunked in a bucket). Purple power works great too just way more expensive per gallon. I believe purple power is Lye based with some other strong or complementary bases.

 

[scarecrow505]

If your rebuilding a motor odds are you are taking it to a machine shop. Take those parts with you and have them cleaned for a few more bucks.

 

[doan]

I did the same when my son and I did a motor and clutch in a 2002 camero.

- I pressure washed the engine bay with Oil-Eater (like Purple Power) 1st.
- Then more parts cleaning in a giant plastic tub with water and Oil-Eater
- Finished with brake cleaner.

I also made a red-neck parts washer with a sprinkler and a bucket. I put a round plastic lawn sprinkler in the bottom a of 5gal. bucket. It's about a 6" ring with lots of holes. I rigged an air hose from my compressor to the sprinkler and a valve to provide aeration. I then filled the bucket about 1/2 full of gasoline (mineral spirits would be safer, I did this outside) and added parts. I set the airflow as high as possible and still keep all the gas in the bucket. It was kind of like a poor man's ultrasonic cleaner. Move the parts around occasionally to change the flow and get everything clean.

I did buy a little 10 or 20 gallon parts washer. That really didn't work well, it was just too small. The small size made the cleaner get dirty fast. Was easier to work in 5 gal. buckets.

 

[1950mercury]

If your rebuilding a motor odds are you are taking it to a machine shop. Take those parts with you and have them cleaned for a few more bucks.

This its like 75 bucks to hot tank a v8 around here. If you are doing a full rebuild with reconditioned rods,bored and honed block, reconditioned heads it less than 100 bucks to clean stuff. If you are doing a quick re-ring and gasket....u can use a wire brush and some type of cleaner and a parts washer...but if you dont have the proper tools to check your rods,bores,pistons,mains etc. You are rolling the dice and may be throwing good money to bad

 

[1950mercury]

Almosy forgot dont use easy off on aluminum

 

[bob15]

If your rebuilding a motor odds are you are taking it to a machine shop. Take those parts with you and have them cleaned for a few more bucks.

Why would I need to take an engine to a machine shop if I am rebuilding an engine? No need to if I'm doing the work......

 

[Qualitytools]

I use gasoline much, much cheaper than brake cleaner and melts the stuff off and for stubborn spots just agitate with a brush. As always use caution (flame suit on).

 

[doan]

I use gasoline much, much cheaper than brake cleaner and melts the stuff off and for stubborn spots just agitate with a brush. As always use caution (flame suit on).

Gasoline in one of those air-powered siphon cleaners works really well. I know gas is old school. As a kid my grandpa had gas in open metal wash tubs on each workbench in his tractor shop. Amazingly there was never an incident.

Is brake cleaner in an aerosol can really safer than gas??

 

[warweapon762]

Gasoline in one of those air-powered siphon cleaners works really well. I know gas is old school. As a kid my grandpa had gas in open metal wash tubs on each workbench in his tractor shop. Amazingly there was never an incident.

Is brake cleaner in an aerosol can really safer than gas??

Gasoline is more likely to ignite in a spontaneous fashion than say a brake cleaner or chem solvent. I had a neighbor set his yard on fire when he was spraying gasoline from a metal pump sprayer because the aerosol ended up getting ignited by the brushes in the electric motor of the diaphragm pump.

 

[Packard V8]

Why would I need to take an engine to a machine shop if I am rebuilding an engine? No need to if I'm doing the work......

So, you're doing the boring, honing, crank grinding, cam grinding, valve and head work, milling heads and block?

jack vines

 

[scarecrow505]

Why would I need to take an engine to a machine shop if I am rebuilding an engine? No need to if I'm doing the work......

A ball hone on your cordless drill and a jegs catalog isnt "rebuilding an engine".

 

[Justanoldguy]

So, you're doing the boring, honing, crank grinding, cam grinding, valve and head work, milling heads and block?

jack vines

I think rebuilding and reconditioning are not the same thing. JM2CW