Engine degreaser

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Hi guys
I have used the foaming type engine degreasers with bad results-they dont clean off most of the crud. What is a good type to use? Thanks
 
Gunk the non foaming type always worked well for me. Castrol Super Clean works well too.
 
"Shout" laundry stain remover works amazingly well as an engine degreaser. Spray on (cool engine compartment), let it soak for a while, and then wash off, preferably with hot water. Obviously cover any points where water could enter critical systems, as with any engine degreaser that requires rinsing with water.
 
When a neighbour and I were flipping cars, we used diesel for the heavy work, and clothes detergent to get the diesel off...even after hosing the diesel off, there was a fine film (that would evaporate anyway if not washed off).
 
I used to use STP's Engine Degreaser (UK sourced) at one point, although I now use WD-40. I let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off with pressurized water mixed with dish washing detergent.

The other option, if you're after a heavy duty degreaser, would be to mix some dish washing detergent or liquid laundry detergent with diesel. Mix a bit of water into it, and give it a really good shake. Let it sit a few minutes, then wash it off with pressurized water.
 
Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
cool engine only...CRC Brakleen.its pretty high pressure right outta the can .plus it evaporates clean.


Only problem with that is you absolutely have to make sure it does not get to any rubber components.
 
Best stuff I've ever used was the standard Gunk brand degreaser (not the foaming type). Spray on a cool engine, let sit for 15 minutes, then spray off with high pressure water. I used it to clean up some caked on manual tranny fluid that had coated the bottom of my transaxle. I had used other degreasers in the past....simple green, Greased Lightning, Purple Power, etc etc...none really allowed me to simply spray off the grease. The Gunk on the other hand was amazing...no need to break out the brush, just used my pressure washer and blasted away. I was left with perfectly clean aluminum, even in the areas that were barely coated with degreaser.

Made me a Gunk buyer for life. That said, I still use Purple power diluted for general engine bay cleaning. When I'm detailing the top of an engine bay (plastics, rubber, etc), I feel the heavy duty Gunk is a bit too strong. For baked on grease and grime though, its tops!
 
The Gunk Non-foam is good... Advance Auto's house brand was good. Even full Stregnth LA's totally awesome (3$ a gallon at DG) works great. You can even find that stuff at Dollar Tree. You can also cut it 50% with water and clean floors, or cut it down to 25% and use it on the car's interior. Super cleaning, cheap cheap cheap.
 
I'm a fan of the LA's Totally Awesome.....but yea, it can be hard to find the stuff "cheap".....it seems extremely similar to the make up of Simple Green, Purple Power, Super Clean, Grease Lightning, etc...all seem to have that "2-Butoxyethanol" base to them - which I hear is really bad for the body....so you're supposed to wear like a full rubber boots/suit/gloves and don't get any on your skin lol.

But yea, I use the Totally Awesome in my washer as a bleach alternative, detailing the car, etc......bought a couple different spray bottles and have it pre-measured at various ratios....cause like Glass/Windows if you have too much Totally Awesome it'll leave hella streaks/soap on the windows....only need like 1-2 oz. per gallon....doesn't seem like a lot, but it works, actually been using it in my washer fluid tank, just keep refilling the same old Prestone jug (I like the construction, vs. the RainX bottle....too flimsy) with 2 oz. Totally Awesome, rest distilled water (we got hard water here....). So it's like 68c for the gallon of water, and the gallon jug of Totally Awesome is $3 depending where you go - lately I've been having to resort to the smaller spray bottles though, as my local WM stopped selling the gallons, and don't make it to the Dollar General or Family Dollar that often.


But yea, windshield washer additive, cleaning up tires/rims, cleaning the interior up, works great.

As with the Purple Power, Simple Green, et. all - they note "not for use on shiny metal, but I haven't had a problem with the Totally Awesome. The other above mentioned products also seem to say not to be used on shiny metals, glass, plastics, etc....

Perhaps the Totally Awesome is just more diluted than the others?

And ontop of that, they have further recommended dilution ratios, depending on the job.
 
Originally Posted By: 97prizm

I've used simple green diluted to 50/50 and have had no problems so far.


This is what I use now too. Was a Gunk user for many years (not the foamy which is terrible). Simple Green is safer, smells better, cheaper, and probably better for the environment. May be diluted however much or little you want. Buy in bulk from Walmart makes it very affordable.

I still finish up with a lite coat of silicone spray on the rubber and plastic for a nice detailed look. Ace Hardware stuff works best for me.
 
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I tried the LA's Totally Awesome and was Totally Disappointed.

My rank of cleaners I have tried:
Castrol Super Clean--powerful stuff--containes sodium (or potassium) hydroxide, i.e. drain cleaner.
Simple Green
Purple Power

Never tried Greased lightning.

Recently discovered Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid--it cleans my hands up very nice.
 
I've had good luck with Greased Lightning. A maecanic once told me Gunk was mostly just Diesel fuel. Can anyone confirm this? I use Diesel for a lot of solvent issues.
 
A hot washer pressure washer will out do anything in a can. A cold pressure washer with foaming soap via the injector also does a decent job. In areas where you have an inch or more of grease/sludge/crud, your hand works pretty well.
 
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